Essay on Explicit View of Culture at the Mexican Borderlands

        Borders have been a subject of interest in numerous contexts over the years. They have been discussed in regard to their economic profile and structure, and in more abstracts contexts such as social and cultural attributes. There are often numerous fork tales surrounding borders, some telling of heroism, rebellion, and national pride, among many other subjects. Borders are also characterized by some unique features often describing their cultural, social and political constructs. These defining features of borders led to the emergence of the term “border society” in an attempt to compound the idea of border towns and cities being profoundly different from those in central and other parts of countries. Border societies are often linked to intensified commerce, hybrid economies, unique representation and expression of culture, and social discourse (Fairclough, 1994). The U.S.-Mexico border is often used as an exemplar of the disparities between life at the border and life in towns and cities away from the border. A more distinctive feature of this border, however, is the social formations, perceptions and images attached to it, often from the view of one side of the border. This essay discusses the characteristics of the U.S.-Mexico border life and the cultural and social processes that led to the emergence and development of this culture, focusing particularly on the border city of Tijuana. To enable an unbiased view of the city’s real cultural and social composition, this discussion will refrain from any presuppositions and preconceptions linked to the border city and the Mexican people.

        To begin with, it is a known fact that Tijuana has had a negative reputations over the years. It has been associated with vices such as gang violence, prostitution and drug abuse and trafficking. While these claims are in reality not fabricated, they often cloud people from seeing Tijuana as a cultural hub that is made of much more than what it is defamed for. Tijuana is among the world’s busiest borders and has grown to be one of Mexico’s most significant cities. The city is bustling with activity and businesses in every corner including restaurants and bars. In a sense, being the city furthest north of Mexico, Tijuana can be said to be the entry pointto Latin culture and society from the American front. It is one way through which the American society is exposed to Latin culture. However, it has to be noted that this effect is two-way – the American culture has as much influence on the Latin society in the border city. The U.S.-Mexico border acts as a divide between two literally different worlds that have often been contrasted and paralleled. These differences are evident is almost every aspect from language, clothing, food, religion, social interactions and art, among others. Above many border cities, Tijuana becomes a place of interest owing to its bicultural nature – where two distinct culture blend to create a unique cultural identity whose side has gained increased interest over the years. In this sense, a border is seen not only as the delineation of political jurisdiction by also as a transition between two cultures (Konrad and Nikol, 2011).

        Other than tourism, foreigners often have a host of other reasons motivating them to explore different cultures. One reason foreigners often visit Tijuana and other Mexican cities is to familiarize with and explore the diverse niches in their environments. The differences are what form the distinctive characteristics. According to Helwig (2006), one attribute of a society expressed in such differences is autonomy and the presence of numerous voices and perspectives rather than a centralized point of control. It is this feature that gives the ambience of freedom and liberty in the border city of Tijuana. While it may be the reason for the prevalence of many social vices, it is also the source of the eccentricity in elements such as art, music and the relationships among locals. For instance, commercial sex is rampant in Tijuana because it has been perceived as a norm and commercial sex workers are allowed to work freely regardless of whether people consider it “morally upright” or not. Nevertheless, it is not to say that the city is without figures of authority.

        Notably, one is able to catch a different view of a culture and society from either sides of the border. Often a times, the view depends on the side of the border from which one stands. Well, at times these perceptions are drawn from experience while many times they emanate from social representations (Moscovici, 1988). These representations have a tendency of blurring the actual picture or giving a vague image of the reality that is many times misleading and untrue.  The significance of these interpretations of a culture cannot be disregarded because they influence the response of the rest of the world more so the adjacent lands. In one way or another, these representations have also influenced the evolution of the border culture. For instance, the popularity of Tijuana as a nerve center for sex may have influenced the normalization and rampant spread of sex workers in the city. Gradually, this norm became embedded in the culture of the Mexican city and became a defining factor of this culture. It influenced the locals’ attitudes and perceptions of sex, and as a ripple effect, the view of the woman and family roles.

        There are two sides of a coin. Similarly, every culture has two sides of its story. The interaction between the American or foreign culture and the Mexican culture at the border city of Tijuana has been studied and conceptualized by scholars. Several theories including the World Systems and Dependency theories have been used to rationalize the culture process in borderlands (Wallerstein, 2004; Cardoso, 1977). A common notion is the view of areas adjacent to the border as a periphery. In this regard, disparities in cultural and economic perspectives are noted from central areas of the country to the peripheral areas – the borderlands. In this case, areas such as Mexico City that lie in the heart of Mexico show a greater concentration of the Mexican culture, wealth and social identities. On the other hand, these elements are more diffuse in Tijuana. Some scholars view borderlands as membrane through which foreign cultures permeate and are filtered.

        The view of the border as a periphery comes with both negative and positive perceptions. Positive perceptions see border cities such as Tijuana as a source of creativity, freedom and innovation. On the other hand, negative perceptions view them as a source of moral decay and cultural degradations that are usually characterized by disorder. On a positive note, areas such as Tijuana have been lauded as a seedbed for democracy and freedom. Norteños, popular in the Mexican culture, have been said to have developed as a “resistance to political and economic imperialism” (Duarte-Herrera, 2001). The antagonistic view proposes that border cities and towns are characterized by momentary shifts in culture and veer off the authentic culture of the land. Therefore, pessimists argue that people living in areas such as Tijuana are culturally dissociated and lack the brand of the authentic Mexican culture. However, it is important to keep in mind that unlike the more central areas, borderlands function in fundamentally different ways. The social, cultural and economic composition of areas such as Tijuana induce this incongruity. In this regard, cultural acclimation occurs in a bid to adjust to the emergent conditions and is inevitable. It is usually followed by the adoption of mass cultures from both sides of the border. The hybridization of Mexican and American cultures brings about both subtle and blatant societal and cultural differences between Tijuana and other cities such as Guadalajara and Mexico City.

        Again, the two sides of the U.S.-Mexico border can be seen to be a contrast of each other. While in the Mexican side of the border the authentic Mexican seems to be assimilating the foreign culture, things take a different direction in the American side of the border. Areas such as San Diego are exemplars of the rich Mexican legacy in the North. Just as Tijuana is the gateway to foreign influence in Mexico, San Diego serves as the transit point to the Mexican influence on American culture. Oft times, antagonist have met this scenario with ill repute claiming that the entry of Mexican culture into the U.S. corrupts the American culture and society in various ways.

        The term Chicano emerged in reference to the persons of Mexican descent living in the U.S. Chicanos perpetrate the infiltration of Mexican culture into the U.S., which is evident in language, food, music and architecture, among other elements. The notion of respect and loyalty in areas such as Texas is an example of the psychological traits derived from the Mexican culture. While Chicanos lack the economic and social capacity to influence the core American culture, areas such as San Diego have become significant in popularizing the Mexican identity in North America. Konrad (2014) explains that even while Mexicans living at the opposite side of the border have lost a substantial part of their authenticity, they use their ethnicity and culture as a tool for resistance.

        One of the most observable things in Tijuana, especially the red light district, Zona Norte, is the high number of commercial sex workers. There is a groups of commercial sex workers in about every corner of the area. It evokes the question of whether it is an innate culture engraved in Mexicans living in this areas or a trend influence by various factors. The number of female commercial sex workers (FCSW) is Tijuana is estimated to be nine thousand. Their ages vary significantly from twenties to fifties. Their workplaces are usually the streets and the numerous nightclubs sprawling the area. One of the key highlights of Tijuana is actually sex tourism, which is also aided by the close proximity of the border city to San Diego.

        The commercial sex culture in Tijuana could be influenced by numerous factors. To begin with, social inequality is quite profound in Mexico. As a result, many young Mexicans, more so women, are limited in their options of lifestyle and livelihood. Young Mexicans are often bombarded by the pressures of making a living, embarking on a career, marriage and family responsibilities. They often have to accomplish these while restrained under various social conditions and limited opportunities. Given such an environment, young women develop certain perceptions of their available choices. They make their choices based on social, cultural and personal factors. Therefore, the social structure of the community in which they live plays a crucial role in the path they take. Furthermore, Tijuana, as earlier mentioned, offers its residence much freedom. Coupled by the fact that commercial sex is culturally accepted in Mexico, many women choose to indulge in commercial sex as their official way of making a living. This culture is also encouraged by the fact that commercial sex workers are licensed to operate. Only a few states in Mexico consider sex a misdemeanor. The fact that commercial sex is also rampant in other areas of Mexico beside Tijuana proves that commercial sex is not a culture that has been influence by a mix of cultures at the border, but one that is influenced by the locals’ perceptions of relationships, gender roles, family and moral values and religion.

    The study by Castañeda et al. (1996) on the double life of female commercial sex workers in Mexico City proves that the indulgence of Mexican women in commercial sex goes beyond foreign influence. Commercial sex has come to be accepted as what it entails to be Mexican and has been normalized as a common source of livelihood. Just as people in other cultures separate the work and personal life, so do sex workers. Sex workers seem to take on two different identities – their maternal roles and their commercial sex life. To separate these identities, Mexican women go as far as changing their appearance and outlook to accommodate their double life. In the Mexican society, the family is revered and prioritized and as long as commercial sex workers protect the sanctity of family by separating it from their other life, they have the green light to proceed. More than the type of career one choose, the Mexican society insists on childbearing, parenthood and family. Therefore, taking the view of the influence of tourism on the sex culture in Tijuana, one is able to see the significance of the liberal culture in Tijuana. This culture makes it easy for young women to choose commercial sex as a source of livelihood that is culturally accepted and tolerated.

    Besides innate Mexican cultures, the infiltration of foreign cultures has also influenced the social, cultural and economic composition of Mexican borderlands. While the real picture of these lands can be seen only by eliminating the ethnocentric perceptions attached to them, a comprehensive understanding of the lands can only be reached by factoring in the impact of foreign cultures. Tijuana has grown rapidly over the recent years owing to the flurry of activity in the city. It is home to about two million people. The city’s proximity to San Diego creates many similarities between the two sides of the border. The culture and economy if Tijuana is in numerous ways attached to that in San Diego, which creates a symbiotic relationship between the two major border cities. For instance, the Mayor of San Diego made a bid to host the 2024 Olympics jointly with Tijuana showing how the two economies have significant ties. This is only one way in which the economy of the Mexican borderlands is influenced.

        The other way in which foreign influence comes into play is through “Malinchismo”, a word coined in Mexico to refer to the tendency or character of having preference for exotic over indigenous. Examining the naming of clubs in Tijuana, the influence of American culture is notable. In Tijuana, two of its famous strip clubs are named “Hong Kong” and “Chicago club”, which are names from cities in China and the U.S. It is thus evident that the interaction with foreign cultures influences some cultural aspects in Tijuana. However, considering that these changes in culture are inevitable, the assimilation of foreign cultures or their aspects should not be considered as the deterioration of national culture or identity. The cultural process in the Mexican borderlands, like in many other borderlands, has a transcultural dimension.

        In conclusion, cultural and social identities are formed by the similarities and disparities shared with other cultures (Schwartz and Montgomery, 2002). The Mexican border culture has borrowed much from the American culture and vice versa. While many internal factors influence the way a society defines itself, other external factors play a significant role. The people living in Tijuana have characterized their culture in multiple ways, some of which are a direct contrast of their indigenous culture. Culture in Tijuana is expressed in many ways including various forms of art such as graffiti and paintings, music, food and general make-up of the society. For instance, the acceptance and normalization of commercial sex in the Mexican culture is an expression of the society’s anatomy. Looking at Mexican borderlands culture from an inclusive point of view, it can be noted that exchange and diffusion are an integral component. Nevertheless, a huge part of the borderland culture is influence by indigenous schools of thought, notions, beliefs and norms. They play a significant role in the choice of lifestyle and the acceptance of these lifestyles among the inhabitants. Culture at the border cannot be viewed from a single point of view but is best viewed under a divergent lens.

References of Culture at the Mexican Borderlands

Cardoso, F. H. (1977). The consumption of dependency theory in the United States. Latin American Research Review, 12(3), 7-24.

Castañeda, X., Ortiz, V., Allen, B., García, C., & Hernández-Avila, M. (1996). Sex masks: the double life of female commercial sex workers in Mexico City. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 20(2), 229-247.

Duarte-Herrera, C. A. (2001). Defining the US-Mexico border as Hyperreality. Estudiosfronterizos, 2(4), 139-165.

Fairclough, N. (1994, September). Border crossings: Discourse and social change in contemporary societies. In Change and Language: Papers from the Annual Meeting of the British Association for Applied Linguistics Held at the University of Leeds, September 1994.

Helwig, C. C. (2006). The development of personal autonomy throughout cultures. Cognitive Development, 21(4), 458-473.

Moscovici, S. (1988). Notes towards a description of social representations. European journal of social psychology, 18(3), 211-250.

Konrad, V., & Nicol, H. N. (2011). Border culture, the boundary between Canada and the United States of America, and the advancement of borderlands theory. Geopolitics, 16(1), 70-90.

Wallerstein, I. M. (2004). World-systems analysis: An introduction. Duke University Press.

Konrad, V., 2014. Borders and Culture: Zones of transition, interaction and identity. Eurasia Border Review, 5(1), pp.41-57.

Schwartz, S. J., & Montgomery, M. J. (2002). Similarities or differences in identity development? The impact of acculturation and gender on identity process and outcome. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31(5), 359-372.