Tijuana and Daily Life

On Thursday I visited one of our affiliate universities in Tijuana.  The University is about to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary - which is relatively old for a Mexican private university.  It is among the best universities in Mexico.   They've spent the last several years working toward American accreditation - and I have every confidence that they will be granted that status in the next few months.

I was struck with two impressions beyond the very positive impressions of the university.  First, although the link between San Diego and Tijuana is among the most vibrant economic relationships of two cities across the border, it is severely constrained by the border system back into the US.  My host got me back to the airport in San Diego early because the act of crossing the border can be quite variable.  We got across in 90 minutes but she told me that the wait can often be three hours or longer.  Thus, for people who work in San Diego, the daily commute can be quite uncertain.  And thousands of people go back and forth daily.  There is no direct flight from California to Tijuana - one could get there by flying first to Mexico City - but that seems absurd.

Second, as I have had in every visit to Mexico in the last year, we talked a lot about security.  Tijuana has had some very violent incidents in the last two years relating to the drug wars.  Many of my friends in California wondered why I would go to Tijuana.  But one of my host summed it up quite clearly.  She said, every morning I get up, pray a bit (which she would do because she is Catholic) and then go to work.  She said there are places in the city that she does not go - like any large city.  But she clearly had decided not to let the situation deter her from being a productive professional.    She also seemed resigned to the fact that the border crossing was just one of those costs of daily life - which were not going to deter her from advancing the knowledge and reputation of her university.   For me that was an inspiration.