**”A Park Without Walls”: Celebrating the 53rd Anniversary of Friendship Park**
On Sunday, August 18, 2024, dozens gathered next to the border wall to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of Friendship Park. Attendees expressed their hope for a future where the park can exist without barriers, while remembering migrants and deported individuals.
Organizer Daniel Watman highlighted the unique essence of the park, explaining, “We want to showcase what could be here and what already exists on the Mexican side. There’s a lot of art, music, families, food, and fun. This is what a park should be. Its original intent was to foster cross-border contact.”
Inaugurated on August 18, 1971, within the Border Field State Park, the then-First Lady of the United States, Pat Nixon, famously cut the wire fence to greet people on the other side, expressing her wish to see the fence gone someday. However, a chain-link fence was reinstalled in the 1980s. The park faced multiple closures, including a complete one in 2009 which lasted until late 2011 when limited access was allowed during weekends.
The park was shut again in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed activities in 2021, albeit not on the Mexican side. As of 2023, the wall has been further reinforced, and it’s been over four and a half years since the park was last accessible.
Watman emphasized the counterproductive nature of using walls to discourage irregular migration. He remarked, “When we don’t know each other, we often perceive the other as bad and become fearful, leading to walls and even violence. We want a space where people can get to know one another.”
In the morning session of the commemorative event, members of the “Deported Veterans Diaspora” project painted a mural featuring 15 stories as part of the “Humanizing Deportation” initiative. Lizbeth de la Cruz Santana, the project director, explained that the stories span across ten countries including the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Kenya, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, India, and Germany.
Highlighting three particular stories, she mentioned Rudi Richardson from Germany, Jesús “Chuy” Juárez who grew up in San Diego, and Fernando Orozco from California who now resides in Tijuana. Despite their service in the armed forces, these veterans were not granted residency and were subsequently deported.
Santana noted, “For these veterans, the only way they can return to the U.S. is posthumously, to be buried in a military cemetery with honors. They live in exile and the chance to return only comes with death.”
In conclusion, Santana invited everyone to participate in a mural recreation for the veterans on September 10, symbolizing the enduring spirit of the community in the face of renewed walls and erased histories.
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**Secondary Article: Calls for Reform on Border Policies Intensify**
As Friendship Park reaches its 53rd year, the call for reform in border policies is gaining momentum. Advocates argue that current measures fail to address the root causes driving migration and instead exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
Adding to the ongoing discourse, Human Rights Watch released a statement last month urging the United States to reconsider its stance on border security. “Building walls and placing physical barriers do not resolve the underlying issues leading to migration,” the organization stated. The report emphasized the need for collaborative international efforts to improve economic conditions and reduce violence in migration source countries.
In a related development, several Central American countries have also been pushing for diplomatic negotiations. At a recent summit, leaders from Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador called on the U.S. government to invest in sustainable development projects in their respective nations to create job opportunities and enhance safety, thereby reducing the impetus to migrate.
Community groups on both sides of the border continue to advocate for Friendship Park as a symbol of unity and cross-border collaboration, envisioning a future where people can freely interact without physical and symbolic barriers.
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