Nogales is a city on the border, split right down the center, with a wall running down the middle of it. The line separates more than the city itself, though. The two sides are worlds apart. In American Nogales, tourists cruise across the border within minutes into a mile-wide arena of discount pharmacies and craft shops. There’s a McDonald’s right there; it’s tall, golden arch visible to the south, a constant reminder of American prosperity.
Coming from the other direction, swarms of beat up cars scramble for the chance to cross into the land of opportunity, where they can transport and sell their wares before having to hustle back. Kids sell newspapers, icecream, and water to people as they wait in the 100 degree heat. Stalls selling the same stuff line the streets for as for as the eye can see.
I’d been there before, and having lived in Latin America for a few years, bouts of poverty wasn’t new to my eyes. Yet Nogales is not Chiapas. It is a city growing quickly and bustling with business. Cheap margarita glasses and fake Oakley’s may not be what comes to mind when one thinks of doing good business, but lots of money is changing hands. My mother taught me that if I paid half price, then I had paid too much. Many Americans don’t know this. They’ll purchase a serapi for $35 when they can get it for $15. It’s no wonder that people are doing so much better there.
This business and competition is what has brought energy into the Mexican political arena. The PRI is out and multi-party democracy is in. Candidate posters could be seen on everything from telephone polls to roofs to billboards to car windows. All over the place. Mexico is super-charged. If you think you saw a lot of bumper stickers in our presidential election, take a trip to Mexico. You can’t look anywhere without seeing a dozen signs in your face.
I decided to go into one of those “discount pharmacies” real quick and buy a disposable camera. Here are what some of the posters look like:
Posters for the PRD, including leftist presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Unlike current President Vicente Fox, a President Lopez Obrador would likely disintegrate ties with the United States. Busy Nogales residents trying to make a better life for themselves don’t want any of that. Their entire way of life depends on being able to trade with the United States. Nobody likes the PRI, but these people definitely don’t want Lopez Obrador and his party in power. He would undo everything they have worked so hard for. They despise him.
Posters for PAN presidential candidate Felipe Calderon flood this city, much more than for Madrazo or Lopez Obrador. His sticker was especially prominent on the bumpers of so many cars and trucks crossing into the United States to transport wares. They know that it is good ties with the United States that allows them to do business, so they are supporting the presidential candidate that wants brotherly relations with its northern neighbor.
Mexicans are also not without a sense of humor, and perhaps it is this humor that transcends culture and, yes, even borders. Take a look at the man on the right side of the following poster. See anything missing?
This isn’t just some random anomoly either. I saw this same poster with the teeth missing at least twice more in other parts of the city. On the one hand, Mexicans have a very recognizable sense of humor. On the other, well, the ones from Nogales by and large dislike the PRD.
I talked to one shopkeeper about it; a shrewd businessman. He tried to screw me over by offering me a small piece of pottery for $149 with a “generous” 15% discount. They were all that shrewd. I looked over his collection a while longer. It was all handmade and painted with childrens’ hair. It would have certainly gone for higher in the states, but not here. This is Mexico we’re talking about. And the best way to soften up a merchant is to buy him tequila.
A few shots later and it was on. He told me how he was afraid that his customers would stop coming if Lopez Obrador is elected. Bad relations aren’t good for the Mexican economy. “Gringos come here and buy buy buy,” he said as he hit the table with his hand. “They tell their friends and more come. All of them have so much money! But if things are bad, they won’t come. That’s bad for everyone.”
I ended up buying the pottery for $20 before leaving and hiking my way back to the border. Long lines of cars were still there, even late in the afternoon. I slipped through customs in no more than a few minutes and was on my way. I stopped by the McDonald’s real quick; not to eat, but to look out over the border. You really could see everything from there. The wall stretched over a hill and past a string of shops on the other side. At this rate, the only difference between American Nogales and Mexican Nogales is the time they’ve been allowed to develop. But what many people in the latter fear is that if Lopez Obrador is elected, the difference will be between East and West Germany.
I am interested in doing web journalism projects much like Michael Totten and Bill Roggio, posting pieces on interesting and overlooked niches in the world with a focus on different aspects of life and society in these places. I am currently working on a long series of pieces regarding my week-long trip to Honduras. This summer I will also be travelling to Catalunya, Switzerland, The Netherlands, and the Czech Republic.
If you, the readers, believe that this would be interesting judging by what you just read, then let me know in the comments section, and if you would be willing at any point to donate to funding this work. I’m not looking to make a living off this — just help make up for any of the expenses of doing such work. In any case, it would help me greatly to read your responses. Thank you!
18 responses to “ON THE OTHER SIDE”