The Illusory Border
What would happen if Americans and Mexicans could freely walk into each other’s nations?
At one speck of the Mexico-United States border, that’s been happening for decades. Two hamlets on opposite sides of the Rio Grande, or Rio Bravo, in Mexico, remain untouched by the ignominious Border Crisis.
Candelaria, Texas, and San Antonio del Bravo, Chihuahua, almost run into each other. The few hundred residents of the settlements treat the border as though it does not exist.
Situated in the Chihuahuan Desert, the largest in North America, the hamlets are intertwined. For instance, Candelaria residents walk into San Antonio for free medical treatment or to buy groceries. With families divided between the hamlets, residents cross back and forth to visit relatives or friends.
Unsurprisingly, there is no U.S. port of entry. The nearest Border Patrol station is in Marfa, about 50 miles northeast of Candelaria.
A wide open border! Let’s keep that secret from Kristi Noem and ICE thugs, and above all, King Trump.
Residents live on what they earn from small-scale farming and ranching. Remittances bolster San Antonio.
School attendance on either side of the border requires a one-way trip of 50 miles or more.
I can attest to the villages’ existence. In the summer of 1980, as part of a trek from one end of the border to the other, I made my way to Candelaria. I was reporting a newspaper series, and I was determined to get there.
A good part of the road was rocky and unpaved, and at one point it forked. And there was no sign directing travelers to Candelaria. I guessed correctly and arrived at this place of border sanity.
Two elderly sisters owned and operated a general store. It was identical to the ones you’ve seen in Western movies and TV shows.
The store is long gone, but some hardy folks are still there.
Ricardo Chavira Chicano 