With an annual movement of almost 360,000 migrants, Tijuana is one of the main border capitals in the world. It is a place where stories of eviction and need, of abandonment and struggle for the hope of crossing are reflected in its wall and in the feelings of the people.
Faced with this reality, artists and activists create community projects with a lot of heart, whose fundamental reason is to give hope to migrants and connect with people so that they recognize rights as a human need for empathy and reality.
Art without borders
Enrique Chiu is a 43-year-old visual artist and muralist from Guadalajara whose activism has touched hearts around the world. In 2016, he began the macro project “Mural de la Hermandad” (Brotherhood Mural) on the border wall between the United States and Mexico, which had been brewing in his head since 2014 and is now the largest social and cultural movement in northern Mexico.
Over the course of seven years, more than 7,500 people have collaborated in the physical intervention of the mural, plus a large number of people and artists who joined in from afar by sending designs, ideas and memories to be painted on the wall. This work is expressed in 2 km of the Tijuana wall, in municipalities such as Tecate and Mexicali, and in other states such as Ciudad Juárez and Durango.
For Enrique, the intention of intervening in the wall in a collaborative way was to “express hope and something positive for people who come from other borders. For me, the works must be social and transform the way of creating concepts so that they are more productive, that they transmit emotions but from the social part,” he said in an interview. This year, in alliance with the Secretary of Tourism of Baja California, he will launch the call to invite people from all over the world to intervene one kilometer of the Mural of Brotherhood in December to continue the project and “protect human rights, give color and hope to an area where millions of people migrate.”
This work inspired the creation of the documentary “A World Without Walls,” which he produced and which has been exhibited around the world. Enrique also runs 8 galleries and spaces for the dissemination of art, has more than 450 murals for a cause, and permanently exhibits his work in museums in Mexico, the United States, Spain, Guatemala, and Germany.
A plate of food and hope
The world can be changed one plate of food at a time. This was the philosophy that inspired Maru Riqué, during the pandemic, to begin efforts for food security in Tijuana, which are now consolidated in the civil association: Tijuana Hunger-Free Foundation.
Here they prepare and distribute 3,100 plates of hot food daily to migrants and vulnerable populations, thanks to donations from individuals and companies, the work of around 2,500 volunteers from both sides of the border and strategic alliances with platforms and brands such as CBX (Cross Border Xpress), Mazda, MacroPay, Xolos, Universidad Humanitas, Instituto Cumbres, among others.
In 2023, Fundación Tijuana Sin Hambre delivered 1 million meals to 19 shelters, which serve a diverse population, from babies and children to young people, women and seniors up to 85 years old. For 2024, the same number of meals is projected and the long-term goal is: “Ensure the sustainability of this project and extend its collaborative model to other cities in Mexico and the world,” says Maru.
For her, “Tijuana always opens its arms to those in need,” so the natural way to return this solidarity is with a plate of healthy food that comforts the body and soul. “It is not only about providing food, but also hope and dignity. We can all contribute to creating a world where no one goes hungry.”
In this collaborative spirit, Fundación Tijuana joined forces with This is about humanity and works hand in hand with agents of the gastronomic industry such as chefs Javier Plascencia, Alfredo Villanueva, Oscar Torres, Sheyla Alvarado, Miguel Torres, Ruffo Ibarra, among others, with whom they organize dinners with a cause to raise funds (the next one will be a dinner for the Day of the Dead at a ranch in Rancho Santa Fe, in San Diego, California); as well as with renowned visual artists such as Enrique Chiu himself and Alejandra Phelts.
Similarly, in 2023 they started the Tijuana sin hambre kids division, in which 200 children actively collaborate on Saturdays by cooking with their own hands.
Keep up to date with these cross-border initiatives with a cause at: @enriquechiuarte and @fundaciontijuanasinhambre.
