Blurred Borders - International Community Foundation

Other efforts to promote community improvements in Tijuana’s colonias populares are being
undertaken by Poway, Ca.-based Project Mercy, which is now operating in three different
colonias across the city with a focus on self-help home building through their Baja Challenge
initiative. Community-based revitalization efforts are also underway through Tijuana-based
Planificación, A.C., which is seeking to secure financing for basic infrastructure improvements
(pavement, water hook-ups) in Colonia Diez de Mayo, a former illegal squatter settlement that
has been recently legalized.
Recognizing the cross-border implications of poverty in the border area and the vulnerability of
youth, the YMCA of Tijuana operates “Casa de Migrantes Jóvenes” as part of the Y’s Border
Initiative. Among its programs is the operation of a shelter for migrant youth ages 11-17. Since
1991, the YMCA has assisted over 25,000 children. The YMCA is also providing badly needed
sports and recreation programs for some of Tijuana’s poorest neighborhoods.
Thus, in spite of the growing challenges of Tijuana’s squatter communities, measured progress is
being made thanks to the efforts of a select number of San Diego and Tijuana area non-profits.
However, given the complexity of the human service needs in Tijuana’s squatter settlements,
more non-profits collaboration is required across sectors.
The Challenge of San Diego’s Poverty and Its Relationship with the Border
Due to the wide economic disparities between San Diego and Tijuana, it is difficult to compare
poverty and housing conditions in the two communities, as they are vastly different in their
scope and specific nature. Nevertheless, poverty and irregular settlements remain a stark
reality across San Diego County. A growing number of those living in poverty and in squalid
living conditions are Mexican migrant workers and their families, particularly those living in
migrant worker camps. Unfortunately, as in Tijuana, the economic disparity between the
affluent and the poor is becoming more pronounced in San Diego.
According to a study by the Brookings Institution, the number of poor neighborhoods in
California grew by more than 26% in the 1990-2000 period. 300 While San Diego’s poverty level
remains below the California state average (12% versus 17.5%), the number of census tracts in
the county that had higher than normal incidences of poverty has more than doubled during
this time frame, while it has decreased in other parts of the country. 301 Neighborhoods in
poverty are defined as census tracts where 40% of more of the residents live below federal
poverty line ($18,400 for family of four in 2000). In San Diego, more than one-third of census
tracts had high levels of poverty. Between 1990 and 2000, the population in poverty in San
Diego increased by 33,274, or 86% increase. 302 20% of children, and 13% of the total
population, in San Diego are considered to be in poverty. 303 Some of the most vulnerable
communities are those with high concentrations of Hispanics/Latinos, in particular recent
migrants of Mexican descent, as illustrated by Table 16.
300 Matsuoka et.al. (2003), p.4.
301 San Diego Union Tribune (Sanchez 5.18.03)
302 Matsuoka et.al. (2003), p.4.
303 California Food Policy Advocates (2002), p.1.
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