Border Community Alliance's mission is dedicated to bridging the border and fostering community through education, collaboration and cultural exchange. |
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Dear readers,
My name is Ashley Avila and I was born and raised in Nogales. I graduated from Nogales High School in 2019 and I now attend the University of Arizona as a Civil Engineering student with a minor in Spanish and Sustainable Built Environments. Going to the University of Arizona was an easy choice to make. It would keep me close to home and my roots, while still allowing me to explore my other ambitions in a larger city.
I first heard about BCA two years ago. I loved being a border town kid, but as I began to meet people that had grown up in other cities, I felt behind. Nogales is beautiful and an amazing place to grow up in, but opportunities were scarce. Adding the lack of positive media attention, it felt easy to forget how unique and wonderful this region was. I did a lot of research and found out a variety of organizations investing time into Ambos Nogales, and BCA was one of them. I didn’t get involved with BCA at the time, as I wasn’t sure how, but I followed their social media and became invested in learning about their projects, such as the Border Youth Tennis Exchange. That changed a few months ago, however, when I saw a flyer for the BCA social investment internship and applied.
Now, I’m a social investment intern for BCA. In my time as an intern, I’ve been able to familiarize myself with the concept of Social Investment. Social Investment means providing people with the tools for growth. It’s about sustainably investing in communities to improve their long-term well being. I have had the pleasure of meeting Alma Cota de Yanez, who was absolutely inspirational for every second I met with her. I also had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Francisco “Kiko” Trujillo. He told me about ARSOBO’s purpose, which is to support individuals with disabilities, and a bit about himself. Hearing him talk, it felt so easy to be able to make a great difference in the world with the skills you have. I’m scheduling more interviews soon, but so far I’ve been able to gain new knowledge on all the organizations FESAC works with and I’ve gotten to learn so much about non-profits in Mexico. It’s been a wonderful opportunity and I can’t wait to continue supporting BCA and FESAC in the future.
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To read the full Social Investment Profile interview with Francisco "Kiko" Trujillo of ARSOBO, click here.
To make a Social Investment towards ARSOBO, please click here.
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Consul General joins
BCA's Borderlands Forum!
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Border Community Alliance welcomed the US Consul General in Nogales Laura Biedebach to the “Borderlands Forum”. During the virtual session, Consul BIedebach spoke about the work carried out by the Consulate in northern Sonora. The mission of the Border Community Alliance is to create links of understanding and community on the border through education, collaboration and cultural exchange.
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BCA in the International News Media |
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We received a recent blitz of international journalists requesting insight and context from nonprofit BCA on the border amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and upcoming elections. BCA staff and the board president of our partner organization FESAC were able to attend to these news agencies to offer our cross-border perspective.
1. Nonprofit Border Community Alliance featured on Radio Canada (Canada's National Public Radio) This report by journalist Michel Lebrecque who recently visited Nogales was broadcast across the country this past Sunday for our northern neighbor's francophone community. To listen to the report (and brush up on your French language skills) click the orange play button on the page linked below. Audio from BCA's program director, Alex La Pierre begins at 3:30, followed by Nogales merchant and community member Evan Kory. An interview with Luis Torres, the board president of our Mexican partner organization, Fundación del Empresariado Sonorense, A.C. - FESAC can be heard at 7:42 and BCA's operations director, Jose Delgado at the 10:42 mark. Link here
2. BCA featured on the program, "The Race" with journalist Chris Stewart who recently visited Nogales, Arizona with nonprofit staff. The episode, focused around the pandemic's impact on immigration and border communities, aired on ABC affiliates nation-wide. Watch the video here and read the accompanying article here
3. BCA's Education & Research Specialist Magda Mankel interviewed by the United Kingdom's ITV news channel in this special report on Nogales. Link here
4. BCA's Program Director Alex La Pierre, appeared in a special report by France 24 (France's BBC) along with local merchant Evan Kory and can be seen on the video beginning at 5:20 mark. Link here
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November Borderlands Forum Virtual Programming
BCA has three special programs lined up for you in November. We invite you to register, participate and make a donation towards the nonprofit to support our cultural programming!
If you need help registering for these events 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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by Seth Schermerhorn, Ph.D.
Since time immemorial, O'odham have traversed their ancestral homelands. Today, with traditional O'odham territory divided in half by the US-Mexico Border, many pilgrims from the Tohono O'odham Nation must cross this increasingly militarized international boundary in order to return to their ancestral lands in Mexico. Now, in the face of a global pandemic, O'odham are adapting the pilgrimage to Magdalena in ways that are both innovative and familiar.
This presentation will explore some of the richness of O'odham pilgrimages to Magdalena. Seth Schermerhorn, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the American Studies Program at Hamilton College, New York, and author of the book Walking to Magdalena: Personhood and Place in Tohono O'odham Songs, Sticks, and Stories (University of Nebraska press, 2019). Schermerhorn's research on O'odham pilgrimages to Magdalena relies on the support of the Tohono O'odham Nation and community leaders such as Tony Lopez and Verlon Jose.
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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by Alex La Pierre
Have you ever wondered what makes Sonoran cuisine unique within Mexican food culture? In this program we will explore the culinary heritage of our neighbor Sonora, acknowledging its vibrant regional legacy in contributing to the declaration of the traditional gastronomy of Mexico as an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO. This special presentation will examine Sonoran foodways by way of its Indigenous foundation, Spanish contributions and foreign influences, all enduringly shaped by the state's climate and 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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Take part in this opportunity to check in with one of the National Park Service rangers at Tumacácori National Historical Park, Anita Badertscher. Anita, who is chief of the interpretation division at the mission will discuss how the park, its staff and volunteers have adapted to the reality of the worldwide pandemic during this forum. Also provided will be important updates on the status of some of the park's annual events as well as an overview of some of the park's natural and cultural resources that sometimes are overlooked on a casual visit.
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
How many years have you been involved with BCA?
It all started with the BCA Cross Border Tour! Board Member Diane Brooks, met former BCA Board member Peg Bowden and began volunteering at El Comedor of Nogales, Sonora in 2013.
Peg invited Diane to help her with the BCA Internship Program. Diane always wanted to help others and to learn about another culture. She found these ideals through her work at BCA.
What roles have you had with BCA?
Diane has held various roles in BCA, including the position of Coordinator for the Internship Program and serving on the Board of Directors from 2015 to 2020. In addition to these official roles, Diane has also coordinated and organized numerous BCA benefits, fundraisers, educational programs and community events.
Perhaps the most accomplished and rewarding role for Diane was developing and expanding the innovative BCA Internship Program. Under her leadership, students were recruited widely through the internet, expanding the number and diversity of applicants. She also identified officials in Nogales, Sonora, which began the important process of establishing relationships between BCA and nonprofit agencies in Sonora.
Through her networking, she enriched the experiences of the BCA Interns. She received a recent email from an intern, who said the Internship Program had changed her life!
How does BCA reflect your personal humanitarian values?
Diane strongly believes in social investment - supporting agencies which help people help themselves. She supports the BCA philosophy of identifying what struggling people need and not assuming what they need. She also believes in the BCA philosophy of being non-political and listening to the voices of everyone.
What life experiences have you been able to share toward the BCA mission?
Diane brought many skills to BCA from her career as a Nurse Practitioner. She served on the Board of Nurse Practitioners in California; established a nursing home; and held many nursing leadership positions during her career. Her organizing and networking skills served BCA well.
Diane has enjoyed her engagement with Border Community Alliance, including challenging herself to do new things, such as serving as Secretary of the Board of Directors. Her work helped her to look outside of herself and to expand her own horizons. She enjoyed working with her BCA colleagues and many became friends.
How would you like to see BCA move forward into the future?
Diane loves the philosophy of BCA. She hopes that the organization remembers its core values, helping people to understand both sides of the Mexican/Arizona border. She aspires that BCA can continue to reach out to the people of Mexico, so that they can experience U.S. culture. She believes that the focus should be on developing the efforts in the Santa Cruz County area. She believes that BCA would benefit from expanding opportunities for volunteers and plans to continue volunteering herself.
Diane makes clear that she is happy to have been a part of BCA and plans to always be involved in some way. BCA would like to thank Diane for all of her years of dedication and hard work!
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Office Hours:
Office open by appointment only until further notice.
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Physical Address:
I-19 2221 E. Frontage Rd.
Bldg F Suite 201-202
Tubac, AZ 85646
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 1863
Tubac, AZ 85646
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Membership/Events: 520-398-3229
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