“The border is an open wound…”

Hi friends, my name is Victoria, or “Toya”! I recently joined the Abara staff and I am enjoying every second of it. I would like to share with you some of my history and why it makes sense for me to be at Abara.

Gloria Anzaldua once wrote “La Frontera es una herida abierta.” (The border is an open wound…)

Remember those years when you would hear “Ciudad Juárez, one of the most dangerous cities in the world”? Well, I was 10 years old when all the violence erupted in my city. Horrible things were happening throughout the city, and yet, since I was a child my mind could not fathom the scale of violence surrounding me. However, I do remember having a lot of nightmares, specifically about guys entering our home to do bad things. Art, storytelling, and having a community (my friends and family) became my safe haven during those years.

Amidst fear and violence, I was still able to capture the beautiful moments in life. I have this clear memory of me and my dad going to the “Superette” to buy some snacks. It was on one of those hot days of summer that we have here in the desert. During those years, the federal government sent the military to safeguard the city, thus, they were driving in their military vehicles, sometimes even military tanks. When we came back from the store to the car, there was a military vehicle parked right next to us. I remember I looked at them and I noticed that they were sweating a lot and I told my dad. My dad said that we should buy them something fresh, and I, a child, of course suggested ice cream. We went back to the store to buy ice cream and when we approached them to give them the ice cream you could tell they were on edge. They could not believe that we brought them ice cream. They thanked us and started eating the ice cream. I remember looking at them and they now had a smile on their face.

Illustration made by Victoria De Anda (2020)

I always look back to that memory to reflect on humanity even in scenarios of war. Yes, humans are capable of doing so much evil, but humans also laugh, love, and even eat ice cream.

It was until I grew up that I began understanding the politics behind such horrors. Instead of hating my city, I wanted to understand it better. Thus, I decided to pursue a B.A. in anthropology with a minor in political science at UTEP. Later I did a M.A. in Latin America and border studies. I realized that when you start studying violence, it is imperative to also study peace. They go together. Thus, being able to study the histories of the border that I am from, made me realize how resilient my community is. Wonderful things are happening at the border and I am proud to be a fronteriza.

Abara has given me a space for me to share the history of my community without perpetuating stereotypes and the stigma surrounding it. Yes, border cities can be chaotic but there can be beauty within that chaos. Peace building is not static nor linear; it is constantly changing. Thus, my hope is to continue to work towards that peace in my border community.

I would like to end by reflecting on the life and advocacy of Martin Luther King Jr., who was a great example of conflict resolution and peacebuilding. We tend to forget that spaces that are highly volatile and violent, such as borders, are spaces which are more prone to seek social justice and peace. The dream is to bring justice to a border community that has suffered and at the same time to highlight its resilience and beauty.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

Saludos,

Victoria “Toya” De Anda

Research and Administrative Assistant, Abara