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La Frontera: Season 2, Episode 1 - Fronterizos of the Golden Coast
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
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Pati Jinich travels from San Diego and Tijuana to Mexicali. She meets the fronterizos, or borderlanders, of the golden coast to experience the melding of cultures, cross-border collaborations, and explosive growth. She meets a muralist, joins in the first collaboration of two gay men’s choruses, tries wine aged in the ocean, gets in the boxing ring, and more.
Series Description
Savor the sights, sounds, and flavors of the U.S.-Mexico border alongside acclaimed chef and James Beard Award-winning host Pati Jinich as she experiences the region’s rich culture, people, and cuisine. Travel with Pati to El Paso, Ciudad Juárez, Laredo, Nuevo Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville as she shares meals with locals from all walks of life and reflects on the melding of cultures.
Citation
Main credits
Durlach, Darren (film director)
Elvir, Renier (film producer)
Jinich, Pati (host)
Jinich, Pati (creator)
Other credits
Cinematography, Tyler Davis; editors, Scott Snider [and 6 others].
Distributor subjects
Culture + Identity; Migration Studies; Latinx; Agriculture + Food; GeographyKeywords
00:00:01.067 --> 00:00:03.267
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this program possible.
00:00:03.267 --> 00:00:05.333
Support your local PBS station.
00:00:06.767 --> 00:00:08.000
[Horns honking]
00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:09.333
[Indistinct chatter]
00:00:09.333 --> 00:00:11.133
Pati: Who liked the tacos?
Anybody?
00:00:11.133 --> 00:00:14.533
[Cheering]
00:00:14.533 --> 00:00:16.933
Yay!
00:00:16.933 --> 00:00:18.133
Pati, voice-over:
There is a region
00:00:18.133 --> 00:00:19.667
in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands
00:00:19.667 --> 00:00:23.633
so interwoven it goes
by one name--CaliBaja,
00:00:23.633 --> 00:00:26.667
where California
and Baja California collide,
00:00:26.667 --> 00:00:30.167
home to the two closest
major cities in the border,
00:00:30.167 --> 00:00:34.567
making it the busiest
land border crossing
in the world.
00:00:34.567 --> 00:00:37.300
San Diego and Tijuana
are so interconnected,
00:00:37.300 --> 00:00:39.800
they actually share
a power grid.
00:00:39.800 --> 00:00:42.133
Woman: You know
what's the best thing
about San Diego? Tijuana.
00:00:42.133 --> 00:00:45.400
What's the best
thing about Tijuana?
San Diego.
00:00:45.400 --> 00:00:47.633
Pati, voice-over: This is
where I continue my journey,
00:00:47.633 --> 00:00:51.433
a land of unprecedented
creativity and opportunity
00:00:51.433 --> 00:00:55.000
for artists navigating
their cultural identities...
00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:56.933
Woman: Good Job.
Yay!
00:00:56.933 --> 00:00:59.300
Pati, voice-over: fighters
brawling for equality...
00:00:59.300 --> 00:01:00.933
[Pati Speaking Spanish]
00:01:00.933 --> 00:01:04.033
Pati, voice-over: winemakers
exploring new frontiers,
00:01:04.033 --> 00:01:06.300
singers bridging
cultural divides...
00:01:06.300 --> 00:01:10.433
Man: We want to welcome
Coro Gay TJ to our family.
00:01:10.433 --> 00:01:11.967
Pati, voice-over:
and migrants creating
00:01:11.967 --> 00:01:14.133
new homes underground.
00:01:14.133 --> 00:01:17.500
These are the fronterizos
of the Golden Coast.
00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:25.600
¡Una, dos, tres!
00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:27.533
Pati, voice-over:
I'm Pati Jinich.
00:01:27.533 --> 00:01:30.500
I'm a chef, a writer,
an immigrant.
00:01:30.500 --> 00:01:32.633
On this season,
I'm traveling the border
00:01:32.633 --> 00:01:35.600
from California and Baja
to New Mexico and Chihuahua
00:01:35.600 --> 00:01:38.000
to uncover the stories
beneath the headlines
00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.200
and celebrate the beauty
of the people
00:01:40.200 --> 00:01:41.867
who call themselves fronterizos.
00:01:41.867 --> 00:01:43.133
Really?
00:01:43.133 --> 00:01:45.067
Mexico is my heart,
00:01:45.067 --> 00:01:47.733
the United States
is now my home,
00:01:47.733 --> 00:01:49.900
and in the space between
00:01:49.900 --> 00:01:51.567
is La Frontera.
00:01:51.567 --> 00:01:53.667
[Wind blowing]
00:01:57.400 --> 00:01:58.867
Pati, voice-over:
When Joni Mitchell's heart
00:01:58.867 --> 00:02:02.467
cried out for California,
it's easy to see why.
00:02:02.467 --> 00:02:06.433
It's always sunny,
and the Golden Coast is endless.
00:02:06.433 --> 00:02:09.400
I'm at the very
southwest corner of the U.S.,
00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:12.500
Border Field State Park,
where the line on the map
00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:15.167
disappears
into the Pacific Ocean.
00:02:15.167 --> 00:02:17.800
Tijuana is just over the fence.
00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:21.433
As a Mexican American,
it's surreal to visualize
00:02:21.433 --> 00:02:23.667
the stark differences
between both countries
00:02:23.667 --> 00:02:25.167
in one location.
00:02:25.167 --> 00:02:28.133
On the U.S. side is
a beautiful but empty
00:02:28.133 --> 00:02:30.933
and heavily patrolled
state park.
00:02:30.933 --> 00:02:35.133
On the other is bustling
Tijuana, full of color,
00:02:35.133 --> 00:02:36.800
light, and sound,
00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:40.600
where the smell of esquites
and tacos fills the air.
00:02:43.067 --> 00:02:45.900
It's even more surreal
on horseback.
00:02:45.900 --> 00:02:48.200
Woman: Hi!
Pati: Hey!
00:02:48.200 --> 00:02:50.867
Such beautiful horses.
00:02:50.867 --> 00:02:52.133
Thank you for
bringing them here.
00:02:52.133 --> 00:02:53.867
Woman: Of course.
00:02:53.867 --> 00:02:56.033
Pati, voice-over: Cowgirl
Caroline Sullivan helps me
00:02:56.033 --> 00:02:58.800
mount up for a ride
with award-winning journalist
00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:00.900
Jean Guerrero,
who covers the border
00:03:00.900 --> 00:03:04.000
for the "L.A. Times"
and grew up riding horses
00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:05.733
on these beaches with her dad.
00:03:05.733 --> 00:03:07.867
Jean: I started taking
lessons when I was 14
00:03:07.867 --> 00:03:08.933
because I just wanted to
00:03:08.933 --> 00:03:10.033
connect with that part
00:03:10.033 --> 00:03:11.267
of my family and with
00:03:11.267 --> 00:03:12.333
that part of my history.
00:03:12.333 --> 00:03:13.400
My dad used to always talk
00:03:13.400 --> 00:03:15.067
about how when he lived
00:03:15.067 --> 00:03:17.133
in the rural outskirts
of Tijuana he would find
00:03:17.133 --> 00:03:19.200
these wild horses
and he would ride them
00:03:19.200 --> 00:03:21.133
when he was
a little boy, and...
00:03:21.133 --> 00:03:23.167
Pati: What do you
feel like when you're
riding a horse?
00:03:23.167 --> 00:03:25.633
Like, where does
that connect to?
00:03:25.633 --> 00:03:27.733
There's something
about the border
00:03:27.733 --> 00:03:30.800
that is captured to me
when I'm horseback riding
00:03:30.800 --> 00:03:33.467
because you're in this,
like, liminal space,
00:03:33.467 --> 00:03:35.567
especially when I'm galloping
on a horseback.
00:03:35.567 --> 00:03:37.333
I'm not in one place
or another.
00:03:37.333 --> 00:03:39.200
I'm sort of in multiple
places at once,
00:03:39.200 --> 00:03:42.633
and there's something
about the border that
that captures for me.
00:03:42.633 --> 00:03:45.500
Pati: You've lived
the border all your life
00:03:45.500 --> 00:03:48.567
with your family and all
the different generations,
00:03:48.567 --> 00:03:52.567
but you now also
cover the issues
in the borderlands.
00:03:52.567 --> 00:03:55.133
Does the border wall
and fence have
00:03:55.133 --> 00:03:58.333
any different
significance to you
as a journalist
00:03:58.333 --> 00:04:01.767
and as a just
normal person
with your family?
00:04:01.767 --> 00:04:03.400
Jean: I mean, when I look
at the border wall,
00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:05.033
what I see is division.
00:04:05.033 --> 00:04:07.533
I see something that's
caused a lot of people
00:04:07.533 --> 00:04:10.300
a lot of pain, which I've
witnessed as a reporter
00:04:10.300 --> 00:04:13.367
but also as somebody
who grew up crossing the border
00:04:13.367 --> 00:04:16.433
and knows what it's like
to suddenly be separated
00:04:16.433 --> 00:04:20.567
from a part of myself
that is just as much
00:04:20.567 --> 00:04:23.200
a part of myself
as this--this country.
00:04:23.200 --> 00:04:25.267
Pati, voice-over: This is
where the first 14 miles
00:04:25.267 --> 00:04:28.667
of border wall was built
in the early nineties.
00:04:28.667 --> 00:04:31.933
Pati: So somehow,
the narrative gets
just trapped
00:04:31.933 --> 00:04:34.133
in one dimension,
in one theme...
Jean: Exactly.
00:04:34.133 --> 00:04:36.733
Pati: which is illegal
border crossing.
00:04:36.733 --> 00:04:38.133
Jean: Yeah.
00:04:38.133 --> 00:04:39.267
Pati: There's so
much that happens
00:04:39.267 --> 00:04:40.600
at the border crossing
00:04:40.600 --> 00:04:42.000
that is regular
people just...
00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:43.400
Jean: Just living
their lives.
00:04:43.400 --> 00:04:45.000
Pati: studying,
living their lives.
00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:46.700
Jean: When this wall
was built, it cut off
00:04:46.700 --> 00:04:49.433
this zig-zag circular
migration pattern
00:04:49.433 --> 00:04:51.833
where a lot of people
were coming here
00:04:51.833 --> 00:04:53.200
with the intent
of just working
00:04:53.200 --> 00:04:54.667
for a little while
and saving some money
00:04:54.667 --> 00:04:57.333
to build a home
and go back to Mexico,
00:04:57.333 --> 00:04:59.967
but a lot of people
ended up getting stuck here
00:04:59.967 --> 00:05:02.333
and staying here
and establishing roots
00:05:02.333 --> 00:05:04.633
in a way that they
wouldn't have otherwise.
00:05:05.667 --> 00:05:07.033
Pati, voice-over:
That's what happened
00:05:07.033 --> 00:05:08.567
to Jean's paternal grandparents.
00:05:08.567 --> 00:05:11.400
They were born in Tijuana
but in the 1940s crossed
00:05:11.400 --> 00:05:13.567
every day to work in the U.S.
00:05:13.567 --> 00:05:15.833
They eventually settled
in San Diego,
00:05:15.833 --> 00:05:17.267
starting a business that's now
00:05:17.267 --> 00:05:20.400
a local institution,
The Butcher Block.
00:05:20.400 --> 00:05:23.533
For 40 years, The Butcher Block
has supplied meat
00:05:23.533 --> 00:05:26.600
to some of the best
Mexican restaurants in the city,
00:05:26.600 --> 00:05:31.500
including Rolando's Taco Shop in
historic Barrio Logan.
00:05:31.500 --> 00:05:33.267
Jean: This is
Barrio Logan.
00:05:33.267 --> 00:05:36.267
So my dad spent, like,
10 years working here,
00:05:36.267 --> 00:05:38.267
um, at the shipyard.
00:05:38.267 --> 00:05:40.900
A lot of working-class
people from Mexico came
00:05:40.900 --> 00:05:42.167
and settled down here,
00:05:42.167 --> 00:05:43.767
and this is home
to Chicano Park,
00:05:43.767 --> 00:05:47.167
which has, like,
this very long, um,
00:05:47.167 --> 00:05:50.667
and powerful history
of using art and murals
00:05:50.667 --> 00:05:53.800
as political resistance,
as empowerment.
00:05:54.967 --> 00:05:58.067
Pati, voice-over:
In 1970, Barrio Logan residents
00:05:58.067 --> 00:06:00.533
challenged the city
by occupying land
00:06:00.533 --> 00:06:03.400
beneath the Coronado Bridge
to stop construction
00:06:03.400 --> 00:06:06.733
of a California Highway Patrol
station and keep
00:06:06.733 --> 00:06:09.533
the land underneath
as a neighborhood park.
00:06:09.533 --> 00:06:12.767
They were successful,
and ever since,
00:06:12.767 --> 00:06:16.533
the park has been memorialized
by muralists and has become
00:06:16.533 --> 00:06:19.067
a symbol of peaceful resistance.
00:06:19.067 --> 00:06:22.400
[Food sizzling]
00:06:22.400 --> 00:06:26.133
At Rolando's, Raul is
making us a saucy, juicy,
00:06:26.133 --> 00:06:28.800
irresistible Angus beef burrito
00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:32.033
and some overloaded
carne asada fries.
00:06:32.033 --> 00:06:35.933
Pati: Oh, wow. Oh!
That's beautiful!
00:06:35.933 --> 00:06:38.667
This weighs,
like, 10 pounds!
00:06:38.667 --> 00:06:41.467
[Speaking Spanish]
00:06:41.467 --> 00:06:45.100
I'm about to eat
two pounds of a burrito.
00:06:45.100 --> 00:06:46.833
I'm so hungry.
00:06:46.833 --> 00:06:49.633
[Speaking Spanish]
00:06:54.333 --> 00:06:56.233
Mmm!
You like it?
00:06:56.233 --> 00:06:58.100
Ha ha!
Mmm!
00:06:59.467 --> 00:07:01.533
Jean: I'll tell
my grandma. Ha ha ha!
00:07:01.533 --> 00:07:04.233
Pati: And I had never
tasted carne asada
fries either.
00:07:04.233 --> 00:07:06.167
Tell me about it.
00:07:06.167 --> 00:07:08.633
Jean: Carne asada fries
actually originated
in San Diego.
00:07:08.633 --> 00:07:12.400
I can't say that my
family has any credit
in creating them...
00:07:12.400 --> 00:07:13.533
Right.
00:07:13.533 --> 00:07:15.200
but it's something
that just represents
00:07:15.200 --> 00:07:16.600
the fusion of cultures
that I think is
00:07:16.600 --> 00:07:19.100
so unique
to the border region.
00:07:19.100 --> 00:07:22.267
Eating this kind of food
has helped me to find
00:07:22.267 --> 00:07:24.333
and navigate my own
identity as somebody
00:07:24.333 --> 00:07:26.833
who was born
in the United States,
00:07:26.833 --> 00:07:28.600
is considered American,
00:07:28.600 --> 00:07:32.567
but also comes
from a Mexican
immigrant family,
00:07:32.567 --> 00:07:35.167
a Puerto Rican family,
and so many people
00:07:35.167 --> 00:07:37.133
who have similar stories
to me, we exist
00:07:37.133 --> 00:07:38.967
in this, like,
in-between space
00:07:38.967 --> 00:07:41.733
where we're not
quite one thing
and not quite the other.
00:07:41.733 --> 00:07:44.833
I mean, I went
to a school here
where speaking Spanish
00:07:44.833 --> 00:07:46.333
was against the rules,
00:07:46.333 --> 00:07:48.600
um, and it was
my first language,
00:07:48.600 --> 00:07:51.167
so I sort of had to
teach myself to reject it,
00:07:51.167 --> 00:07:52.867
and so I feel like
for many years I did
00:07:52.867 --> 00:07:55.667
sort of run away from who
I was and from my roots,
00:07:55.667 --> 00:07:59.133
and becoming a journalist
and focusing
00:07:59.133 --> 00:08:02.400
on Mexico
and Latin America
00:08:02.400 --> 00:08:04.300
has--has provided me
with a pathway
00:08:04.300 --> 00:08:06.033
for finding my way back.
00:08:06.033 --> 00:08:09.033
And so you and your
sister grew up here,
00:08:09.033 --> 00:08:11.233
and you went
into journalism,
00:08:11.233 --> 00:08:13.600
and she went
to be a muralist.
00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:14.967
A muralist. Yeah.
00:08:14.967 --> 00:08:16.400
Her art looks
so beautiful.
00:08:16.400 --> 00:08:17.933
I love it.
No, but yeah,
00:08:17.933 --> 00:08:19.000
that's just one example.
00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:20.300
It's peeling off.
00:08:20.300 --> 00:08:22.000
She is a part
of the legacy
00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:23.433
of this neighborhood.
00:08:23.433 --> 00:08:28.267
♪
00:08:28.267 --> 00:08:29.933
Pati, voice-over:
Jean's sister Michelle
00:08:29.933 --> 00:08:32.833
also navigates her identity
through storytelling,
00:08:32.833 --> 00:08:36.067
but her stories require
at least two stories
00:08:36.067 --> 00:08:38.267
and a lot of spray paint.
00:08:38.267 --> 00:08:39.800
Michelle: Spray paint
is my favorite tool.
00:08:39.800 --> 00:08:41.267
It's so freeing.
00:08:41.267 --> 00:08:42.600
Like, I feel like it's
00:08:42.600 --> 00:08:43.733
almost like a dance,
00:08:43.733 --> 00:08:44.733
like, when you're working
00:08:44.733 --> 00:08:46.200
so large-scale.
00:08:46.200 --> 00:08:47.767
Pati, voice-over:
Mr B Baby, as she's known
00:08:47.767 --> 00:08:49.933
on the street, has gone
from unknown artist
00:08:49.933 --> 00:08:53.100
to one of the most recognizable
muralists in the city
00:08:53.100 --> 00:08:55.100
in only a few years.
00:08:55.100 --> 00:09:00.367
Her work centers around
a whimsical wolf piñata
named Chucho.
00:09:00.367 --> 00:09:02.367
Pati: How did you
come up with Chucho?
00:09:02.367 --> 00:09:04.000
Michelle: My sister
and I were actually talking
00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:05.700
about doing
a children's book,
00:09:05.700 --> 00:09:08.967
and we decided that
we wanted to do, like,
00:09:08.967 --> 00:09:10.367
all the Aesop fables,
like, all
00:09:10.367 --> 00:09:11.467
the popular
children's books,
00:09:11.467 --> 00:09:13.000
but with
a Latin twist...
00:09:13.000 --> 00:09:14.533
Pati: Yeah.
00:09:14.533 --> 00:09:16.667
and so I started
with "Red Riding Hood,"
00:09:16.667 --> 00:09:18.767
and I didn't know
how to make, like,
00:09:18.767 --> 00:09:20.167
a Latino-looking wolf,
00:09:20.167 --> 00:09:22.667
and so I just created
this, like,
00:09:22.667 --> 00:09:26.133
piñata-looking guy,
and it was Chucho.
00:09:27.800 --> 00:09:29.500
Pati, voice-over:
If you pay close attention,
00:09:29.500 --> 00:09:31.400
you will start to see
Chucho on walls
00:09:31.400 --> 00:09:33.700
all over Southern California
00:09:33.700 --> 00:09:37.000
and sometimes
even walking around.
00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:39.200
Pati: And so what
does he mean to you?
00:09:39.200 --> 00:09:42.600
Michelle: Piñatas
were originally
filled with seeds,
00:09:42.600 --> 00:09:44.267
and they were
held over the garden
00:09:44.267 --> 00:09:46.500
and broken so
the seeds would grow,
00:09:46.500 --> 00:09:49.233
and I always really
connected with that idea
00:09:49.233 --> 00:09:52.000
that, like, through
brokenness comes growth.
00:09:53.233 --> 00:09:55.000
Pati: So this look
like a love story
00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:57.033
between you and Chucho.
00:09:57.033 --> 00:09:58.233
Mm-hmm.
00:09:58.233 --> 00:09:59.967
Tell me about
that love story.
00:09:59.967 --> 00:10:05.267
So a lot of my work touches
on just, like, self-love
00:10:05.267 --> 00:10:08.800
and, like, mental health,
a lot of different struggles
00:10:08.800 --> 00:10:11.533
that I've been through,
and so for me,
00:10:11.533 --> 00:10:15.100
Chucho is also me,
and so I always like
00:10:15.100 --> 00:10:17.800
to create these
little stories
00:10:17.800 --> 00:10:20.467
where we're in love
as a representation
00:10:20.467 --> 00:10:23.367
of how important
self-love is.
00:10:23.367 --> 00:10:27.133
Pati: So how do you
navigate your Puerto Rican,
00:10:27.133 --> 00:10:30.467
American,
Mexican identities?
00:10:30.467 --> 00:10:33.667
I feel like art helps me,
um, just being able to
00:10:33.667 --> 00:10:37.267
create and kind of
explore those worlds
00:10:37.267 --> 00:10:39.133
through my art.
00:10:39.133 --> 00:10:41.100
Pati: And so you're kind
of claiming space
00:10:41.100 --> 00:10:44.067
as a Mexican,
as a Puerto Rican,
00:10:44.067 --> 00:10:46.733
but you're also
claiming space as a woman.
00:10:46.733 --> 00:10:48.133
Absolutely. Yeah,
00:10:48.133 --> 00:10:50.500
and so, like, with
this mural particularly,
00:10:50.500 --> 00:10:52.567
the reason why I chose
to do a self-portrait
00:10:52.567 --> 00:10:54.967
is because I feel like
as Latina women
00:10:54.967 --> 00:10:58.333
we're made to feel small,
and, like, we're not--
00:10:58.333 --> 00:11:00.300
we shouldn't be
taking up space,
00:11:00.300 --> 00:11:01.700
and so this is
kind of my--
00:11:01.700 --> 00:11:04.133
me voicing to
other Latina women
00:11:04.133 --> 00:11:06.733
that we should
take up space and that,
00:11:06.733 --> 00:11:08.333
like, don't be afraid to.
00:11:08.333 --> 00:11:09.933
Pati, voice-over:
Jean and Michelle once wrestled
00:11:09.933 --> 00:11:13.167
with their mix of cultural
identities but now use it
00:11:13.167 --> 00:11:15.700
as their strength
to magnify a message of unity
00:11:15.700 --> 00:11:19.900
and love that reverberates
far beyond the borderlands.
00:11:19.900 --> 00:11:21.667
Pati: I love you, Chucho!
00:11:21.667 --> 00:11:22.933
Michelle: Ha ha ha!
00:11:22.933 --> 00:11:25.900
Nice! Ha ha ha!
Good job.
00:11:25.900 --> 00:11:27.667
Yay!
00:11:31.133 --> 00:11:32.633
Pati, voice-over:
Another group in San Diego
00:11:32.633 --> 00:11:35.667
is also sharing a message
of unity and love...
00:11:35.667 --> 00:11:36.733
[Singers humming]
00:11:36.733 --> 00:11:39.400
but a few octaves lower.
00:11:39.400 --> 00:11:42.167
In the city's vibrant
Hillcrest neighborhood,
00:11:42.167 --> 00:11:44.267
the mission of music
is changing lives
00:11:44.267 --> 00:11:45.933
one voice at a time...
00:11:45.933 --> 00:11:47.867
[Humming]
00:11:47.867 --> 00:11:49.333
and leading the charge is
00:11:49.333 --> 00:11:51.633
the San Diego
Gay Men's Chorus...
00:11:51.633 --> 00:11:53.300
Bring it down.
00:11:53.300 --> 00:11:55.400
Pati, voice-over: one of
the 10 largest gay choruses
00:11:55.400 --> 00:11:58.800
in the U.S., who is making
a statement from the moment
00:11:58.800 --> 00:12:02.233
you walk through the doors
of their rehearsal space.
00:12:02.233 --> 00:12:03.367
Man: I start from
the premise that
00:12:03.367 --> 00:12:05.100
all singing is about connection.
00:12:05.100 --> 00:12:06.167
It's all about human beings,
00:12:06.167 --> 00:12:07.600
so if I'm--one of the things
00:12:07.600 --> 00:12:08.833
I say to the chorus
00:12:08.833 --> 00:12:10.133
all the time
is it's hard to hate
00:12:10.133 --> 00:12:11.633
someone that you
just sang a song with.
00:12:11.633 --> 00:12:13.133
Yeah.
00:12:13.133 --> 00:12:16.767
And at a time of division
and fragmentation
00:12:16.767 --> 00:12:18.800
and when there are all
these troubles in the world,
00:12:18.800 --> 00:12:21.000
it seems to me that
bringing people together
00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:23.733
through singing is quite
a radical act.
00:12:23.733 --> 00:12:25.400
It's an act of activism.
00:12:25.400 --> 00:12:28.267
I feel like there is
such a connection
00:12:28.267 --> 00:12:30.667
between what you do
and the food world
00:12:30.667 --> 00:12:32.967
because it is also
a safe space
00:12:32.967 --> 00:12:35.600
where people that
can't see eye to eye
00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.233
suddenly can connect
00:12:37.233 --> 00:12:38.800
and maybe are
surprised by it.
00:12:38.800 --> 00:12:40.467
♪ My Bonnie lies... ♪
00:12:40.467 --> 00:12:42.100
Pati, voice-over: Charlie Beale
is the new director
00:12:42.100 --> 00:12:44.633
of San Diego's 40-year
old chorus,
00:12:44.633 --> 00:12:47.767
and his top priority is
bringing together singers
00:12:47.767 --> 00:12:49.100
from across the border.
00:12:49.100 --> 00:12:52.400
♪ My Bonnie to me ♪
00:12:52.400 --> 00:12:54.867
Charles: This evening,
we are gonna teach our singers
00:12:54.867 --> 00:12:58.133
two songs,
one of which is chosen
00:12:58.133 --> 00:12:59.433
by the Tijuana choir,
00:12:59.433 --> 00:13:01.233
one of which is chosen
by our choir,
00:13:01.233 --> 00:13:03.133
and we're going to learn
them separately,
00:13:03.133 --> 00:13:05.000
and then on Sunday,
we come together
00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:06.667
for the first time ever...
00:13:06.667 --> 00:13:08.233
For the first time ever!
00:13:08.233 --> 00:13:09.800
and, uh, sing together.
00:13:09.800 --> 00:13:11.200
And I'm gonna be
there!
00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:12.567
And you're
going to be there.
00:13:12.567 --> 00:13:13.633
I'm so excited!
00:13:13.633 --> 00:13:15.367
But this is, like,
the first step.
00:13:15.367 --> 00:13:16.867
I mean, it's amazing
that they are so close to us,
00:13:16.867 --> 00:13:18.100
like, 15 miles away,
but, you know,
00:13:18.100 --> 00:13:20.233
different worlds
in so many ways.
00:13:20.233 --> 00:13:22.300
Pati, voice-over: Mexico
legalized same-sex marriage
00:13:22.300 --> 00:13:25.767
in 2015, a short time
before the U.S.
00:13:25.767 --> 00:13:30.533
But socially, the LGBTQ movement
is just getting started.
00:13:30.533 --> 00:13:33.667
The Tijuana Gay Men's
Chorus was started in 2020
00:13:33.667 --> 00:13:37.467
and was only one
of two in all of Mexico.
00:13:37.467 --> 00:13:40.133
Charles: They're springing
up in Mexico right now
00:13:40.133 --> 00:13:42.367
as if it were
the early eighties in the U.S.
00:13:42.367 --> 00:13:44.067
Really?
It's very interesting.
00:13:44.067 --> 00:13:46.267
Something is going on
in Mexico at the moment.
00:13:46.267 --> 00:13:48.633
I also want to introduce
you to Pati,
00:13:48.633 --> 00:13:50.933
who I only met
about 45 minutes ago.
00:13:50.933 --> 00:13:53.267
Hello, Pati.
Come and join us.
00:13:53.267 --> 00:13:55.233
Pati, voice-over: I've always
wished my superpower
00:13:55.233 --> 00:13:57.500
was singing,
but it's not.
00:13:57.500 --> 00:14:00.700
However, I made the mistake
of telling this to Charles.
00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:02.200
Charles: So I thought
that if I just put
00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:04.033
that chair there, it's--
Oh, yeah!
00:14:04.033 --> 00:14:05.667
You don't need to
go there.
00:14:05.667 --> 00:14:07.633
It's your choice,
but if that chair's there,
00:14:07.633 --> 00:14:09.067
I thought maybe you could
just join us in the warmup.
00:14:09.067 --> 00:14:10.667
Yeah.
00:14:10.667 --> 00:14:12.000
Charles: Let's go as high
as you can this time.
00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:13.100
[Chorus humming]
00:14:13.100 --> 00:14:15.000
Hold it.
00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:16.133
Let it fall.
00:14:16.133 --> 00:14:17.200
[Note descending]
00:14:17.200 --> 00:14:18.600
So it's gonna be...
00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:21.000
[Humming]
00:14:21.000 --> 00:14:23.400
Charles: Keep it there.
00:14:23.400 --> 00:14:24.900
Charles, voice-over:
The song that San Diego
00:14:24.900 --> 00:14:27.800
are gonna do is
about community.
00:14:27.800 --> 00:14:29.033
So it goes...
00:14:29.033 --> 00:14:34.400
♪ A-ma i-bu oh ee ay ♪
00:14:34.400 --> 00:14:36.800
You just try that. 2, 3.
00:14:36.800 --> 00:14:44.033
♪ A-ma i-bu oh ee ay ♪
00:14:44.033 --> 00:14:45.700
That's half
the song learnt already.
00:14:45.700 --> 00:14:47.500
Charles, voice-over:
The song is originally
00:14:47.500 --> 00:14:49.800
from Central Africa,
and the concept is that
00:14:49.800 --> 00:14:54.267
every member of the choir
starts from very far away.
00:14:54.267 --> 00:14:57.033
My name's Pati.
So nice to meet you.
00:14:57.033 --> 00:14:59.067
Charles: It's a song
about coming together
00:14:59.067 --> 00:15:01.467
as a group
for the first time.
00:15:01.467 --> 00:15:03.600
OK. I'll sing
when you sing.
00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:04.733
Man: OK.
00:15:04.733 --> 00:15:05.800
[Speaking Spanish]
00:15:05.800 --> 00:15:09.967
♪ A-ma i-bu oh ee ay ♪
00:15:09.967 --> 00:15:11.500
Both: ♪ A-ma i ♪
00:15:11.500 --> 00:15:13.100
Charles: And we all
sing the same part
00:15:13.100 --> 00:15:15.300
from different parts
of the space.
00:15:15.300 --> 00:15:18.367
We keep singing until
everyone feels
00:15:18.367 --> 00:15:21.000
they're comfortable
in the group,
00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:23.733
and then we end
on a single note.
00:15:23.733 --> 00:15:25.667
[All singing note]
00:15:25.667 --> 00:15:27.400
And so we come together
as a community
00:15:27.400 --> 00:15:29.000
for the first time,
and that will be a lovely--
00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:30.467
Oh, and they're
learning the song.
00:15:30.467 --> 00:15:32.067
And they're learning
the song at the same time.
00:15:32.067 --> 00:15:34.167
[Plays notes]
00:15:34.167 --> 00:15:35.433
[Snaps fingers]
00:15:35.433 --> 00:15:36.933
Mmm, mmm.
00:15:36.933 --> 00:15:38.467
[Chorus singing]
00:15:38.467 --> 00:15:40.133
Pati, voice-over:
A few miles south in Tijuana,
00:15:40.133 --> 00:15:41.633
Edgar Gheno's chorus
nervously prepares
00:15:41.633 --> 00:15:44.200
for the arrival
of the San Diego guys.
00:15:44.200 --> 00:15:47.033
[Speaking Spanish]
00:15:50.600 --> 00:15:52.333
[Singing]
00:15:52.333 --> 00:15:54.767
Pati voice-over: An increase
in LGBTQ violence
00:15:54.767 --> 00:15:57.267
and low public support
has made it difficult
00:15:57.267 --> 00:16:00.533
for the community
to gain traction.
00:16:00.533 --> 00:16:04.900
In a 2017 government survey,
about 1/3 of Mexicans said
00:16:04.900 --> 00:16:09.300
they would not rent out a room
to a gay or trans individual...
00:16:09.300 --> 00:16:13.633
[Singing in Spanish]
00:16:13.633 --> 00:16:16.500
...which is why this visit
by Charlie and the members
00:16:16.500 --> 00:16:19.933
of the San Diego Choir
will not only lift voices.
00:16:19.933 --> 00:16:21.633
It will also raise support.
00:16:21.633 --> 00:16:23.867
[Indistinct chatter]
00:16:23.867 --> 00:16:25.600
Eddie? Nice to
meet you, Eddie.
00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:26.833
How's it going?
00:16:26.833 --> 00:16:28.433
Ryan.
00:16:28.433 --> 00:16:29.633
How are you?
00:16:29.633 --> 00:16:31.600
Nice to meet you.
00:16:31.600 --> 00:16:34.100
Pati: You would think that
because we're at the border
00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:36.800
there would be more
openness to create a space
00:16:36.800 --> 00:16:39.867
like this for, you know,
the LGBT community...
00:16:39.867 --> 00:16:41.133
Yes.
Pati: but he was telling
00:16:41.133 --> 00:16:43.033
me that there's people
that come
00:16:43.033 --> 00:16:45.233
from different parts
of Mexico that
00:16:45.233 --> 00:16:48.567
are very closed-minded,
like, in their families
00:16:48.567 --> 00:16:51.067
or communities,
and that it's harder.
00:16:51.067 --> 00:16:53.367
[Speaking Spanish]
00:17:07.367 --> 00:17:09.533
Charles: It is so great
that two groups
00:17:09.533 --> 00:17:11.767
that are so close together
in distance
00:17:11.767 --> 00:17:13.167
can now sing together.
00:17:13.167 --> 00:17:14.667
That's just
the right thing,
00:17:14.667 --> 00:17:16.600
and so we want to welcome
00:17:16.600 --> 00:17:19.533
the Coro Gay TJ
to our family.
00:17:19.533 --> 00:17:22.133
[Applause]
00:17:25.667 --> 00:17:28.867
So one person will start
somewhere in the room,
00:17:28.867 --> 00:17:33.400
and then you join in
when you want in your own time.
00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:38.433
♪ A-ma i-bu oh ee ay ♪
00:17:38.433 --> 00:17:40.767
♪ A-ma i-bu oh ee ay ♪
00:17:40.767 --> 00:17:42.867
♪ A-ma i-bu oh ee ay ♪
00:17:42.867 --> 00:17:47.433
♪ A-ma i-bu oh ee ay ♪
00:17:47.433 --> 00:17:49.133
Pati, voice-over: I feel
honored to be here
00:17:49.133 --> 00:17:51.300
in this moment,
to be included
00:17:51.300 --> 00:17:54.033
in this space
of coming together.
00:17:54.033 --> 00:17:56.667
[All singing same note]
00:18:01.300 --> 00:18:02.633
[Singing stops]
00:18:05.167 --> 00:18:07.067
Charles: So the idea--yeah.
00:18:07.067 --> 00:18:09.633
[Cheering]
00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:17.433
One word in either English
or Spanish that says
00:18:17.433 --> 00:18:21.000
how you felt
while you were singing.
00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:23.967
Man: Empowering.
Man two: Togetherness.
00:18:23.967 --> 00:18:26.000
Togetherness?
What was yours?
00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:27.333
Family.
00:18:27.333 --> 00:18:29.267
Pati: Included because
I'm so grateful.
00:18:29.267 --> 00:18:31.833
Thank you for including me.
I'm a horrible singer...
00:18:31.833 --> 00:18:33.633
[Laughter]
00:18:33.633 --> 00:18:36.067
and I'm not from San Diego
or from Tijuana
00:18:36.067 --> 00:18:37.967
or a gay man, and--
00:18:37.967 --> 00:18:40.133
[Laughter]
00:18:40.133 --> 00:18:41.600
Man: Today, you are.
00:18:41.600 --> 00:18:43.033
You are now
an honorary gay man.
00:18:43.033 --> 00:18:45.567
Come, come.
Give me. Give me.
00:18:45.567 --> 00:18:48.167
Man: Just to hear what
we can do in a few days.
00:18:48.167 --> 00:18:51.267
Can you imagine
if we had a few weeks
or a few months?
00:18:51.267 --> 00:18:53.467
I think we'd be
amazing together,
00:18:53.467 --> 00:18:55.400
so I'm really
looking forward to
00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:58.000
continuing this
and to singing
together again.
00:18:58.000 --> 00:18:59.600
Man two: We could
take over the world.
00:18:59.600 --> 00:19:01.600
[Laughter]
00:19:01.600 --> 00:19:03.333
[Applause]
00:19:03.333 --> 00:19:06.300
[Indistinct chatter]
00:19:07.967 --> 00:19:09.600
Pati, voice-over:
As Charlie said,
00:19:09.600 --> 00:19:12.567
you can't hate someone
you just sang a song with.
00:19:12.567 --> 00:19:16.133
I think the same can be
said for sharing a taco.
00:19:17.067 --> 00:19:19.467
We love to
overcomplicate things,
00:19:19.467 --> 00:19:23.233
but a safe space, music,
and good food can go a long way
00:19:23.233 --> 00:19:24.867
to achieving harmony
00:19:24.867 --> 00:19:27.667
no matter which side
of the border you call home.
00:19:27.667 --> 00:19:29.800
Pati: Who liked the tacos?
Anybody?
00:19:29.800 --> 00:19:32.367
[Cheering]
00:19:33.800 --> 00:19:36.300
Yay!
00:19:40.533 --> 00:19:41.967
Pati, voice-over:
Achieving harmony
00:19:41.967 --> 00:19:43.233
within your palate
00:19:43.233 --> 00:19:44.667
is the mission of one man
00:19:44.667 --> 00:19:46.867
in Mexico's wine country.
00:19:46.867 --> 00:19:51.100
40 miles south of Tijuana
lies the Guadalupe Valley,
00:19:51.100 --> 00:19:55.700
home to more than 100 wineries
along the famed Ruta del Vino.
00:19:58.633 --> 00:20:01.067
[Speaking Spanish]
00:20:02.400 --> 00:20:04.267
Pati, voice-over: Hugo D'Acosta
opened the boutique
00:20:04.267 --> 00:20:07.233
Casa de Piedra in 1997...
00:20:08.767 --> 00:20:13.233
and is known as
the godfather of Mexican wine.
00:20:13.233 --> 00:20:16.467
[Speaking Spanish]
00:20:35.867 --> 00:20:37.367
Uh-huh, uh-huh.
00:20:37.367 --> 00:20:41.267
♪
00:20:41.267 --> 00:20:43.000
Pati, voice-over:
Next door is another
00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:44.533
of Hugo's 4 wineries.
00:20:44.533 --> 00:20:47.400
Aborigen is his more
experimental brand
00:20:47.400 --> 00:20:49.933
that is managed
by his son Lucas.
00:20:49.933 --> 00:20:53.167
[Speaking Spanish]
00:21:07.133 --> 00:21:08.400
Ha ha ha!
00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:10.233
[Indistinct chatter]
00:21:10.233 --> 00:21:11.800
Pati, voice-over:
Experimentation is not only
00:21:11.800 --> 00:21:13.600
to discover unique flavors...
00:21:13.600 --> 00:21:15.267
[Speaking Spanish]
00:21:15.267 --> 00:21:18.500
...but is a way
to prepare for the future.
00:21:18.500 --> 00:21:21.700
The valley's water table
is running dangerously low,
00:21:21.700 --> 00:21:24.967
and Aborigen focuses on
techniques and grapes
00:21:24.967 --> 00:21:28.067
that require less water.
00:21:28.067 --> 00:21:31.300
[Speaking Spanish]
00:21:56.867 --> 00:21:58.600
[Gulls squawking]
00:21:58.600 --> 00:22:00.567
Pati, voice-over: But water
definitely isn't the issue
00:22:00.567 --> 00:22:03.000
for Hugo's latest experiment,
00:22:03.000 --> 00:22:06.000
arguably his most ambitious yet.
00:22:13.933 --> 00:22:17.167
[Speaking Spanish]
00:22:26.133 --> 00:22:27.400
Pati, voice-over:
Yep, that's right,
00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:30.367
aging wines in the ocean.
00:22:33.967 --> 00:22:36.967
Several miles into
the Bay of Ensenada is home
00:22:36.967 --> 00:22:40.667
to one of the oldest mussel
farming operations in Mexico.
00:22:40.667 --> 00:22:44.400
[Indistinct chatter]
00:22:44.400 --> 00:22:46.400
Hugo has partnered
with the farm to create
00:22:46.400 --> 00:22:49.333
a unique underwater pairing.
00:22:49.333 --> 00:22:52.533
The blue barrels mark
the area of the mussel farm.
00:22:52.533 --> 00:22:56.367
Beneath the barrels
are 20-foot lines called socks.
00:22:56.367 --> 00:22:59.800
Each sock holds a bottle
of wine wrapped in mesh
00:22:59.800 --> 00:23:02.700
for the mussels to grow on.
00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:05.767
Winemakers got the idea
after divers found
00:23:05.767 --> 00:23:10.000
wine bottles covered in mussels
in the wreck of the Titanic.
00:23:11.800 --> 00:23:15.567
In some ways, the ocean is
a winemaker's dream--
00:23:15.567 --> 00:23:19.633
low temperature
and no light like a cave.
00:23:19.633 --> 00:23:21.333
Pati: Aging the wine
00:23:21.333 --> 00:23:23.600
and waiting
for the mussels to grow
00:23:23.600 --> 00:23:25.433
to be at
the right time to eat...
00:23:25.433 --> 00:23:26.533
Exactly.
00:23:26.533 --> 00:23:28.233
They don't
necessarily match.
00:23:28.233 --> 00:23:30.667
Hugo: We are working
with the different dates...
00:23:30.667 --> 00:23:32.133
Pati: Uh-huh.
00:23:32.133 --> 00:23:34.333
Hugo: to put the bottles,
different seasons
00:23:34.333 --> 00:23:36.767
to find out which one
is the best for the wine
00:23:36.767 --> 00:23:39.167
and which one is the best
for the mussels.
00:23:39.167 --> 00:23:41.667
Man: For the camera.
Ha ha ha!
00:23:41.667 --> 00:23:44.100
Hey. Let's go. Bueno.
00:23:46.933 --> 00:23:49.233
Pati, voice-over:
It's Alberto's job to retrieve
00:23:49.233 --> 00:23:51.267
the bottles that have
aged underwater
00:23:51.267 --> 00:23:54.967
anywhere from 6 months
to 2 years.
00:23:54.967 --> 00:23:57.400
[Speaking Spanish]
00:23:57.400 --> 00:23:59.300
Wow!
00:24:02.167 --> 00:24:05.433
[Speaking Spanish]
00:24:09.133 --> 00:24:10.267
Ah, OK.
00:24:10.267 --> 00:24:12.467
[Speaking Spanish]
00:24:12.467 --> 00:24:14.467
It's been aging for,
like, two years.
00:24:19.567 --> 00:24:21.433
Oh. OK.
00:24:24.433 --> 00:24:25.767
OK.
00:24:25.767 --> 00:24:27.933
Pati, voice-over:
An experiment like this requires
00:24:27.933 --> 00:24:29.667
a lot of trial and error to find
00:24:29.667 --> 00:24:33.133
the perfect balance
of wine and mussel.
00:24:33.133 --> 00:24:34.867
Pati: Look at that
one over there.
00:24:34.867 --> 00:24:37.600
[Speaking Spanish]
00:24:50.300 --> 00:24:52.633
Pati, voice-over:
Villa Torel is a popular spot
00:24:52.633 --> 00:24:55.400
in Guadalupe Valley
and was recently named
00:24:55.400 --> 00:24:57.900
a top 50 Latin American
restaurant.
00:24:57.900 --> 00:24:59.967
Chef Alfredo Villanueva
00:24:59.967 --> 00:25:01.300
has the honor of turning
00:25:01.300 --> 00:25:03.767
these mussels into a meal.
00:25:03.767 --> 00:25:05.167
[Speaking Spanish]
00:25:05.167 --> 00:25:07.400
What's your plan?
00:25:07.400 --> 00:25:12.133
Alfredo: Cook with garlic
and--and, uh--and wine.
00:25:12.133 --> 00:25:14.567
Pati: How long was
this in the ocean?
Do you remember?
00:25:14.567 --> 00:25:19.300
Lucas: This one was, like,
probably, like, 8 to 10
months probably.
00:25:24.733 --> 00:25:26.467
Pati, voice-over: Think
about your favorite
00:25:26.467 --> 00:25:28.633
dry white wine, crisp, airy,
00:25:28.633 --> 00:25:31.867
yet brushed with a briny
taste of an ocean wave.
00:25:31.867 --> 00:25:37.033
[Speaking Spanish]
00:25:37.033 --> 00:25:39.133
Pati, voice-over: A recurring
theme I've encountered
00:25:39.133 --> 00:25:41.133
throughout the borderlands
is a culture
00:25:41.133 --> 00:25:44.300
of creativity
and the bravery to explore.
00:25:45.433 --> 00:25:49.867
For Hugo, that means
turning water into wine.
00:25:49.867 --> 00:25:53.400
[Speaking Spanish]
00:26:07.367 --> 00:26:10.600
[Speaking Spanish]
00:26:10.600 --> 00:26:12.267
Pati, voice-over: Culinary
invention is
00:26:12.267 --> 00:26:14.333
a hallmark
of Baja California.
00:26:14.333 --> 00:26:17.200
[Speaking Spanish]
00:26:17.200 --> 00:26:19.000
Pati, voice-over: In fact...
00:26:20.467 --> 00:26:22.833
there's a dish
I bet you've heard of
00:26:22.833 --> 00:26:26.133
that was invented here
almost 100 years ago.
00:26:26.133 --> 00:26:28.767
During Prohibition,
Americans poured
00:26:28.767 --> 00:26:31.867
over the border
to the boomtown of Tijuana.
00:26:31.867 --> 00:26:33.200
Some famous...
00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:35.600
[Speaking Spanish]
00:26:35.600 --> 00:26:37.800
...and others
who would soon be famous
00:26:37.800 --> 00:26:42.267
like Italian immigrant
Caesar Cardini.
00:26:42.267 --> 00:26:44.667
This was his restaurant,
the birthplace
00:26:44.667 --> 00:26:48.367
of arguably the most
famous dish on the planet.
00:26:48.367 --> 00:26:50.300
That Caesar salad
was actually...
00:26:50.300 --> 00:26:52.133
Created in Tijuana.
created in Tijuana.
00:26:52.133 --> 00:26:53.367
Yes.
00:26:53.367 --> 00:26:55.133
Did you know that?
I did know that.
00:26:55.133 --> 00:26:57.367
Proudly Mexican.
Yes.
00:26:57.367 --> 00:26:59.300
Pati, voice-over: Caesar's
is now owned by the family
00:26:59.300 --> 00:27:02.600
of the chef credited
with creating Baja cuisine
00:27:02.600 --> 00:27:04.933
Javier Plascencia,
but his family
00:27:04.933 --> 00:27:07.267
was there from the start.
00:27:07.267 --> 00:27:08.667
Javier: My grandpa,
00:27:08.667 --> 00:27:10.133
my father's father,
00:27:10.133 --> 00:27:12.133
he used to be a cantinero,
00:27:12.133 --> 00:27:13.900
a bartender at Caesar's...
00:27:13.900 --> 00:27:15.500
Ah!
00:27:15.500 --> 00:27:19.733
and my grandma, uh, used--
from my mom's used to work
00:27:19.733 --> 00:27:22.900
at a perfume shop
next door to Caesar's,
00:27:22.900 --> 00:27:24.700
so we have a lot
of history.
00:27:24.700 --> 00:27:26.467
Pati, voice-over:
Named after the owner,
00:27:26.467 --> 00:27:29.300
the dish is often wrongly
credited to Cardini.
00:27:29.300 --> 00:27:31.267
Pati: That's the man,
the myth, the legend,
00:27:31.267 --> 00:27:33.133
but he didn't come up
with the salad.
00:27:33.133 --> 00:27:34.300
It was...
00:27:34.300 --> 00:27:35.567
Livio Santini.
Livio.
00:27:35.567 --> 00:27:36.900
His cook.
00:27:36.900 --> 00:27:38.400
Like, this is
Livio Santini.
00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:39.933
This is his original
picture from 1924.
00:27:39.933 --> 00:27:41.700
That's when he came here.
00:27:41.700 --> 00:27:42.833
He was a cook,
00:27:42.833 --> 00:27:44.300
and he was the guy who
00:27:44.300 --> 00:27:47.067
actually invented
the Caesar salad.
00:27:47.067 --> 00:27:50.267
Pati, voice-over: As legend
has it, Caesar asked Livio
00:27:50.267 --> 00:27:52.867
for a salad, who threw
together a little something
00:27:52.867 --> 00:27:55.533
with the ingredients
he had lying around.
00:27:55.533 --> 00:27:57.433
Because they were very poor
back in Italy,
00:27:57.433 --> 00:27:59.400
so they had stale bread
for the croutons.
00:27:59.400 --> 00:28:02.500
They had, of course
Parmesan cheese, olive oil,
00:28:02.500 --> 00:28:03.967
so that's what their mom
used to make
00:28:03.967 --> 00:28:05.267
for them
when they were kids.
00:28:05.267 --> 00:28:06.567
OK.
So he was...
00:28:06.567 --> 00:28:08.233
for the cook that
was in the kitchen.
00:28:08.233 --> 00:28:09.833
For the cook that
was in the kitchen.
00:28:09.833 --> 00:28:11.567
Pati, voice-over: Caesar
was eating in his usual spot
00:28:11.567 --> 00:28:13.100
spot at the front
of the house when a customer saw
00:28:13.100 --> 00:28:14.933
it and asked for a taste.
00:28:14.933 --> 00:28:18.400
Overwhelmed, she immediately
asked him to make her one, too.
00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:22.233
Caesar, a bit of a showman,
knew what to do next.
00:28:22.233 --> 00:28:24.133
And he was a tall,
handsome Italian guy.
00:28:24.133 --> 00:28:25.867
He started making
it tableside.
00:28:25.867 --> 00:28:28.867
Pati, voice-over: And every
Caesar salad has been made
00:28:28.867 --> 00:28:30.733
tableside since,
00:28:30.733 --> 00:28:34.867
but no man has made more salads
at Caesar's than Efrain,
00:28:34.867 --> 00:28:37.033
a salad-making hero.
00:28:37.033 --> 00:28:40.267
[Speaking Spanish]
00:28:40.267 --> 00:28:41.867
Salad maker for 29 years.
00:28:41.867 --> 00:28:43.167
[Speaking Spanish]
00:28:43.167 --> 00:28:45.133
That's his profession.
Whoa!
00:28:45.133 --> 00:28:48.433
[Speaking Spanish]
00:28:50.600 --> 00:28:51.800
So you're gonna...
00:28:51.800 --> 00:28:54.600
[Speaking Spanish]
00:28:54.600 --> 00:28:56.733
Pati, voice-over:
The ingredients are simple.
00:28:56.733 --> 00:28:59.000
[Speaking Spanish]
00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:00.500
Javier: Now the hard part.
00:29:00.500 --> 00:29:01.933
The tricky part--not hard.
It's just tricky.
00:29:01.933 --> 00:29:03.867
The egg.
00:29:03.867 --> 00:29:05.467
Heh heh heh.
Ha ha ha!
00:29:05.467 --> 00:29:06.933
You're laughing
already, right?
00:29:06.933 --> 00:29:09.667
I'm making fun of you.
Ha ha ha!
00:29:09.667 --> 00:29:12.333
I'm gonna get it just
to prove you wrong, OK?
00:29:12.333 --> 00:29:14.067
This egg has been
coddled already
00:29:14.067 --> 00:29:17.000
for a couple of minutes
just to get any bacteria out.
00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:19.267
[Speaking Spanish]
00:29:21.800 --> 00:29:23.600
Javier: So we want to
use the egg yolk.
00:29:23.600 --> 00:29:25.433
I know you're not gonna--
He's already laughing!
00:29:25.433 --> 00:29:28.000
He knows I'm
a messy cook. OK.
00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:31.267
[Speaking Spanish]
00:29:35.367 --> 00:29:37.867
Javier: There you go.
00:29:37.867 --> 00:29:41.067
[Speaking Spanish]
00:29:42.700 --> 00:29:44.367
Javier: You can't use your
hands at the table, Pati.
00:29:44.367 --> 00:29:49.267
Oh! Oh! Ha ha ha!
Oh. Here.
00:29:49.267 --> 00:29:50.967
Javier: He did it
like--like that.
00:29:50.967 --> 00:29:52.267
Beautiful.
And that's it.
00:29:52.267 --> 00:29:53.467
That's good.
00:29:53.467 --> 00:29:55.267
Good job, Pati.
Pati: OK.
00:29:55.267 --> 00:29:56.967
I like this lime squeezer.
00:29:56.967 --> 00:29:58.533
Javier: There you go.
00:29:58.533 --> 00:30:01.867
So the juice will go
over the egg yolk.
00:30:01.867 --> 00:30:03.067
[Speaking Spanish]
00:30:03.067 --> 00:30:04.500
Worcestershire-shire-shire.
00:30:04.500 --> 00:30:05.767
Javier:
Worcestershire-shire-shire.
00:30:05.767 --> 00:30:06.933
I can never pronounce it.
00:30:06.933 --> 00:30:09.167
Pati: Me either.
Ha ha ha!
00:30:09.167 --> 00:30:11.000
Beautiful.
It smells nice.
00:30:11.000 --> 00:30:13.500
Pati: It smells
really nice.
00:30:15.767 --> 00:30:18.067
Ha ha ha!
00:30:18.067 --> 00:30:19.733
So we never wash
these bowls.
00:30:19.733 --> 00:30:22.567
We only clean them because
they have that flavor.
00:30:22.567 --> 00:30:26.600
They're probably more
than 20-something years old.
00:30:26.600 --> 00:30:29.633
[Speaking Spanish]
00:30:31.467 --> 00:30:32.567
Mmm!
00:30:32.567 --> 00:30:34.167
[Speaking Spanish]
00:30:34.167 --> 00:30:36.167
Javier: OK. So you just
go very gently
00:30:36.167 --> 00:30:39.233
and make sure all
the salad is covered.
00:30:39.233 --> 00:30:42.133
One of the things that you
probably didn't know
00:30:42.133 --> 00:30:44.400
is that the original way
to eat the salad
00:30:44.400 --> 00:30:45.633
is with your hands.
00:30:45.633 --> 00:30:47.133
Aha.
OK?
00:30:47.133 --> 00:30:49.267
I love eating
with my hands.
00:30:49.267 --> 00:30:51.000
Javier: I like my croutons
to be covered
00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:52.733
in the same dressing.
00:30:52.733 --> 00:30:54.100
Sauce.
00:30:54.100 --> 00:30:57.433
It is my first time
eating a Caesar's
00:30:57.433 --> 00:30:59.900
in the place where
the Caesar's originated.
00:30:59.900 --> 00:31:02.800
And now we give it another
shower of the cheese.
00:31:02.800 --> 00:31:05.100
Pati: Sí.
Shower, shower.
00:31:07.800 --> 00:31:10.567
Oh, beautiful.
00:31:10.567 --> 00:31:15.733
And this is the original
Tijuana style Caesar salad.
00:31:15.733 --> 00:31:17.267
Pati: Wow!
00:31:17.267 --> 00:31:20.300
I'll try--Efrain's.
You can try his.
00:31:20.300 --> 00:31:21.900
I'm going to
try yours first.
00:31:21.900 --> 00:31:23.967
[Speaking Spanish]
00:31:25.567 --> 00:31:29.333
Mmm! Mmm! Mmm!
00:31:29.333 --> 00:31:32.100
Javier: Wow.
Mmm!
00:31:32.100 --> 00:31:35.233
The most revealing thing
is his face of pride.
00:31:35.233 --> 00:31:36.733
He knows it's good.
00:31:36.733 --> 00:31:38.467
[Speaking Spanish]
00:31:38.467 --> 00:31:41.600
I've had many salads,
and I think, like, yours
00:31:41.600 --> 00:31:43.267
is--it's a top.
00:31:43.267 --> 00:31:45.200
It's because we added
more anchovies, I think.
00:31:45.200 --> 00:31:47.067
Mmm!
It's amazing.
00:31:47.067 --> 00:31:49.767
I really like mine,
but I like yours better.
00:31:49.767 --> 00:31:51.067
Javier: Ha ha ha!
00:31:51.067 --> 00:31:52.433
Pati: I do.
00:31:52.433 --> 00:31:53.967
So this is a perfect dish.
00:31:53.967 --> 00:31:55.600
You see it all over
the world,
00:31:55.600 --> 00:31:57.067
all the hotels,
00:31:57.067 --> 00:31:59.167
but I've never had
a Caesar salad
00:31:59.167 --> 00:32:00.733
like you have it here
because--
00:32:00.733 --> 00:32:02.100
I don't know what it is.
00:32:02.100 --> 00:32:03.667
It's something
in the air,
00:32:03.667 --> 00:32:05.767
something about
the restaurant, the history,
00:32:05.767 --> 00:32:07.700
these bowls, his hands.
00:32:07.700 --> 00:32:09.400
It's just very special.
00:32:13.500 --> 00:32:15.300
Pati, voice-over:
Tijuana might hold the title
00:32:15.300 --> 00:32:18.367
of world's most famous salad,
but it's also home
00:32:18.367 --> 00:32:21.200
to another world title holder.
00:32:23.700 --> 00:32:26.567
Jackie Nava is
a lot like most moms...
00:32:26.567 --> 00:32:28.000
Ha ha ha!
00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:33.000
making flapjacks
and going to work,
00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:34.800
but when she gets
to her day job,
00:32:34.800 --> 00:32:38.433
staying on top of her
punch list is a dogfight.
00:32:38.433 --> 00:32:43.633
♪
00:32:43.633 --> 00:32:45.000
[Bell rings]
00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:51.200
♪
00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:52.433
Pati voiceover: Jackie
is Tijuana's
00:32:52.433 --> 00:32:54.400
explosive featherweight warrior
00:32:54.400 --> 00:32:56.667
inside and outside the ring.
00:32:56.667 --> 00:33:00.467
She is a former world champion
in two weight classes,
00:33:00.467 --> 00:33:02.267
has served as a representative
00:33:02.267 --> 00:33:05.133
for the state
of Baja California,
00:33:05.133 --> 00:33:08.600
and is a mother
of two beautiful girls.
00:33:08.600 --> 00:33:11.133
[Speaking Spanish]
00:33:11.133 --> 00:33:13.867
Pati, voice-over: Today, Jackie
is showing me the ropes...
00:33:13.867 --> 00:33:16.433
[Speaking Spanish]
00:33:22.233 --> 00:33:23.867
Pati, voice-over:
and I'm liking this
00:33:23.867 --> 00:33:26.233
maybe a little too much.
00:33:26.233 --> 00:33:31.033
[Speaking Spanish]
00:33:31.033 --> 00:33:34.200
I already really feel,
like, so empowered,
00:33:34.200 --> 00:33:37.000
and I want to stay here
in Tijuana and become a boxer.
00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:38.767
♪
00:33:38.767 --> 00:33:39.867
[Crowd cheering]
00:33:39.867 --> 00:33:41.000
[Bell rings]
00:33:41.000 --> 00:33:42.500
Ha ha ha!
00:33:42.500 --> 00:33:45.400
Until I get that first
punch in my face probably.
00:33:46.633 --> 00:33:48.367
Pati, voice-over:
Women's boxing dates back
00:33:48.367 --> 00:33:50.633
to at least the early
18th century
00:33:50.633 --> 00:33:54.267
when Elizabeth Wilkinson fought
men and women in London
00:33:54.267 --> 00:33:57.367
and proclaimed herself
champion of Europe,
00:33:57.367 --> 00:34:00.467
but even with a rich
history, on average,
00:34:00.467 --> 00:34:05.133
women are paid about 70% less
than their male counterparts...
00:34:07.133 --> 00:34:09.867
but that didn't stop Jackie.
00:34:09.867 --> 00:34:13.267
At 16, Jackie's
kickboxing coach saw her talent
00:34:13.267 --> 00:34:16.633
and put her in the ring
for the first time.
00:34:16.633 --> 00:34:19.233
[Speaking Spanish]
00:35:24.533 --> 00:35:26.500
[Sizzling]
00:35:26.500 --> 00:35:29.733
♪
00:35:29.733 --> 00:35:33.167
[Speaking Spanish]
00:35:40.267 --> 00:35:41.633
Pati, voice over:
Fernando Beltran is
00:35:41.633 --> 00:35:44.200
Jackie's promoter
and has represented
00:35:44.200 --> 00:35:46.733
some of the biggest names
in boxing like
00:35:46.733 --> 00:35:50.533
Julio César Chavez
and Erik "Terrible" Morales.
00:35:52.500 --> 00:35:57.100
Mariscos El Ángel is his
favorite food spot in Tijuana,
00:35:57.100 --> 00:35:58.867
and it's in the neighborhood
where he got
00:35:58.867 --> 00:36:00.867
his start in the eighties.
00:36:00.867 --> 00:36:04.633
♪
00:36:04.633 --> 00:36:08.267
[Speaking Spanish]
00:36:15.733 --> 00:36:17.433
[Crunching]
00:36:17.433 --> 00:36:18.867
Mmm.
00:36:18.867 --> 00:36:20.667
Mmm!
00:36:20.667 --> 00:36:24.233
[Speaking Spanish]
00:36:39.067 --> 00:36:40.500
Pati, voice-over:
Fernando says that boxers
00:36:40.500 --> 00:36:42.100
at the border carry
unique traits
00:36:42.100 --> 00:36:44.800
found nowhere else
in the world.
00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:48.500
[Speaking Spanish]
00:37:37.933 --> 00:37:39.267
Ah.
00:37:39.267 --> 00:37:42.200
[Speaking Spanish]
00:37:47.133 --> 00:37:48.800
Pati, voice-over:
Viewership is the key
00:37:48.800 --> 00:37:51.467
to paying women more,
and although Jackie retired
00:37:51.467 --> 00:37:55.333
in 2022, her legendary
career and persistence
00:37:55.333 --> 00:37:57.400
through adversity has
brought a spotlight
00:37:57.400 --> 00:37:59.600
to the sport that is
opening doors
00:37:59.600 --> 00:38:03.633
for the next generation
of female boxers.
00:38:03.633 --> 00:38:06.667
[Speaking Spanish]
00:38:37.433 --> 00:38:39.700
Pati, voice over:
The world sees a champion.
00:38:39.700 --> 00:38:42.300
Her kids just see Mom.
00:38:42.300 --> 00:38:45.667
[Speaking Spanish]
00:39:01.733 --> 00:39:04.233
Pati, voice over: From
one powerful mother in Tijuana,
00:39:04.233 --> 00:39:07.267
who fights with her fists,
to another in San Diego,
00:39:07.267 --> 00:39:09.133
who fights with her heart.
00:39:09.133 --> 00:39:10.400
[Speaking Spanish]
00:39:10.400 --> 00:39:12.233
Olivia Romero
hasn't won medals
00:39:12.233 --> 00:39:13.733
or invented something new.
00:39:13.733 --> 00:39:15.700
She is simply a fronteriza
who has taken
00:39:15.700 --> 00:39:19.467
the best of both worlds
to raise an incredible family.
00:39:19.467 --> 00:39:22.167
She went from being
an assistant in Tijuana
00:39:22.167 --> 00:39:24.133
to running
the accounting department
00:39:24.133 --> 00:39:27.900
of a multinational company
in San Diego...
00:39:27.900 --> 00:39:29.600
[Speaking Spanish]
00:39:29.600 --> 00:39:31.233
Pati, voice-over: while
commuting across the border
00:39:31.233 --> 00:39:33.667
every day
and single parenting 5 kids
00:39:33.667 --> 00:39:36.333
after being abandoned
by her husband...
00:39:36.333 --> 00:39:39.100
[Speaking Spanish]
00:39:44.967 --> 00:39:47.333
Pati, voice over: who include
a chef turned entrepreneur,
00:39:47.333 --> 00:39:51.233
a PR executive,
and 3 scientists.
00:39:51.233 --> 00:39:52.300
We're shopping
00:39:52.300 --> 00:39:53.500
for dinner tonight,
00:39:53.500 --> 00:39:54.833
where I get to meet her family
00:39:54.833 --> 00:39:55.967
of true fronterizos,
00:39:55.967 --> 00:39:57.267
who've managed to thrive
00:39:57.267 --> 00:39:58.900
in this in-between space
00:39:58.900 --> 00:40:01.000
we call La Frontera.
00:40:01.000 --> 00:40:03.233
[Speaking Spanish]
00:40:08.933 --> 00:40:12.100
Pati, voice over: I don't
think it's that simple,
00:40:12.100 --> 00:40:15.367
but at her home, I'm going
to do a little more digging
00:40:15.367 --> 00:40:18.133
if I can keep
everybody straight.
00:40:18.133 --> 00:40:20.467
Pati: So, Oli, then...
00:40:20.467 --> 00:40:22.767
Lizzie.
Lizzie. Where's Lizzie?
00:40:22.767 --> 00:40:26.333
Pati, voice-over: Lizelda is
a camera-shy PR executive.
00:40:26.333 --> 00:40:28.667
And then?
Melina.
00:40:28.667 --> 00:40:30.300
Pati, voice-over:
Melina is a former chef
00:40:30.300 --> 00:40:32.333
turned entrepreneur.
00:40:32.333 --> 00:40:34.400
[Speaking Spanish]
00:40:34.400 --> 00:40:35.933
Pati, voice over: Romina is
an environmental scientist
00:40:35.933 --> 00:40:37.633
with San Diego County.
00:40:37.633 --> 00:40:40.167
So what I do is I monitor
the beaches in San Diego
00:40:40.167 --> 00:40:42.500
for contamination,
and if they're contaminated,
00:40:42.500 --> 00:40:45.300
I notify the public
so they don't swim in it.
00:40:45.300 --> 00:40:47.200
Pati: That seems
very important.
00:40:47.200 --> 00:40:48.833
What do you deal with?
00:40:48.833 --> 00:40:50.633
Pati, voice-over: Enrique's
job is confidential,
00:40:50.633 --> 00:40:53.100
but he's, like, super good
with space thingies.
00:40:53.100 --> 00:40:56.400
I send satellites
into space
00:40:56.400 --> 00:40:59.433
and then use them
for communication.
00:40:59.433 --> 00:41:02.500
Wow! So it has to do
with what you do
00:41:02.500 --> 00:41:04.000
because you're
testing materials
00:41:04.000 --> 00:41:05.167
to be used in space maybe.
00:41:05.167 --> 00:41:06.867
Sure, sure.
Yeah.
00:41:06.867 --> 00:41:08.333
Sure.
Ha ha ha!
00:41:08.333 --> 00:41:10.400
Pati, voice-over:
And lastly, Olivia Greave,
00:41:10.400 --> 00:41:12.133
who is making
our dinner tonight,
00:41:12.133 --> 00:41:14.633
also works with space materials.
00:41:16.400 --> 00:41:18.867
In fact, she's so good,
she was named
00:41:18.867 --> 00:41:22.600
by "Forbes Mexico" as one
of the 100 most powerful women
00:41:22.600 --> 00:41:26.400
in Mexico,
but how's her picadillo?
00:41:26.400 --> 00:41:29.633
Oli: We're
gonna add about 5 cups
00:41:29.633 --> 00:41:34.300
of kind of coarsely
ground tomatoes. Yes.
00:41:34.300 --> 00:41:36.200
Pati, voice-over: On the menu
is Olivia's
00:41:36.200 --> 00:41:38.333
green bean casserole,
cheese soup,
00:41:38.333 --> 00:41:40.100
and picadillo sopes.
00:41:40.100 --> 00:41:43.633
[Speaking Spanish]
00:41:52.200 --> 00:41:54.133
Pati: This is so good!
00:41:54.133 --> 00:41:57.367
[Speaking Spanish]
00:41:59.333 --> 00:42:00.933
Hola.
00:42:00.933 --> 00:42:03.667
Hola.
00:42:03.667 --> 00:42:05.600
Pati: I really
feel at home.
00:42:05.600 --> 00:42:07.733
It feels, like, so
00:42:07.733 --> 00:42:09.267
Mexican in America,
00:42:09.267 --> 00:42:12.533
like, in every
possible way.
00:42:12.533 --> 00:42:14.900
All: Salud.
00:42:14.900 --> 00:42:16.600
Cheers!
00:42:19.167 --> 00:42:20.667
Pati: And, Oli,
you were telling me
00:42:20.667 --> 00:42:23.533
so much about
how your family
00:42:23.533 --> 00:42:26.333
has this story
of back and forth.
00:42:26.333 --> 00:42:28.233
Your dad is
from San Diego,
00:42:28.233 --> 00:42:30.133
and your mom is
rom Tijuana,
00:42:30.133 --> 00:42:32.133
and you have so,
so much family
00:42:32.133 --> 00:42:34.967
from so many generations
in the region.
00:42:34.967 --> 00:42:38.300
In both sides
of the border. Yes.
00:42:38.300 --> 00:42:40.367
Pati, voice-over: Olivia's
family members have been
00:42:40.367 --> 00:42:43.167
fronterizos
or borderlanders straddling
00:42:43.167 --> 00:42:47.167
both sides
for multiple generations.
00:42:47.167 --> 00:42:48.900
What does fronterizo
mean to you?
00:42:48.900 --> 00:42:52.267
Romina: It means that
we're always straddling
that border.
00:42:52.267 --> 00:42:53.900
We're not 100% Mexican.
00:42:53.900 --> 00:42:55.500
We're not 100%--sorry.
00:42:55.500 --> 00:42:57.033
I'm holding
a baby, so I need...
00:42:57.033 --> 00:42:58.600
Pati: It's good.
It's rocking me.
00:42:58.600 --> 00:43:00.133
It's rocking me.
It's nice, it's nice.
00:43:00.133 --> 00:43:01.700
Romina: I need to rock.
I need to rock.
00:43:01.700 --> 00:43:03.200
We're taking the best from
both cultures and merging it
00:43:03.200 --> 00:43:04.867
into our own,
and I think that's
00:43:04.867 --> 00:43:06.233
what fronterizo means.
00:43:06.233 --> 00:43:07.967
We're a little bit of both.
00:43:07.967 --> 00:43:10.200
You know, what's the best
thing about San Diego? Tijuana?
00:43:10.200 --> 00:43:12.600
What's the best thing
about Tijuana? San Diego.
00:43:12.600 --> 00:43:14.300
Oh, that is amazing!
00:43:14.300 --> 00:43:15.733
Pati, voice-over: Utilizing
the best of both worlds
00:43:15.733 --> 00:43:18.333
is what allowed Olivia Romero
to climb
00:43:18.333 --> 00:43:20.900
the corporate ladder
in the U.S. while living
00:43:20.900 --> 00:43:22.533
with her family in Tijuana.
00:43:22.533 --> 00:43:25.133
Romina: She was raised in
a time where you got married,
00:43:25.133 --> 00:43:28.000
you had kids, you had
a--you were a housewife,
00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:30.800
and that was
your role, right?
00:43:30.800 --> 00:43:34.000
But then she did that,
and then she got divorced,
00:43:34.000 --> 00:43:35.233
and she looked around
and said,
00:43:35.233 --> 00:43:36.867
"Well, this didn't
work for me.
00:43:36.867 --> 00:43:38.567
Let's make it work."
00:43:38.567 --> 00:43:41.400
So she turned around
and became an executive.
00:43:41.400 --> 00:43:43.367
She went back to work,
and at the end,
00:43:43.367 --> 00:43:47.100
she was managing a company
with, like, 3,000 employees.
00:43:47.100 --> 00:43:51.000
So that model that she was
raised in, in a box,
00:43:51.000 --> 00:43:53.800
she blew it open,
so we wouldn't be
00:43:53.800 --> 00:43:57.500
where we were if she
would have stayed
within that box.
00:43:57.500 --> 00:43:59.567
Like, "OK, well, if
she did it, I can do it."
00:43:59.567 --> 00:44:02.500
Pati: Quique, What do
you think pushed you,
00:44:02.500 --> 00:44:06.033
like, propelled you
to do--to do science
00:44:06.033 --> 00:44:07.933
and to study
so much and to be
00:44:07.933 --> 00:44:09.800
in the field
that you are?
00:44:09.800 --> 00:44:14.400
I think the reason, um,
that I was able to achieve
00:44:14.400 --> 00:44:17.233
what I've achieved
so far
00:44:17.233 --> 00:44:21.100
is, um, a collection
of moments.
00:44:21.100 --> 00:44:25.600
Gangs, drugs--I was
surrounded by it every day,
00:44:25.600 --> 00:44:29.500
and a lot of my friends
fell to that,
00:44:29.500 --> 00:44:31.533
but I didn't,
and the things
00:44:31.533 --> 00:44:34.200
that make you
make the right choices
00:44:34.200 --> 00:44:37.733
are your strong
family values
00:44:37.733 --> 00:44:41.267
and, um, that foundation,
00:44:41.267 --> 00:44:43.400
but it all started
with my mom.
00:44:43.400 --> 00:44:45.867
Everybody in my family
will tell you that
00:44:45.867 --> 00:44:49.133
my mom did
almost the impossible
00:44:49.133 --> 00:44:51.400
to raise 5 kids by herself,
00:44:51.400 --> 00:44:55.800
and I'm very proud
to have the mom that I have.
00:44:55.800 --> 00:44:58.800
[Speaking Spanish]
00:44:58.800 --> 00:45:00.067
Cheers to mom.
00:45:00.067 --> 00:45:01.700
Pati: You're so blessed.
00:45:01.700 --> 00:45:03.533
Olivia: Yes, I'm blessed.
00:45:03.533 --> 00:45:06.300
I don't know how
this happened,
00:45:06.300 --> 00:45:07.667
but I'm so happy.
00:45:07.667 --> 00:45:09.133
Thank you for opening
your home
00:45:09.133 --> 00:45:10.467
and your stories.
00:45:10.467 --> 00:45:11.900
Thank you.
No, thank you.
00:45:11.900 --> 00:45:13.500
Thank you.
00:45:13.500 --> 00:45:15.033
All: Salud.
00:45:15.033 --> 00:45:16.633
Pati, voice-over:
Olivia and her family are
00:45:16.633 --> 00:45:18.833
a good reminder that family
doesn't have to be
00:45:18.833 --> 00:45:21.133
as perfect as this little guy.
00:45:21.133 --> 00:45:24.233
Oh, my gosh!
He's talking to me.
00:45:24.233 --> 00:45:25.800
[Speaking Spanish]
00:45:25.800 --> 00:45:28.000
Pati, voice-over: It just
needs love and hard work.
00:45:28.000 --> 00:45:29.633
Really?
00:45:29.633 --> 00:45:31.867
Pati, voice-over:
Fronterizos like Olivia
00:45:31.867 --> 00:45:34.933
have the best of both worlds,
00:45:34.933 --> 00:45:36.667
but what about the best of 3?
00:45:36.667 --> 00:45:39.400
That is the experience
of those who have migrated
00:45:39.400 --> 00:45:41.333
to the borderlands
from a country
00:45:41.333 --> 00:45:44.433
that is neither the U.S.
or Mexico.
00:45:44.433 --> 00:45:47.267
Mexicali has the largest
Chinatown in Mexico,
00:45:47.267 --> 00:45:49.733
known as La Chinesca.
00:45:49.733 --> 00:45:52.267
On the surface are
pagodas, shops,
00:45:52.267 --> 00:45:54.933
and more than 200 Chinese
restaurants,
00:45:54.933 --> 00:45:58.100
but below the surface,
there's a series of tunnels
00:45:58.100 --> 00:46:00.733
connecting basements that
hold the secrets
00:46:00.733 --> 00:46:05.033
of the people who for decades
lived in an underground world.
00:46:05.033 --> 00:46:08.400
[Speaking Spanish]
00:46:09.967 --> 00:46:12.400
Pati, voice-over: My guide
is Rubén Hernandez Chin,
00:46:12.400 --> 00:46:15.000
a local merchant
of Chinese Mexican descent
00:46:15.000 --> 00:46:17.067
who owns some
of these basements
00:46:17.067 --> 00:46:19.200
and is helping to
revitalize La Chinesca
00:46:19.200 --> 00:46:21.100
to bring the stories to life.
00:46:21.100 --> 00:46:23.367
[Speaking Spanish]
00:46:53.533 --> 00:46:55.400
Pati, voice over: Marco Miranda
is one of the artists
00:46:55.400 --> 00:46:58.133
who helped transform
this alley in 2020
00:46:58.133 --> 00:47:01.600
into what is now
the heart of La Chinesca.
00:47:01.600 --> 00:47:04.700
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:40.100 --> 00:47:41.767
Pati, voice over:
The Chinese began arriving
00:47:41.767 --> 00:47:43.533
in Mexicali in 1903.
00:47:43.533 --> 00:47:46.333
Millions had come to
the U.S. for the gold rush,
00:47:46.333 --> 00:47:48.600
the promise of higher wages
on railroads,
00:47:48.600 --> 00:47:51.567
and the allure
of American freedom,
00:47:51.567 --> 00:47:54.000
but in a time of deepening
economic instability
00:47:54.000 --> 00:47:58.767
and civil war, white resentment
was burning at an all-time high.
00:47:58.767 --> 00:48:00.800
Malicious hate crimes
and eventually
00:48:00.800 --> 00:48:06.000
the Chinese Exclusion Act caused
many to try to find a new home.
00:48:06.000 --> 00:48:08.300
[Speaking Spanish]
00:48:59.967 --> 00:49:02.400
Pati, voice-over: The network
of more than 40 basements
00:49:02.400 --> 00:49:05.033
were used for everything
from dormitories
00:49:05.033 --> 00:49:07.800
to gambling rooms
and opioid dens.
00:49:07.800 --> 00:49:10.733
In the 1920s,
neighboring Mexican states
00:49:10.733 --> 00:49:13.600
began to violently expel
the Chinese,
00:49:13.600 --> 00:49:16.367
and Mexicali became
a sanctuary.
00:49:16.367 --> 00:49:18.967
[Speaking Spanish]
00:49:44.867 --> 00:49:46.800
Pati, voice over:
The last known inhabitants left
00:49:46.800 --> 00:49:50.600
in the 1970s due to disrepair
and frequent flooding,
00:49:50.600 --> 00:49:53.200
so Rubén has reimagined
the underground
00:49:53.200 --> 00:49:56.633
with his own props
to educate tourists.
00:49:56.633 --> 00:50:00.200
[Speaking Spanish]
00:50:11.400 --> 00:50:13.167
Pati, voice over:
Today, the migratory flow
00:50:13.167 --> 00:50:14.867
from China has slowed down.
00:50:14.867 --> 00:50:17.700
However, the influence
from the early Chinese
00:50:17.700 --> 00:50:22.100
is everywhere, most notably
in the 200 Chinese restaurants
00:50:22.100 --> 00:50:24.100
throughout the city.
00:50:24.100 --> 00:50:27.267
El Dragón is one
of the oldest in Mexicali.
00:50:27.267 --> 00:50:30.400
Since 1976, they have
offered traditional
00:50:30.400 --> 00:50:33.700
Canton recipes
with Mexican flair.
00:50:33.700 --> 00:50:37.467
Canuto Lim owns the restaurant
with his son Jorge.
00:50:37.467 --> 00:50:40.467
He moved from Canton, China,
when he was 20
00:50:40.467 --> 00:50:42.667
and started working
in restaurants.
00:50:42.667 --> 00:50:46.800
At almost 90,
he hasn't slowed down a bit.
00:50:46.800 --> 00:50:48.133
He's here every day.
00:50:48.133 --> 00:50:51.000
[Speaking Spanish]
00:51:43.867 --> 00:51:45.567
Pati, voice-over: Even though
it's a busy afternoon
00:51:45.567 --> 00:51:47.767
at the restaurant,
Jorge takes the time
00:51:47.767 --> 00:51:50.800
to walk me through
his favorite dishes.
00:51:50.800 --> 00:51:53.333
Pati: Ay. That's the one
I saw in the kitchen.
00:51:53.333 --> 00:51:54.533
You'll like this one.
00:51:54.533 --> 00:51:56.033
It's filled with
shrimp and pork.
00:51:56.033 --> 00:51:57.200
[Speaking Spanish]
00:51:57.200 --> 00:51:58.400
There's some sauce.
00:51:58.400 --> 00:51:59.800
And what's in the sauce?
00:51:59.800 --> 00:52:00.867
Uh, Sorry. It's
00:52:00.867 --> 00:52:01.967
a ancient Chinese secret.
00:52:01.967 --> 00:52:03.667
I can't--I can't divulge it.
00:52:03.667 --> 00:52:04.900
Ha ha ha!
00:52:04.900 --> 00:52:06.300
No. It's soy sauce--
Uh-huh.
00:52:06.300 --> 00:52:09.567
soy sauce, cilantro,
and hot oil.
00:52:09.567 --> 00:52:10.833
How is it?
Mmm!
00:52:10.833 --> 00:52:13.100
Good?
Mmm! Mmm!
00:52:13.100 --> 00:52:14.800
Pati, voice-over:
El Dragón, like many
00:52:14.800 --> 00:52:17.400
of the Chinese restaurants here,
have localized their menus
00:52:17.400 --> 00:52:20.000
over the years
by adding regional ingredients
00:52:20.000 --> 00:52:22.367
and inventing new fusions.
00:52:22.367 --> 00:52:24.533
Jorge: Our customers
are mainly Mexican.
00:52:24.533 --> 00:52:26.733
They like spicy.
It's really spicy.
00:52:26.733 --> 00:52:27.867
Pati: What's that?
00:52:27.867 --> 00:52:29.067
Jorge:
That's fried chilies
00:52:29.067 --> 00:52:30.667
with lemon
and special salt.
00:52:30.667 --> 00:52:32.667
Pati, voice-over:
Much like El Dragón's food,
00:52:32.667 --> 00:52:35.133
the borderlands are
by definition a fusion
00:52:35.133 --> 00:52:37.800
of cultures,
but for people like Jorge,
00:52:37.800 --> 00:52:40.333
there's an additional
layer to navigate.
00:52:40.333 --> 00:52:43.433
I'm not--I'm neither
Chinese, Mexican, or American.
00:52:43.433 --> 00:52:45.200
One time, I was talking
to this person,
00:52:45.200 --> 00:52:46.667
and they said, "You know what?
You're international."
00:52:46.667 --> 00:52:48.667
I was thinking,
"Yeah, you're right. I am."
00:52:48.667 --> 00:52:51.233
I was born in--I was born
in Mexico,
00:52:51.233 --> 00:52:52.500
I live in the U.S.,
00:52:52.500 --> 00:52:54.633
but I work in
Mexico, so what am I?
00:52:54.633 --> 00:52:58.633
And at home, you have
Cantonese, Chinese culture.
00:52:58.633 --> 00:52:59.967
Right. Chinese culture.
00:52:59.967 --> 00:53:02.400
Cantonese
and Mexican culture, too.
00:53:02.400 --> 00:53:04.600
Has Mexico
as a country embraced
00:53:04.600 --> 00:53:06.167
the Chinese community?
I believe so.
00:53:06.167 --> 00:53:07.467
I believe--I mean,
I can only speak
00:53:07.467 --> 00:53:09.867
of here in Mexicali.
Uh-huh.
00:53:09.867 --> 00:53:13.333
Uh, for example, when I was
growing up, I remember
00:53:13.333 --> 00:53:15.700
the first thing that people
would say--would say,
00:53:15.700 --> 00:53:20.533
"Paisano," and to me it was
I thought it meant Chinese,
00:53:20.533 --> 00:53:22.800
but later in life, I found
out that paisano
00:53:22.800 --> 00:53:24.533
doesn't mean Chinese.
00:53:24.533 --> 00:53:27.300
It means countryman,
so a lot of people, like,
00:53:27.300 --> 00:53:30.000
in Mexico, they would see
a Chinese person,
00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:31.600
and they say, "Paisano."
00:53:31.600 --> 00:53:34.000
So that's--I mean, I didn't
even know it back then,
00:53:34.000 --> 00:53:37.133
but that's showing you
the embracing
00:53:37.133 --> 00:53:40.300
of, uh--of the community
here in Mex--in Mexicali.
00:53:42.067 --> 00:53:44.500
[Gulls crying]
00:53:47.667 --> 00:53:49.567
Pati, voice-over:
The U.S.-Mexico cross-border
00:53:49.567 --> 00:53:51.467
communities seem to dance
to the beat
00:53:51.467 --> 00:53:55.000
of their own drum,
but CaliBaja dances
00:53:55.000 --> 00:53:58.133
with a pulsing electricity.
00:53:58.133 --> 00:54:01.000
The contrasting narratives
only add fuel
00:54:01.000 --> 00:54:02.933
to its kinetic creativity.
00:54:02.933 --> 00:54:04.567
♪ A-ma i ♪
00:54:04.567 --> 00:54:05.833
Pati, voice-over:
The fronterizos
00:54:05.833 --> 00:54:07.067
of the Golden Coast
00:54:07.067 --> 00:54:08.267
are blazing their own paths
00:54:08.267 --> 00:54:10.967
and fighting to be themselves,
00:54:10.967 --> 00:54:12.600
to stick together...
00:54:12.600 --> 00:54:14.167
Pati: Wow!
00:54:14.167 --> 00:54:15.767
...and they've taught me
that even something
00:54:15.767 --> 00:54:19.700
as ancient as wine can still
cross new frontiers,
00:54:19.700 --> 00:54:24.067
a lesson that there's always one
more way to come together.
00:54:24.067 --> 00:54:26.933
♪
00:54:32.800 --> 00:54:47.733
♪
00:54:47.733 --> 00:55:00.333
♪
Distributor: Pragda Films
Length: 55 minutes
Date: 2023
Genre: Expository
Language: English; Spanish / English subtitles
Grade: Upper Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College, Adults
Color/BW:
Closed Captioning: Available
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