Border Awareness Experience:

"The US/Mexican border is a wound where the Third World grates against the First and bleeds...The lifeblood of two worlds merging to form a third country-A Border Culture."
-Gloria Anzaldua

The United States/Mexican border is the only place on the planet where an industrialized and a developing country meet; thus, the stresses created by globalization, multinational corporations, immigration, and capitalism singularly incubate in this 2,500 mile stretch of desert. The border is a microcosm for modern day globalization and the issues involved in it.  The North/South tensions of the region create charged dialogue about NAFTA, maquiladoras , Minute Men, Border Patrol, Security, the Military, Poverty, and Immigration; through the Border Awareness Experience, the Women's Intercultural Center invites individuals not living at the border to add their voices to this important conversation.

Specific inquiries about the BAE-- including reservation requests-- should be directed to the Border Awareness Coordinator: anthonybae1@yahoo.com.

Within these pages, please find information on the following topics related to the Center’s Border Awareness Experience:

Program Objective
Sample Schedule
Information for Perspective Participants
Reflections from Past Participants
Participating Organizations

Program Objectives
The Border Awareness Experience (BAE) informs participants about the complexities of border life and allows individuals to draw their own conclusions about immigration policies, globalization issues and related problems. The BAE is intentionally designed to be a challenging educational experience centered upon questioning and reflection- rather than rote acceptance of presented material. The purpose of this Center initiative is to immerse participants in the rich, unique culture alive on either side of the Rio Grande. BAE group members gain a tacit understanding of the issues confronting individuals at the border and form their own opinions about US and Mexican policies and its relationship to the globalization process.
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Sample Border Awareness Experience Schedule
(Please note that every BAE is tailored to the particular needs of a group.  Therefore, the schedule presented here is not exactly replicated in each BAE program. Every BAE event is facilitated by a full-time Center staff member.)

Day 1:
Arrive in El Paso, TX . Brief driving tour of city, the Mesilla Valley , and Anthony , NM /TX. Settle in at the Women’s Intercultural Center, tour of Center, sessions with staff and local women who use the Center's services. Dinner and overnight at the Center.

BAE group members will sleep in the Center and the comfortable futons made by Center participants are available for the groups. In warm weather, BAE group members are invited, if they choose, to sleep on the finished rooftop patio of the Center; the Franklin mountains, the town of Anthony, and the New Mexican sky look best when illuminated by desert moonlight!

Day 2:
The BAE group members tour the border to learn about past and present realities.  A stop is made at a border fence where Border Patrol Agents are often visible "Holding the Line" as are National Guard troops.  At times the agents are willing to engage in conversation.

After the border tour the Participants will travel across the " Bridge of Americas " into Ciudad de Juarez, Mexico.  Participants are encouraged to walk the bridge.  They will later receive an orientation to Juarez and some of its development projects.  Participants usually spend two days in Ciudad de Juarez. They will stay in one of the colonias that participate in grassroots development projects for women, such as Centro de Mujeres  Tonantzin or Centro Vida y Salud.  The women provide a short program about their work.  Members of the BAE group will interact during a structured discussion and share a traditional Mexican meal.  

 After the meal, participants will be invited to stay in the homes of the families who belong to the colonias development group.  During these home visits, BAE participants will experience modern Mexican family life, making meaningful connections with Mexican men and women.  They will learn about the challenges they face in daily life, and how globalization has affected them.  Past BAE participants have commented that these family stays in Ciudad de Juarez were the most enjoyable portion of the experience. 

Day 3:
Participants will learn about the unique economic, political and environmental challenges facing individuals in Ciudad de Juarez.  BAE participants are invited to ask honest questions of the women and men in an effort to deepen their understanding of border realities. Participants will have the opportunity to explore the neighborhood with their hostesses. During the time with the families the participants may gather information on food and education costs.  This information highlights the basic economic realities of many Mexican families. 

Day 4:
After a morning breakfast with the host families the group will gather for final goodbyes.   Group members will be picked up and then they may go to the Ciudad de Juarez's Cuatemoc market where authentic Mexican foods and souvenirs can be purchased.  The group will travel back across the border and participate in a  US Customs  inspection. 

In El Paso, the BAE group will visit Anunciation House, a nonprofit which provides hospitality and shelter to migrants on the Texas/Mexican border. In a round table discussion, the organization's staff and residents will speak about challenges confronting migrants and individuals in transition.

After this experience the group will travel to the Border Patrol Museum .  They will view a film about the Border Patrol's work and view different displays on the Border Patrol's history and work. Border Patrol Officers share with participants about the patrol's experiences guarding the Southern border and the post-September 11th security challenges facing the United States.

The group will then return to the Women's Intercultural Center to debrief the Juarez experience, and settle in for the evening.

Day 5:
The morning the group will travel to El Paso to visit the Diocesan Migrant & Refugee Services (DMRS) to meet with members of the organization's executive team.  In this discussion, BAE participants will learn about immigration visas, proceedings and the rights of visitors to the United States .  

Following the session at the DMRS the group will travel to the Border Network for Human Rights.  Here they will learn about how a grassroots organization formed as a response to community needs.  Through developing community leaders, the Border Network for Human Rights has grown into an influential teacher and defender of constitutional rights.  

The group will then return to the Women's Intercultural Center to enjoy a potluck lunch with the center's participants and staff. Discussion questions will be provided to facilitate fun and educational interchange. 

The group will receive a talk on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) from Dr. Josiah Heyman chairman of the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Texas, El Paso (UTEP).

BAE group members will then divide into pairs and spend the night in the homes of women who regularly participate in the Women’s Intercultural Center 's activities. In this setting, BAE participants may learn about the unique challenges facing individuals living on the Southern border and the particular obstacles confronting first generation Americans.

Day 6:
Participants will have breakfast with the host families and then return to the Women's Intercultural Center.  Part of this day may be dedicated to community service.  Past service projects have included floor tiling in conjunction with the Center's "Educational Construction Project" - - neighborhood clean up initiatives, and participation in eco-friendly construction in Ciudad de Juarez etc.

The group will eat lunch at Mayapán Restaurant.  This is part of  Mujer Obrera Community Development group, a women’s cooperative formed after women in the El Paso, Texas garment industry lost their jobs due to free trade initiatives.

Later in the day the BAE group will be guided through an extensive discussion and debriefing of their border experience.  On this last evening, group members will have an opportunity to bond and celebrate their unique journey.  Honest sharing and introspection is encouraged!

Day 7:
Breakfast at the Center. Conversation about applying border lessons to every day life. Closing Reflection.  Depart.

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Information for Perspective Participants

Reflections from Past Participants
As the testimonials below indicate, the Border Awareness Experience is a life-changing journey. The Asbury Park Press, in a special three-part series entitled, “Broken Borders”, documents the immersion experience of a Georgian Court University group. One article, in particular, details the importance of the BAE program.

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Participating Organizations:
Each year, the Women’s Intercultural Center hosts approximately 20 immersion experiences of up to seven days each.  The BAE provides a rich experience for all men and women.  In addition to students, the Border Awareness Experience has hosted professional, church, and civic groups of many denominations and backgrounds.

Some organizations which have previously sent groups to the Center include the following: 

Atonement Lutheran 

Church, Denver CO

Center for Action and Contemplation, NM

College of Mount St. Joseph

Douglass College

Georgian Court University NJ

 Mercyhurst College, PA

New Mexico State University Border Teacher Excursion

University of Dayton, OH   and others.

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