Art and Artists of the San Diego–Tijuana Border Region

Introduction

The Mexico–U.S. border has been an area of focus in both countries' politics because of growing concerns about the impact of immigration on the United States. Securing this border has been a major priority of both governments in efforts to curb several crimes, especially drug trafficking. While this border continues to dominate immigration policy debates, its cultural production has been increasingly diverse and fruitful throughout the history of these two countries (Prieto par. 1). Art has emerged as an important activity in the cultural production of the Mexico–U.S. border, especially along the San Diego–Tijuana corridor. The emergence of art in this border region can be traced to the early 1980s, when it was explicitly used to address border politics. Since then, art in the San Diego–Tijuana border has continued to develop to the point that it carries considerable economic impact.

Art in the San Diego–Tijuana Border Region

The San Diego–Tijuana border is an international metropolitan area characterized by large towns and urban centers with high population growth. This border is adjacent to the coastal cities of San Diego, California and Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Throughout the years, the San Diego–Tijuana border has experienced tremendous population growth and currently accounts for the largest bi-national urban area shared between the U.S. and Mexico.

Given the bi-national nature of this international metropolitan area, it is characterized by a rich, vibrant, and diverse culture that has acted as a major attraction for artists. Cultural production in this border region has been diverse and fruitful, and it has contributed to the use of art as a political strategy. When art emerged here in the early 1980s, it was primarily folk art largely influenced by the diversity of cultures along the border, and it was also used to explicitly address border politics (Prieto par. 2).

The Chicano Movement and the Origins of Border Art

Art in the San Diego–Tijuana border in the 1980s was also influenced by the Chicano movement, which was typically dominated by immigration politics. During this period, Herman Baca, the Chicano leader, emphasized the significance of addressing the immigration debate (Sheren, p. 1). Baca highlighted the importance of this issue by examining it through the lens of an international system of inequity. Immigration issues soon took center stage in border art, as artists of the Chicano movement were called upon to act as mediators. Through their work, these artists presented visions of a borderless world to the public while seemingly advocating for a Chicano homeland in the southwest regions of the United States.

One of the first artists to incorporate border issues into his work was Rupert Garcia, a graphic artist. In his work, Garcia advocated for an end to the unfair treatment of migrant workers in the United States. Garcia's work is an example of the Chicano artworks that highlighted the predicaments of immigrants beyond the borderline. Over the next decade, many talented artists from both the U.S. and Mexico began focusing on border issues in their work.

Conclusion

Art in the San Diego–Tijuana border has continued to thrive throughout the years, especially since the early 1980s when it was first used as a political strategy to address border issues. Since then, it has developed into an important cultural activity along the border and a tool for cross-border collaboration. Given its rapid development over the decades, art in the San Diego–Tijuana border has generated positive economic impacts for both the U.S. and Mexico through job creation and the development of critical cultural infrastructure that enhances economic growth.

Works Cited

Brown, Patricia L. "No Walls Here: Between Tijuana and San Diego, an Art Ethos Thrives." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 30 Oct. 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.

Prieto, Antonio. "Border Art as a Political Strategy." ISLA Feature Coverage. Information Services Latin America, 1999. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.

Sheren, Ila N. "The San Diego Chicano Movement and the Origins of Border Art." Journal of Borderland Studies (2016): 1–15. Taylor & Francis Online. Taylor and Francis Group, 17 Oct. 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.