BCA July 2021 Newsletter

Vol 39

July 2021

Border Community Alliance's mission is dedicated to bridging the border and fostering community through education, collaboration and cultural exchange.

Dear BCA friends: It is with great sadness that I announce the resignation of several of our Board members and staff. First, I would like to say that BCA greatly appreciates all that Alex LaPierre, Director of Programs, has done in the past three years. His extensive knowledge of Southwest history and zest for the Borderlands and its people brought BCA to its current state. We wish Alex well at his new company and in his future endeavors. He will be missed.

Second, John James, Treasurer, has served on the BCA Board of Directors for four and a half years. We appreciate John’s commitment to our mission and will miss him greatly. Jose Lopez has been elected to the position.

Third, Phil Lavoi, Vice President, has also resigned. Long-standing BCA member and past BCA president, Dan Anderson, has been elected to the position.

Last, we are in the final stages of the search for a BCA Executive Director. We will announce the selection in the coming weeks. These are exciting and challenging times for BCA. With new leadership and decreased impact from COVID-19, we will embark on our successful programs and tours and look for new, exciting opportunities to continue toward the BCA mission of bridging the border and fostering community through education, collaboration, and cultural exchange. You are an important partner in these efforts.

Cecilia Quade, BCA Board President

The value of the BCA Internship Program

Intern Alumni Spotlight: Leila Castro

Leila Castro was a BCA intern in 2017, 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.

Be a critical part of this life-changing BCA Internship Program by donating here

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

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

July 9, 2021, 2 PM

(With RSVP, link to Zoom meeting provided via email the day prior to the event)

Atascosa Borderlands

by Jack Dash & Luke Swenson

The Atascosa Highlands is 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, Jack's and Luke's work confronts the region's diverse and oftentimes competing perspectives. 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

July 16, 2021, 3 PM

(With RSVP, link to Zoom meeting provided via email the day prior to the event)

Let’s Speak Spanish Continues this Fall and Winter

Since 2019, over 200 adult learners have participated in Let’s Speak Spanish programs, and program ratings have been very favorable. Because this unique approach to language learning continues to be one of the most popular programs offered by BCA, we are pleased to announce that Let’s Speak Spanish will continue and expand this fall and winter.

Repeating This Fall: 8-Week Basic Spanish Program

This fall will feature a repeat of our 8-week program for beginning students. This learning experience is designed for adults who would like to interact more with Spanish speakers and learn more about the unique culture we all share here in the Borderlands.

The fall program will continue to be delivered via Zoom video conference. This remote format allows us to recruit facilitators from Mexico, which creates an atmosphere of authenticity to our classes and helps BCA fulfill our mission to serve as a bridge between societies and cultures.

Through the use of small group breakout sessions, we group learners at similar language levels together with experienced facilitators who can help everyone gain new speaking and listening skills. To make our conversation sessions as productive as possible, we start with a detailed review of Spanish pronunciation to help students speak, hear, and retain important words and phrases. Next, we conduct a series of weekly exercises focusing on everyday conversational topics. And finally, we supplement these exercises with curated videos and in-class presentations to deepen student’s knowledge of both the Spanish language and Mexican culture.

The 8-week Let’s Speak Spanish program will be offered in two class sessions starting in mid-September. One class will meet Tuesday, and one class will meet Thursday each week. Classes will start September 21 and 23, with the last class scheduled for November 9 and 11.

All necessary materials for the class will be posted online for download prior to the start of the program. The registration fee for the program will be $80 for BCA members and $100 for non-members, which will help defray the cost of material development as well as provide an honorarium for our facilitators.

NOTE: Registration for this program will open immediately after Labor Day, September 6.

New This Fall: Special In-Person Events

In-person events offer an important way to deepen and strengthen Spanish speaking and listening skills. To supplement the online learning experience of our basic program, we will plan special in-person events this fall to supplement the remote format. One event will involve a group excursion to the Fox Theater in Tucson to attend a Mexican film festival. Assuming the border is open this fall, we certainly will schedule a class visit to Nogales, Sonora.

More information about these special events will be announced in class during the first week of our Basic Spanish program.

Coming in 2022: Intermediate / Advanced Conversation Sessions

Building on the success of our first advanced conversation programs offered this spring, we will offer several new conversation classes featuring the expertise of our facilitators from Mexico. One class will focus on a combination of grammar review and conversation, and one or more classes will focus on a more open-ended approach to conversation of popular cultural topics. Most of these classes will be conducted online, but hopefully, we will be able to schedule at least one one-week session to be held on-site in Mexico.

Learn More

If you would like to start learning Spanish or work on previous skills, one or more of these programs may be for you. To learn more about the program prior to the opening of registration in September, please take a look at some of the previous class materials posted on this website: www.tegnos.org

If you would like to be placed on the program mailing list or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email the Let’s Speak Spanish program coordinator, Jim Hoff, at jhoff@tegnos.org.

¡Saludos!

Do you have a unique skill?

Border Community Alliance is looking for volunteers to participate in the pursuit of our mission statement.

If you are interested in volunteering with BCA, please contact us at info@bordercommunityalliance.org with your application, details on your interest, and/or CV, or please give us a call at 520-398-3229.