Interactive Map Calexico Raphaëlle

This video showcases the unique experience of students from Calexico, a city located on the California-Mexico border, who cross the border daily to attend school in the United States. The city of Calexico serves as a vibrant hub where cultures converge, and the daily commute to school represents a blend of American and Mexican influences. Students navigate the international border, passing through the Calexico Port of Entry, to pursue their education in American schools, highlighting the interconnectedness and dynamic nature of border communities.

The impact of maquiladoras at the border of Calexico is significant due to their proximity to the Mexican city of Mexicali, where many maquiladoras are located. Maquiladoras are assembly or manufacturing plants primarily situated in Mexico, often operated by foreign companies, including those from the United States. These industrial facilities play a crucial role in the cross-border economy of Calexico by providing employment to numerous Mexican workers who commute across the border for work every day. This creates an economic flow and social interaction between the two cities, strengthening commercial and cultural ties. However, the impact of maquiladoras can also raise concerns about environmental issues and working conditions, given the often intensive nature of industrial production in these factories. It's important to strike a balance between the economic benefits and the environmental and social concerns associated with operating maquiladoras at the Calexico border.

Line in the sand

An imposing metal barrier, up to 7.5 metres high, splits the cities and continues into the desert. Migrants and traffickers try to go over, around and under it, Bojórquez said.

It can take eight hours to walk the 16 kilometres from the highway outside Mexicali to the border. Dangers range from extreme weather and kidnapping by smugglers to snakes and scorpions, said Sergio Molina, the local border agency director responsible for protecting migrants. Staff conduct daily patrols in search of those in trouble, leaving life-boxes containing water, food, medicine, thermal blankets and more, in 14 locations at 6.5-kilometre intervals, he said. “There’s a lot of risk for people trying to get to the US through the desert,” Molina added, noting they had found two bodies in the last four months. Both likely perished from the severe conditions.

Peoples stories

“The border is an opportunity, a friend, a love, everything,” said Rudy Kim, 55, a Russian-born merchant running a convenience store in Calexico after a quarter century working in the region. “I respect that.”

Rudy Kim runs a general store in Calexico and says the border offers opportunities for everyone [Joe Jackson /Al Jazeera]

Back and forth

Calexico’s population of 40,000 almost entirely Hispanic people is dwarfed by industrialised Mexicali, which has a population upwards of 700,000, large boulevards and a big-city feel. Despite the disparity in numbers the two sides shared interests and character still forge a sense of togetherness. Arturo Bojórquez, a journalist for a newspaper serving Imperial Valley, reports primarily from Mexicali. “My readers want to know what’s happening on both sides,” he said. Border traffic is busier than ever. Mexico officials record about 25,000 crossings daily.