Desde la frontera
Hey readers. I'm so glad you've taken the time to check out Borderlandia. I was excited when I'd learned about it, and even more excited when I was asked to contribute a regular column to the publication. Alex and his wife, the founders of Borderlandia, know how much the border region means to me, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude that they thought of me when putting the pieces together to make this a reality.
Since this is the first of what I hope to be many editions of Desde la frontera, I figured I should start out by introducing myself and explaining a little bit about why the region between the US and Mexico is so important to me, and why I consider being part of Borderlandia to be such a big deal. I'll also breakdown what you can expect from this column in the future.
My name is Joe Wright, as you have undoubtedly extrapolated from the by-line. I am a journalist and author with six books published (so far), and articles, Op-Eds, and columns printed in various publications. I am often published under my full, legal name Joseph Paul Wright. I even hosted a talkshow at one point.
I don't want to spend too much time talking about what I do, though. I'd rather explain to you a bit about who I am.
La frontera is part of my DNA. My parents grew up together near another Arizona community called Douglas. Both of their families have roots along the border in both the United States, and in Mexico - and beyond. I was born at TMC Hospital in Tucson, and raised in the community of Santa Cruz County - the smallest, least populated, and southernmost county of Arizona. The county seat of SCC, and its only city is Nogales.
The reason my family found its home in SCC was that my dad was an officer for the US Customs Service. He started back in the '70s when it was still part of the Department of the Treasury. Homeland Security wasn't even a thing back then. Because of this, though, I grew up hyper aware of the relationship between the US and Mexico, in particular the bond shared by the City of Nogales, Arizona, USA and la Ciudad de Nogales, Sonora, MX - a shared community we call Ambos Nogales, or "Both Nogales", which is essentially once large community that was split in two by a line drawn by the government, and then further separated by a towering fence and restrictive travel laws.
Those were never enough to keep the communities from working together, though, especially considering that any locals have family and live their lives on both sides of the fence. The pandemic, however, has made that much more difficult.
This is the community that made me who I am today. In my late teens and early twenties, my closest friends even dubbed me "El Hijo de la Frontera" which means: "The Son of the Border" or "The Border's Son". I grew up here, met my wife and married her here, raised our son here, and have worked my entire adult life to better this community and to bring awareness to the amazing things that make this community so unique and beautiful.
My love for the region stretches far beyond the Santa Cruz River Valley, though. I've been fortunate enough to visit other communities along the stretch of border, from Southern California to the incomparable Rio Grande Valley. I've gotten to meet the people from those communities, and spent time with them, and no matter which place I visit, it always feels like home to me, and the people there feel like family.
That love also extends beyond the present, reaching into the past to the conquistadores, and far before that to the times when their were no colonizers, or borders, and the entire region was free for travelers to roam. I've taken particular interest in the river valleys - Santa Cruz and Rio Grande - and what the roles they have played throughout history.
The nearly 2,000 mile stretch from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean is a wonderfully unique place. The variety of cultures that inhabit the region all come together to create something wholly different and truly beautiful. The rich history linked to what is now the US/Mexico border is full of incredible stories of adventure, discovery, even terror and tragedy. The region's past bleeds into the present clashing with the modern world, culminating in what can only be described as magnificent.
Those who come to visit the towns along the border are often struck by how special those communities are, and how different they are from what those visitors had expected to see. Many of those visitors find it difficult to leave, entranced by the beauty of the region, and many of those often stay, becoming as much a part of the border as those born there.
If you've visited the region, you know what it is I'm saying. If you haven't, I hope you someday get the chance. You'll experience art, food, and people that will leave such an impression on you, you may never want to leave.
It means the world to me that you're reading this column, and have stuck through it til the end. This will not be the format for every edition released in the future. I hope to write about the history, art, and culture significance of the region, as well as discuss the significant role the region has historically and continues to play in international trade and politics.
What I really want to do, though, is share stories with you all. I want to give you the stories of my childhood growing up here, and the stories of those who had very different experiences. Ser fronterizo is not a one size fits all experience, and I'd be remiss to portray it as such. Whether those experiences were positive, or negative, you will see how amazing and incredible the frontera is. That, more than anything, is what I hope to show you.