Border Community Alliance's mission is dedicated to bridging the border and fostering community through education, collaboration and cultural exchange. |
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It has been a beautiful Spring in the Sonoran Desert. A time when we witness the beautiful blossoming yellow palo verde, the purple flowers of the ironwood tree (palo fierro) and if we are lucky, the rare blue of the guayacan colorfully brushed across the binational landscape of our shared region. Summer is also on its way and we at BCA are getting ready for the (virtual) arrival of the 2021 BCA interns. As a way of getting to know the new interns Lizzie and Angelica, please take a look at their introductions below. I also invite you to listen to the testimonial from Robyn, 2018 BCA intern alum, on how this one-of-kind experience changed her life and the unique perspective she gained as a result of it. Many of you will remember Charlie Cutler, also a BCA intern alum who returned to Nogales to found his own nonprofit BYTE.The success of BYTE is another strong example of the important social ripples this special internship program enables in building a better world starting right where we live. You can have a direct part in ensuring this rare opportunity for young people continues into the future by making a designated donation to the BCA internship program and the next generation of borderlands leadership here.
Also during this season of environmental transition, there is a biannual international forum on the Missions of the Northwest of Mexico sponsored by the state of Sonora´s cultural affairs bureau, the Insituto Sonorense de Cultura and Mexico’s National Institute for Anthropology (INAH). This year’s forum was dedicated to the memory of Dra. Raquel Padilla Ramos, a researcher at INAH Sonora and friend. I was fortunate not only to know her but to learn from her and also co-participate in conferences which linked the cultural heritage of our two countries together. If you speak/understand Spanish, check out my presentation below on the Gastronomy of the Missions which will be published in a book with all of the other forum presentations later this year.
Thanks to all of you who joined us for this Spring’s Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Tour and for making it such a resounding success! Our six tours between January-May sold out and we received such positive feedback about the cultural itinerary focused on this incredible valley we live in. We look forward to including the tour in the Fall/Spring as a BCA offering.
Looking ahead, we are already planning the groundwork for the restart of our cross border tour program in the Fall so stay tuned here to the newsletter and follow us on social media (Facebook, Instagram and/or Twitter) to hear first and save your place!
Alex La Pierre
BCA Program Director
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Summer is around the corner and the 2021 BCA Internship Program is about to begin!
This year's interns are: Angelica Gualpa and Lizzie Edwards.
Welcome on board!
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My name is Angelica Gualpa and I am a first-generation student. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. I am currently pursuing my Master’s in Public Administration at New York University. The work of Border Community Alliance aligns with my passions of addressing cross-border inequalities and developing innovative programs that drive social change, specifically for the immigrant population. With the platform of understanding complex, multidimensional issues at the border through BCA, I am a step closer towards reframing our current immigration system to serve, integrate, and connect people at the border where two worlds converge. As an open-minded, brave, and ambitious Latina, I am ecstatic to take on an opportunity with BCA and work alongside individuals who share the same passion and interests as my own. I look forward to meeting the rest of the team at BCA and being a step closer towards my goal to enhance social global impact.
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Lizzie Edwards is majoring in Anthropology and Environmental Studies at Wesleyan University and will graduate in May. She is looking forward to interning with BCA because she hopes to deepen her knowledge about the United States/Mexico border. She has learned about the borderlands in her Anthropology classes, but hasn’t had a chance to talk to and learn from people there. She especially hopes to learn more about the challenges asylum seekers face because she has been involved in immigration work throughout university and will be working with an immigration focused legal aid organization starting in late August. She is also looking forward to getting to know BCA’s partner organizations virtually.
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The value of the BCA Internship Program
Intern Alumni Spotlight: Robyn Baker
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Robyn Baker was a BCA intern in 2018 and through her testimony, she shares how the BCA Internship opened doors for her professionally and personally, showing the impact that the program has had in crafting the next generation of borderlands leaders.
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Citizen-level diplomacy in action! |
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BCA Program Director Alex La Pierre gave a presentation on the Gastronomy of the Missions of Arizona and Sonora according to the Jesuit Chronicles at the 13th Forum on the Missions of the Northwest of Mexico sponsored by the state government of Sonora and INAH.
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In collaboration with the Consulate General of Mexico in Nogales, Arizona, the Santa Cruz County Superintendent's Office and We Love Nogales, BCA Program Director Alex La Pierre presented a virtual conference on The life and Legacy of Padre Kino. It was broadcast live by We Love Nogales on their FB channel as well as by the Consulate General of Mexico in Milan, Italy near Padre Kino's birthplace in Segno! Alberto Chini, descendent of Padre Kino gave a special message from Italy acknowledging BCA!
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June/July Borderlands Forum Virtual Programming
We invite you to register, participate and make a donation to BCA to support our cultural programming!
If you need help registering for this event or if you've never done an online class before and want a little coaching, please call Suzy at
520-398-3229
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Documenting the Borderlands: An Archival Journey
by Rachael Black
The records we keep, whether they are letters, family photos, or business documents, can provide a rich documentation of our lives and work. In a region like ours, with such a long and rich cultural history, we can learn a lot based on these items. Archivist Rachael Black, will provide a general introduction to archival and share highlights from borderlands collections, dating from the Spanish colonial era to the present.
Presenter Rachael Black is a librarian and archivist at the Arizona Historical Society in Tucson. She has a background in Southwest Studies with an emphasis on cultural geography.
Virtual Presentation / Q&A Session on
(With RSVP, link to Zoom meeting provided via email the day prior to the event)
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Where Jaguars Roam: The Northern Jaguar Project and the Return of a Legend
by Diana Hadley
Although the jaguar has almost completely vanished from the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, recent jaguar sightings in New Mexico and Arizona suggest that the time is ripe for the return of this magnificent creature to the southwestern United States.
In response to this exciting opportunity to re-establish the jaguar in its historic northernmost range, a small group of dedicated conservationists from the southwestern U.S. and Mexico have formed the Northern Jaguar Project (NJP). The primary goal of the Northern Jaguar Project is to preserve the northernmost known breeding population of endangered jaguars in Mexico. NJP is helping to revitalize the northernmost jaguar population by maintaining and protecting an 86 square mile reserve in the mountains of Sonora, Mexico, just 120 miles south of the U.S. border. Although the project currently is focused on efforts to create a stable jaguar population in northwestern Mexico, its long-term aspirations include a sustainable return of the jaguar to the southwestern United States. The potential for such a re-introduction is deemed high, since as much as 30% of Arizona alone is considered to be a suitable habitat for the jaguar.
Virtual Presentation / Q&A Session on
(With RSVP, link to Zoom meeting provided via email the day prior to the event)
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Ignaz Pfefferkorn: Jesuit Missionary of 18th Century Sonora and Arizona
by Florence Weinberg
Ignaz Pfefferkorn, SJ, part of a contingent of German Jesuit missionaries, was sent to convert the natives of the Sonora Province of New Spain, which at the time included California (also Baja), Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Sonora, Sinaloa, Chihuahua and Durango. Ignaz (Ygnacio) served first in Atí (now Atil), Guevavi and Cucurpe. He had great success at Atí, though he moved briefly to Guevavi because of illness (probably malaria), then was posted at Cucurpe, which thrived until his arrest and expulsion in 1767. This talk will include a discussion of his work, writings, and adventures while serving in New Spain.
Virtual Presentation / Q&A Session on
(With RSVP, link to Zoom meeting provided via email the day prior to the event)
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Atascosa Borderlands
by Jack Dash & Luke Swenson
The Atascosa Highlands are an area of unmatched biological and cultural diversity, located along a rugged stretch of the US-Mexico border. Over the last two years, ecologist Jack Dash and documentary photographer Luke Swenson have been pursuing an intensive study of the area, designated by the Coronado National Forest Service as the Tumacacori Ecosystem Management Area. Their visual storytelling project focuses on the Atascosa Borderlands, documenting the environmental, political, and cultural forces shaping this landscape. Combining social ecology, with documentary photography and oral history interviews, their work confronts the diverse, and oftentimes competing perspectives of the region. Join us via Zoom for this unique opportunity to connect with project leaders Jack and Luke to learn more about the complex issues facing the Atascosas today.
Virtual Presentation / Q&A Session on
(With RSVP, link to Zoom meeting provided via email the day prior to the event)
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Interview by Dar Goatley
Sitting down for coffee with John James in his beautiful Tubac home I was surrounded by his remarkable historical collections of art and furnishings reflective of a life well-lived.
What is your role with BCA?
I have been the Treasurer of BCA since 2016. I have also participated in the BCA Internship Program, mentoring student interns and helping with the development of the Internship Program.
How did you get involved with BCA?
When I joined a BCA Cross Border Tour I was introduced to the work of several non-government organizations (NGOs) in Mexico, which are supported by BCA. This tour provided a different interpretation of the border. I learned how BCA is helping people in Mexico to help themselves, a philosophy which I endorse.
What is it about BCA that inspired your interest?
I volunteer for BCA because I think that they do very important work, namely, providing education to help people to understand and appreciate the border. BCA offers an honest view of the border and of the Mexican people without a political agenda. I believe that if people of the US and Mexico understand each other, we will also get along better.
What life experiences do you bring to BCA?
My family history may have influenced my world view. My father was a refugee from Turkey after escaping the Armenian Genocide when he was 5 years old and coming to the US with his family. I grew up in Portland, Maine and was raised by my mom and both sets of grandparents, as my dad died when I was 11 months old.
I graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in German, where I was awarded a Fulbright and a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and subsequently achieved a Masters in Linguistics at the University of Colorado and a Masters in Library Science at the University of Denver. I then pursued doctoral studies at MIT and Indiana University. I worked at many universities, including the American School of Tangier in Morocco. I retired after 25 years as the Associate Director of Libraries at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. In addition to overseeing five departments, I served on several corporate advisory boards over the years.
My spouse, Tom, and I spent several seasons in the Yucatan, Mexico before moving to Tubac. I also served as Board Treasurer for the Tubac Historical Society until 2019 and am presently chair of the THS Collections Committee.
How would you like to see BCA move into the future?
During the COVID period of 2020/2021 BCA offered many educational forums virtually and it became clear that many people outside of southern Arizona are interested in learning about the border. I believe there is an interest and hunger for knowledge about the border and I would like to see us reach a wider audience with educational programs.
I think that another valuable effort would be to get more young people involved with BCA, as volunteers and on the Board, as we are composed almost entirely of retired people from the local area. Lastly, I think that BCA could share its mission and work with other border areas in the country.
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Ordering more on Amazon since the Pandemic? Help out BCA while doing it!
Use smile.amazon.com to let Amazon make charitable donations to Border Community Alliance every time you place an order! To find out more and to set up, please click here.
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Office Hours:
Office open by appointment only until further notice.
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Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1863
Tubac, AZ 85646
Physical Address (no mail):
I-19 2221 E. Frontage Rd.
Bldg F Suite 201-202
Tubac, AZ 85646
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Office
Membership/Events: 520-398-3229
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