Self-taught grill genius Bittor Arginzoniz shares his sources of inspiration…
La Frontera: Season 2, Episode 3 - Back to the Middle
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
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Pati Jinich travels from Nogales through the border region of New Mexico and Chihuahua, which offers some of the most unique and biodiverse places in the world. She meets famed architect Ronald Rael, observes migratory species affected by the border wall, visits a remote Mennontie camp, 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, Doug Legore [and 4 others].
Distributor subjects
Culture + Identity; Migration Studies; Latinx; Agriculture + Food; GeographyKeywords
00:00:01.067 --> 00:00:03.267
Viewers like you make
this program possible.
00:00:03.267 --> 00:00:05.333
Support your local PBS station.
00:00:07.500 --> 00:00:09.500
[Music]
00:00:09.500 --> 00:00:10.700
Pati, voice-over:
The diversity
00:00:10.700 --> 00:00:12.133
of la frontera is
what gives it
00:00:12.133 --> 00:00:14.967
a never-ending flow
of possibilities.
00:00:14.967 --> 00:00:17.167
The people,
00:00:17.167 --> 00:00:19.233
the communities,
00:00:19.233 --> 00:00:21.967
the ecosystems,
all thrive many times
00:00:21.967 --> 00:00:24.567
against the odds when
they can seamlessly flow
00:00:24.567 --> 00:00:27.433
and collaborate
between borders.
00:00:27.433 --> 00:00:28.433
Pati: What a treasure.
00:00:28.433 --> 00:00:30.267
I know.
00:00:30.267 --> 00:00:32.100
Pati, voice-over:
Between Sonora and Arizona,
00:00:32.100 --> 00:00:33.933
and New Mexico
and Chihuahua
00:00:33.933 --> 00:00:36.633
are some of the most unique
and even biodiverse
00:00:36.633 --> 00:00:38.233
places along the border.
00:00:38.233 --> 00:00:39.500
Woman: Tres.
00:00:40.567 --> 00:00:42.500
Pati, voice-over: Can we
design spaces that bring
00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:43.867
communities together?
00:00:43.867 --> 00:00:45.433
Pati:
Oh, it can go fast.
00:00:45.433 --> 00:00:46.700
Man:
Oh, it'll go fast.
00:00:46.700 --> 00:00:48.033
Pati, voice-over:
How does billions
00:00:48.033 --> 00:00:49.467
in free trade
allow both nations
00:00:49.467 --> 00:00:50.933
to prosper
economically?
00:00:50.933 --> 00:00:53.833
Without the U.S., Mexico
wouldn't be the same.
00:00:53.833 --> 00:00:55.300
And without Mexico,
00:00:55.300 --> 00:00:57.600
the United States
wouldn't be the same.
00:00:57.600 --> 00:00:58.967
Pati, voice-over:
What is the impact
00:00:58.967 --> 00:01:00.733
of a more integrated
school system
00:01:00.733 --> 00:01:03.233
on our binational and
bicultural communities?
00:01:03.233 --> 00:01:06.267
And from a Mexican chef
who has been eating spice
00:01:06.267 --> 00:01:07.633
her entire life,
00:01:07.633 --> 00:01:09.400
how can a town
in the United States
00:01:09.400 --> 00:01:12.967
possibly call itself the
chile capital of the world?
00:01:12.967 --> 00:01:15.333
People here are just
like the Hatch chiles,
00:01:15.333 --> 00:01:16.667
bold and strong.
00:01:16.667 --> 00:01:18.133
Pati, voice-over:
In this episode,
00:01:18.133 --> 00:01:19.667
I'm going back to
the middle of the map
00:01:19.667 --> 00:01:21.333
and even a little
back in time
00:01:21.333 --> 00:01:23.700
to connect to where I
started last season
00:01:23.700 --> 00:01:26.700
completing my journey
through the borderlands.
00:01:29.367 --> 00:01:31.500
Una, dos, tres.
00:01:32.467 --> 00:01:34.200
Pati, voice-over:
I'm Pati Jinich.
00:01:34.200 --> 00:01:35.500
I'm a chef,
00:01:35.500 --> 00:01:36.967
a writer,
an immigrant.
00:01:36.967 --> 00:01:38.667
On this season,
I'm traveling
00:01:38.667 --> 00:01:40.100
the border
from California
00:01:40.100 --> 00:01:42.233
and Baja to New Mexico
and Chihuahua
00:01:42.233 --> 00:01:44.667
to uncover the stories
beneath the headlines
00:01:44.667 --> 00:01:46.700
and celebrate the beauty
of the people
00:01:46.700 --> 00:01:48.900
who call themselves
fronterizos.
00:01:48.900 --> 00:01:50.133
Really?
00:01:50.133 --> 00:01:51.700
Pati, voice-over:
Mexico is my heart.
00:01:51.700 --> 00:01:54.100
The United States is
now my home.
00:01:54.100 --> 00:01:57.933
And in the space between
is La Frontera.
00:02:02.133 --> 00:02:10.967
[Music]
00:02:10.967 --> 00:02:12.800
Pati, voice-over:
This horno or oven is
00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:14.833
a little bit of home
for migrants staying
00:02:14.833 --> 00:02:16.267
at Casa
de la Misericordia
00:02:16.267 --> 00:02:18.667
in Nogales, Sonora.
00:02:18.667 --> 00:02:21.800
And this guy,
Ronald Rael, built it.
00:02:24.667 --> 00:02:26.600
Ronald: This will
have a lot of wood.
00:02:26.600 --> 00:02:28.600
It's gonna get
really hot
00:02:28.600 --> 00:02:30.700
and pretty comfortable,
and you'll wanna hug it.
00:02:30.700 --> 00:02:32.033
Pati: [Laughs]
¿Sí?
00:02:33.900 --> 00:02:35.533
Pati, voice-over: Ron is
an award-winning architect
00:02:35.533 --> 00:02:37.800
and professor
at UC Berkeley
00:02:37.800 --> 00:02:40.300
and specializes in design
that brings communities
00:02:40.300 --> 00:02:41.800
together.
00:02:41.800 --> 00:02:44.800
In 2019, his temporary
Teeter-Totter Wall
00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:46.767
connected kids
on both sides of the border
00:02:46.767 --> 00:02:49.067
in a rare moment
of unity.
00:02:50.267 --> 00:02:53.667
The next year, he teamed up
with the nonprofit, Alight,
00:02:53.667 --> 00:02:55.000
to build hornos at shelters
00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:57.100
along the border
like this one,
00:02:57.100 --> 00:03:00.067
where migrants can make
and share meals together.
00:03:01.300 --> 00:03:06.667
Ron: I think my work here is
about building a community
00:03:06.667 --> 00:03:09.367
that maybe I lost
at one point in my life.
00:03:09.367 --> 00:03:10.500
Pati, voice-over:
Ronald grew up
00:03:10.500 --> 00:03:12.067
in Florida, Colorado,
00:03:12.067 --> 00:03:14.967
which was the U.S.-Mexico
borderlands of the 1840s.
00:03:14.967 --> 00:03:17.000
Ron: When I was young,
everybody in the village
00:03:17.000 --> 00:03:19.900
spoke Spanish,
cooked frijoles,
00:03:19.900 --> 00:03:22.167
cooked chile,
cooked tortillas.
00:03:22.167 --> 00:03:23.433
This is how I grew up
00:03:23.433 --> 00:03:26.833
and then I went away
to college
00:03:26.833 --> 00:03:29.567
and all of my grandmothers,
great-grandmothers
00:03:29.567 --> 00:03:32.267
and my tías and tíos,
they died.
00:03:32.267 --> 00:03:35.533
And I came back from college
and the world changed.
00:03:35.533 --> 00:03:36.833
Nobody's speaking
Spanish anymore.
00:03:36.833 --> 00:03:38.267
Nobody--people
were moving away.
00:03:38.267 --> 00:03:40.833
And so it's a really
beautiful moment, I think,
00:03:40.833 --> 00:03:43.933
of sharing, not only for,
you know, me working here,
00:03:43.933 --> 00:03:47.533
but they're really
helping me.
00:03:47.533 --> 00:03:48.867
Pati, voice-over:
Ron's next idea is
00:03:48.867 --> 00:03:50.567
to use this corner
of the yard
00:03:50.567 --> 00:03:52.833
to put a house made
with 10,000 pounds
00:03:52.833 --> 00:03:55.867
of border wall steel
he calls Casa Unida.
00:03:55.867 --> 00:03:59.433
This is a roof currently kept
at a museum in Arizona.
00:03:59.433 --> 00:04:00.933
Ron: We came up
with this idea
00:04:00.933 --> 00:04:03.133
that it was also
an horno,
00:04:03.133 --> 00:04:04.133
but instead of being...
00:04:04.133 --> 00:04:05.567
[Speaking Spanish]
00:04:05.567 --> 00:04:07.600
it's an horno
for ideas.
00:04:07.600 --> 00:04:10.067
It's a place that we start
to cook ideas
00:04:10.067 --> 00:04:11.300
and thoughts and...
00:04:11.300 --> 00:04:13.100
[Speaking Spanish]
00:04:13.100 --> 00:04:15.700
And it could be a place
where people who come here
00:04:15.700 --> 00:04:17.667
can leave something here
or place something
00:04:17.667 --> 00:04:19.600
where they remember,
00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:21.633
um, this moment
of coming together
00:04:21.633 --> 00:04:23.400
in the community
before they continue on
00:04:23.400 --> 00:04:24.633
in their journey.
00:04:24.633 --> 00:04:26.000
Pati, voice-over:
It was conceived
00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:27.500
through the collaboration
with migrants
00:04:27.500 --> 00:04:29.700
and the shelter director,
Sister Lika,
00:04:29.700 --> 00:04:31.600
a former Catholic nun.
00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.600
[Speaking Spanish]
00:04:47.567 --> 00:04:48.900
Pati, voice-over:
Here, at the shelter,
00:04:48.900 --> 00:04:50.267
many people
are seeking asylum
00:04:50.267 --> 00:04:52.067
in the United States.
00:04:52.067 --> 00:04:54.000
They've escaped
horrific violence
00:04:54.000 --> 00:04:58.167
in Central America, Mexico,
and even Africa and India.
00:04:58.167 --> 00:05:00.833
[Speaking Spanish]
00:05:45.300 --> 00:05:46.600
Lika: Sí.
00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:48.900
Hola. Hola.
00:05:48.900 --> 00:05:50.433
Pati, voice-over:
Ron wouldn't have a place
00:05:50.433 --> 00:05:52.433
to put the horno
or Casa Unida
00:05:52.433 --> 00:05:54.033
if it wasn't
for Sister Lika's
00:05:54.033 --> 00:05:55.567
rebellious nature.
00:05:57.567 --> 00:06:00.067
She spent three decades
as a nun traveling
00:06:00.067 --> 00:06:02.067
the world and helping
those in need
00:06:02.067 --> 00:06:03.233
until one day...
00:06:03.233 --> 00:06:04.667
[Speaking Spanish]
00:06:04.667 --> 00:06:06.200
[Laughter]
00:06:06.200 --> 00:06:08.767
[Speaking Spanish]
00:06:15.833 --> 00:06:17.667
Pati, voice-over: The sisters
weren't too thrilled
00:06:17.667 --> 00:06:21.100
that she was always dreaming up
new community projects.
00:06:21.100 --> 00:06:24.067
She left the convent,
but still follows her faith.
00:06:24.067 --> 00:06:27.367
And in 2020, she started
Casa de la Misericordia.
00:06:27.367 --> 00:06:30.167
In only a few short years,
she's given food,
00:06:30.167 --> 00:06:34.600
shelter and schooling
to hundreds of families.
00:06:34.600 --> 00:06:37.167
The shelter will never be
the same as home,
00:06:37.167 --> 00:06:39.100
but there are things
that can help,
00:06:39.100 --> 00:06:40.933
which is why the fire
of the horno
00:06:40.933 --> 00:06:43.467
is a comforting light
in the darkness.
00:06:43.467 --> 00:06:45.500
It brings joy
to their journey.
00:06:45.500 --> 00:06:47.033
And making bread
connects people
00:06:47.033 --> 00:06:49.300
no matter
where they're from.
00:06:49.300 --> 00:06:52.100
[Speaking Spanish]
00:08:09.433 --> 00:08:11.200
Ron: The whole goal
of building this horno
00:08:11.200 --> 00:08:13.600
is to build a community
here in the shelter.
00:08:13.600 --> 00:08:15.567
And we're now gathered
around the horno,
00:08:15.567 --> 00:08:16.933
we can feel
the warmth of it,
00:08:16.933 --> 00:08:20.300
we can smell the beautiful
mesquite wood.
00:08:20.300 --> 00:08:22.500
And there's
many generations
00:08:22.500 --> 00:08:24.433
involved here, making
the masa for the bread
00:08:24.433 --> 00:08:26.700
and they're talking,
they're sharing.
00:08:26.700 --> 00:08:28.833
I'm just watching
the young girl at the end
00:08:28.833 --> 00:08:31.967
looking at the woman
next to her,
00:08:31.967 --> 00:08:34.600
how she's throwing the bread
and how she's making the masa.
00:08:34.600 --> 00:08:36.000
And she's learning.
00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:37.633
She's learning this moment
of making bread
00:08:37.633 --> 00:08:39.000
that she'll remember
the rest of her life.
00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:43.567
And that's how we...
how we make community.
00:08:43.567 --> 00:08:45.800
[Speaking Spanish]
00:08:56.267 --> 00:08:58.200
Pati, voice-over:
If one horno can build
00:08:58.200 --> 00:08:59.600
a community like this,
00:08:59.600 --> 00:09:02.467
imagine what many ovens
could do.
00:09:02.467 --> 00:09:04.833
[Speaking Spanish]
00:09:48.267 --> 00:09:50.567
Pati, voice-over:
So while Ron builds hornos,
00:09:50.567 --> 00:09:53.567
Sister Lika says
she's rebuilding humanity.
00:09:53.567 --> 00:09:56.067
[Speaking Spanish]
00:10:09.967 --> 00:10:11.433
Pati, voice-over:
A mural on the wall
00:10:11.433 --> 00:10:12.833
of Casa
de la Misericordia
00:10:12.833 --> 00:10:14.700
depicts the journey
migrants make.
00:10:14.700 --> 00:10:16.667
People from
different countries,
00:10:16.667 --> 00:10:18.500
but with one common goal:
00:10:18.500 --> 00:10:21.233
to find a safe place
to call home.
00:10:21.233 --> 00:10:27.100
[Music]
00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:28.633
The diversity
of la frontera
00:10:28.633 --> 00:10:30.467
isn't just found
in its people,
00:10:30.467 --> 00:10:34.067
it's also found
in its places.
00:10:34.067 --> 00:10:36.633
At the intersection
of Arizona and Sonora,
00:10:36.633 --> 00:10:38.700
there's one of the most
biodiverse regions
00:10:38.700 --> 00:10:42.200
on the planet:
the Sky Islands.
00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:45.967
This series of isolated
pine-studded mountain ranges
00:10:45.967 --> 00:10:48.400
separated by desert
and grassland
00:10:48.400 --> 00:10:50.567
are home to more
than 7000 species
00:10:50.567 --> 00:10:53.367
of plants and animals.
00:10:53.367 --> 00:10:57.133
Emily: These are really
one of our best tools
00:10:57.133 --> 00:10:59.400
as biologists to
understand which animals
00:10:59.400 --> 00:11:01.067
are in the area.
00:11:01.067 --> 00:11:03.233
Pati, voice-over: Emily Burns
and Bryon Lichtenhan
00:11:03.233 --> 00:11:05.567
are the watchers
of this wilderness.
00:11:05.567 --> 00:11:07.900
Emily: In this 30-mile
stretch of border,
00:11:07.900 --> 00:11:10.667
we have over 50,000
wildlife detections
00:11:10.667 --> 00:11:11.867
on our cameras.
00:11:11.867 --> 00:11:14.433
So they're all around us.
00:11:14.433 --> 00:11:15.700
Pati, voice-over:
As researchers
00:11:15.700 --> 00:11:17.033
for Sky Island Alliance,
00:11:17.033 --> 00:11:19.233
a non-profit
conservation group,
00:11:19.233 --> 00:11:22.233
they've placed dozens
of cameras along the border
00:11:22.233 --> 00:11:25.233
to study the migration
patterns of wildlife.
00:11:25.233 --> 00:11:27.533
Emily: We're trying
to show the world
00:11:27.533 --> 00:11:29.433
that the same species
live in Sonora
00:11:29.433 --> 00:11:31.167
and in Arizona
00:11:31.167 --> 00:11:34.500
and the animals are
moving back and forth,
00:11:34.500 --> 00:11:36.533
looking for water,
looking for food,
00:11:36.533 --> 00:11:38.833
looking for love,
looking for shelter.
00:11:38.833 --> 00:11:40.700
Pati, voice-over:
The cameras, triggered
00:11:40.700 --> 00:11:42.033
by heat and movement
00:11:42.033 --> 00:11:44.333
have captured
rare photographs,
00:11:44.333 --> 00:11:46.567
like the American
kestrel,
00:11:46.567 --> 00:11:48.433
antelope jackrabbits,
00:11:48.433 --> 00:11:49.767
black bears,
00:11:49.767 --> 00:11:51.867
even an animal
I've been dying to meet:
00:11:51.867 --> 00:11:53.700
the prickly porcupine.
00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:56.700
And so, we're looking to
protect these places,
00:11:56.700 --> 00:11:58.467
like this area,
this forest,
00:11:58.467 --> 00:11:59.933
this grassland.
00:11:59.933 --> 00:12:02.133
So that black bear,
and mountain lion
00:12:02.133 --> 00:12:05.633
and when jaguar decides
to come back into the U.S.,
00:12:05.633 --> 00:12:07.333
it has a place
to do that,
00:12:07.333 --> 00:12:08.900
a pathway that
they can find.
00:12:10.000 --> 00:12:11.733
Pati, voice-over:
Two-thirds of Arizona's
00:12:11.733 --> 00:12:14.767
border with Sonora
is blocked with a wall.
00:12:14.767 --> 00:12:17.700
We're standing at one
of the remaining spaces
00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:20.133
where animals
can still pass through.
00:12:21.700 --> 00:12:23.633
Erin: And we're trying
to keep it that way.
00:12:23.633 --> 00:12:25.700
It's--it's calm
and peaceful
00:12:25.700 --> 00:12:27.133
and nature is flowing
back and forth
00:12:27.133 --> 00:12:28.867
as it should,
as it has, you know,
00:12:28.867 --> 00:12:30.733
for countless
generations.
00:12:30.733 --> 00:12:32.300
There is always the risk
00:12:32.300 --> 00:12:34.700
that the government
will put up a wall here
00:12:34.700 --> 00:12:37.800
and that will stop
animals in their tracks.
00:12:38.967 --> 00:12:40.933
Pati, voice-over:
Mining is also a threat.
00:12:40.933 --> 00:12:43.733
With international companies
holding claims to thousands
00:12:43.733 --> 00:12:45.700
of acres of land.
00:12:45.700 --> 00:12:47.633
Copper and lithium
are in demand
00:12:47.633 --> 00:12:49.767
and mining for them
has a big impact
00:12:49.767 --> 00:12:52.367
on the water supply.
00:12:52.367 --> 00:12:55.300
Bryon: Without that water,
the wildlife doesn't exist,
00:12:55.300 --> 00:12:57.233
the birds don't exist,
the plants don't exist,
00:12:57.233 --> 00:12:59.467
and humans are gonna
have a really hard time
00:12:59.467 --> 00:13:01.167
existing too, so.
00:13:01.167 --> 00:13:03.633
Is there a scarcity
of copper and lithium
00:13:03.633 --> 00:13:06.600
that people are looking
for it here?
00:13:06.600 --> 00:13:10.167
There's concentrations
of those metals here.
00:13:10.167 --> 00:13:12.033
I think, for us,
00:13:12.033 --> 00:13:14.300
we see the remarkable
diversity
00:13:14.300 --> 00:13:15.933
on this landscape.
00:13:15.933 --> 00:13:18.700
There are certain habitats,
forests, mountains,
00:13:18.700 --> 00:13:21.833
jaguar country,
that's not replaceable.
00:13:21.833 --> 00:13:24.800
It doesn't mean
no mining ever anywhere,
00:13:24.800 --> 00:13:27.200
but we need to think
about where we're choosing
00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:29.167
to do this extractive work
00:13:29.167 --> 00:13:32.000
that has a serious
and probably fatal impact
00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.000
on species that are
really important
00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.533
to our planet.
00:13:38.333 --> 00:13:40.833
Pati: And does it tell you
if it's spotted animals?
00:13:40.833 --> 00:13:42.633
Or you just have to go
through all of them?
00:13:42.633 --> 00:13:44.333
Emily: No, we have to look
through all of them.
00:13:44.333 --> 00:13:46.700
Yeah, we look at about
a million photographs a year.
00:13:46.700 --> 00:13:48.267
Yes, there's been
something out here.
00:13:48.267 --> 00:13:52.433
My guess it's probably
we have--had jabalina
00:13:52.433 --> 00:13:53.733
and deer right here
00:13:53.733 --> 00:13:55.000
and sometimes
there's birds
00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:57.433
that fly
over the grass.
00:13:57.433 --> 00:13:58.900
Perhaps
you can tell it,
00:13:58.900 --> 00:14:01.267
that little blur is down
at the bottom, right?
00:14:01.267 --> 00:14:03.933
That's my porcupine.
00:14:03.933 --> 00:14:05.633
Emily:
That would be exciting.
00:14:05.633 --> 00:14:07.800
I'm obsessing about
finding a porcupine.
00:14:07.800 --> 00:14:09.767
And what's your
favorite animal?
00:14:09.767 --> 00:14:12.933
Well, I have
a soft spot for badger.
00:14:12.933 --> 00:14:14.033
What's a badger?
00:14:14.033 --> 00:14:15.433
Badger is like...
00:14:15.433 --> 00:14:16.800
Pati, voice-over:
OK, you guys,
00:14:16.800 --> 00:14:18.600
English is not
my first language.
00:14:18.600 --> 00:14:20.433
I learn new words
every day.
00:14:20.433 --> 00:14:23.200
They're in
the weasel family.
00:14:23.200 --> 00:14:25.000
They're a carnivore.
00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:27.033
Pati, voice-over:
Oh, another word.
00:14:27.033 --> 00:14:28.967
It's a carnivore.
00:14:28.967 --> 00:14:31.367
Pati: You're so in love
with this place
00:14:31.367 --> 00:14:32.833
and I can see why,
00:14:32.833 --> 00:14:35.067
but so many people
don't know about it.
00:14:35.067 --> 00:14:36.800
What's your hope
for the future
00:14:36.800 --> 00:14:38.967
and what do you want
people to know about?
00:14:38.967 --> 00:14:41.600
This is all part of
our shared backyard.
00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:44.233
This is part of
our cultural history,
00:14:44.233 --> 00:14:45.967
our legacy here,
00:14:45.967 --> 00:14:49.133
and I hope people come
and fall in love with it,
00:14:49.133 --> 00:14:50.433
because if they do,
00:14:50.433 --> 00:14:51.867
I know they'll
help protect it.
00:14:51.867 --> 00:14:53.700
Yeah, I love
this view here
00:14:53.700 --> 00:14:55.700
because I think
it's a great example
00:14:55.700 --> 00:14:59.033
of why we call this region
the Sky Islands, you know?
00:14:59.033 --> 00:15:02.333
We're looking back here
and you can see
00:15:02.333 --> 00:15:04.900
how different
these mountains are
00:15:04.900 --> 00:15:06.533
from the grasslands
surrounding them.
00:15:06.533 --> 00:15:08.500
It really looks like
you're looking across
00:15:08.500 --> 00:15:12.133
this sea of grass
to these islands,
00:15:12.133 --> 00:15:15.267
uh, that are forested
with oaks, and firs,
00:15:15.267 --> 00:15:17.700
and pine trees
and everything.
00:15:17.700 --> 00:15:20.833
Emily: Yeah, this is where
wolves run with jaguar.
00:15:22.033 --> 00:15:23.633
Pati, voice-over:
Every direction you look
00:15:23.633 --> 00:15:25.567
is a postcard.
00:15:25.567 --> 00:15:28.033
But there's no food
in sight
00:15:28.033 --> 00:15:30.667
unless you know
where to look.
00:15:30.667 --> 00:15:32.300
Bryon is not only
an expert
00:15:32.300 --> 00:15:33.667
on tracking animals.
00:15:33.667 --> 00:15:36.300
So right along here
is a good set
00:15:36.300 --> 00:15:37.633
of skunk tracks.
00:15:37.633 --> 00:15:39.567
It's walking south,
00:15:39.567 --> 00:15:41.100
like straight towards
the border, basically.
00:15:41.100 --> 00:15:42.733
Pati, voice-over:
But lucky for me,
00:15:42.733 --> 00:15:45.167
also an expert
on foraging for food.
00:15:45.167 --> 00:15:46.300
Are you hungry?
00:15:46.300 --> 00:15:48.200
I'm always hungry.
00:15:48.200 --> 00:15:49.833
And I love jars of things.
00:15:49.833 --> 00:15:52.300
And I love jars of things
that I've never tried before,
00:15:52.300 --> 00:15:54.700
so I'm excited.
00:15:54.700 --> 00:15:56.267
Pati, voice-over:
Bryon has brought lots
00:15:56.267 --> 00:15:59.300
of jars full of foods
foraged from the park.
00:15:59.300 --> 00:16:00.767
Like Emory acorns.
00:16:00.767 --> 00:16:04.000
They taste like
chocolate, coffee.
00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:06.233
Pati, voice-over:
The manzanita berries.
00:16:06.233 --> 00:16:08.767
Oh, these taste
like peaches.
00:16:08.767 --> 00:16:10.233
Pati, voice-over:
We also try some tart
00:16:10.233 --> 00:16:12.233
sumac berries.
00:16:12.233 --> 00:16:14.700
Apricoty hackberries.
00:16:14.700 --> 00:16:17.933
And these scrumptious
dry saguaro fruit.
00:16:17.933 --> 00:16:20.800
It's the fruit of
the saguaro cactus.
00:16:20.800 --> 00:16:24.833
Pollinated first by bats
and birds and bees
00:16:24.833 --> 00:16:27.400
of the region in Mexico
and the U.S.
00:16:27.400 --> 00:16:28.433
Just eat it like that?
00:16:28.433 --> 00:16:30.067
Eat it, yeah.
00:16:30.067 --> 00:16:32.767
So these seeds are totally
chewable, crunchable.
00:16:34.100 --> 00:16:36.300
Right?
00:16:36.300 --> 00:16:37.300
Whoa.
00:16:37.300 --> 00:16:39.200
I know.
00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:40.533
Whoa!
00:16:42.500 --> 00:16:44.433
This is like
a combination
00:16:44.433 --> 00:16:48.667
of dried fig,
dried strawberry.
00:16:48.667 --> 00:16:52.267
The seeds inside are
irresistibly crunchy.
00:16:52.267 --> 00:16:53.367
What a treasure.
00:16:53.367 --> 00:16:56.067
I know.
00:16:56.067 --> 00:16:58.700
Many animals depend
on these as food
00:16:58.700 --> 00:17:00.433
and we're lucky
to share them, too.
00:17:00.433 --> 00:17:02.267
Bryon: Yeah.
00:17:02.267 --> 00:17:05.767
Pati: You guys are like
beyond ridiculously cool
00:17:05.767 --> 00:17:09.467
and so knowledgeable
and so chill.
00:17:09.467 --> 00:17:12.467
And I've learned
so much.
00:17:12.467 --> 00:17:14.333
I feel like now
we're just gonna go
00:17:14.333 --> 00:17:15.867
look for the porcupines.
00:17:15.867 --> 00:17:17.667
I'm feeling like
they're down there
00:17:17.667 --> 00:17:19.200
where the water is.
00:17:19.200 --> 00:17:20.633
They're watching us.
00:17:20.633 --> 00:17:22.533
They're keeping
an eye on things.
00:17:24.233 --> 00:17:25.800
Pati, voice-over:
While Emily, Bryon
00:17:25.800 --> 00:17:27.600
and my porcupines
keep an eye
00:17:27.600 --> 00:17:29.300
on the migration
of wildlife
00:17:29.300 --> 00:17:31.867
in the Sky Islands,
the world of business
00:17:31.867 --> 00:17:35.033
has no trouble crossing
between nations.
00:17:35.033 --> 00:17:38.667
It's estimated that more
than 600 billion dollars
00:17:38.667 --> 00:17:41.200
worth of goods
and services are traded
00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:43.900
between the U.S.
and Mexico every year.
00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:47.500
A large part of that
is produce.
00:17:51.533 --> 00:17:55.267
Business is brisk at
Cactus Melon Distributors
00:17:55.267 --> 00:17:58.300
in Nogales, Arizona.
00:17:58.300 --> 00:17:59.833
Man: Hop on.
00:17:59.833 --> 00:18:01.300
Pati, voice-over: This is
an electric pallet jack.
00:18:01.300 --> 00:18:02.633
It can go fast.
00:18:02.633 --> 00:18:03.900
Man: Oh, it--
I'll go fast.
00:18:03.900 --> 00:18:05.600
Pati, voice-over:
These will move
00:18:05.600 --> 00:18:08.700
up to 18,000 tons
of watermelons a year
00:18:08.700 --> 00:18:12.067
onto refrigerated trucks,
which transport the fruit
00:18:12.067 --> 00:18:14.200
across the United States
and Canada.
00:18:14.200 --> 00:18:16.967
Man: So here we're just gonna
make a--a turn right here
00:18:16.967 --> 00:18:19.567
and we are gonna go
inside the truck,
00:18:19.567 --> 00:18:21.667
where this truck
will take the product
00:18:21.667 --> 00:18:23.833
to its final destination.
00:18:23.833 --> 00:18:25.133
Pati, voice-over:
Marcos Murillo is
00:18:25.133 --> 00:18:27.600
the food safety manager
here.
00:18:27.600 --> 00:18:29.167
Pati:
¿Voy de regreso?
00:18:29.167 --> 00:18:31.100
If we ever run short-handed,
I know who to call.
00:18:31.100 --> 00:18:34.500
Pati: Where are you
shipping me now?
00:18:34.500 --> 00:18:36.333
Oh, oh, you're letting me
do it by myself.
00:18:36.333 --> 00:18:37.633
You're--
You're by yourself.
00:18:37.633 --> 00:18:40.433
You're such
a great teacher.
00:18:40.433 --> 00:18:41.933
Whoa!
00:18:41.933 --> 00:18:43.233
Pati, voice-over:
These watermelons
00:18:43.233 --> 00:18:44.567
were grown in Mexico,
00:18:44.567 --> 00:18:45.833
transported
to their warehouse
00:18:45.833 --> 00:18:47.533
in Nogales, Sonora,
00:18:47.533 --> 00:18:49.300
and then trucked
across the border
00:18:49.300 --> 00:18:50.933
at Nogales, Arizona,
00:18:50.933 --> 00:18:53.967
the busiest entry point
for produce.
00:18:53.967 --> 00:18:57.467
Christian Murillo is
director of sales.
00:18:57.467 --> 00:19:00.900
Christian's dad started
the business 30 years ago.
00:19:00.900 --> 00:19:02.633
How do you test
for sugar?
00:19:02.633 --> 00:19:03.967
Christian: Uh, first,
we're gonna cut off
00:19:03.967 --> 00:19:05.600
the--the ends of
the watermelon.
00:19:05.600 --> 00:19:07.167
So this is the refractor
meter right here.
00:19:07.167 --> 00:19:08.800
Pati, voice-over:
Inspecting the watermelons
00:19:08.800 --> 00:19:10.133
is part of Marcos' job.
00:19:10.133 --> 00:19:11.700
He does a color
and sugar test
00:19:11.700 --> 00:19:13.100
before shipping them out.
00:19:13.100 --> 00:19:15.467
Marcos: This will tell us
how much sugar,
00:19:15.467 --> 00:19:17.000
how much Brix
is actually
00:19:17.000 --> 00:19:19.633
in our watermelon
right now, OK?
00:19:19.633 --> 00:19:21.833
So this one right here
is a 9.4.
00:19:21.833 --> 00:19:25.333
Anything from
a 9 and above is good.
00:19:25.333 --> 00:19:26.467
Can I taste a little?
00:19:26.467 --> 00:19:27.533
Marcos:
Sure, definitely.
00:19:27.533 --> 00:19:28.567
This is really sweet.
00:19:28.567 --> 00:19:29.567
This is really sweet.
00:19:29.567 --> 00:19:31.100
They're still good.
00:19:31.100 --> 00:19:32.767
Pati, voice-over:
Mexico has been called
00:19:32.767 --> 00:19:35.867
the greenhouse
for the United States.
00:19:35.867 --> 00:19:37.600
During the cold months,
00:19:37.600 --> 00:19:40.767
Mexico exports more
than 1.3 million tons
00:19:40.767 --> 00:19:42.600
of melons to the U.S.
00:19:42.600 --> 00:19:43.967
To ship across borders,
00:19:43.967 --> 00:19:45.967
companies hire
customs brokers
00:19:45.967 --> 00:19:48.967
who help with everything
from paperwork to logistics.
00:19:48.967 --> 00:19:51.600
Cactus Melon uses
Gamas Company,
00:19:51.600 --> 00:19:53.267
one of the largest
customs brokers
00:19:53.267 --> 00:19:54.633
on the border.
00:19:57.733 --> 00:19:59.567
You work here.
00:19:59.567 --> 00:20:01.700
OK, they want
to freeze me.
00:20:01.700 --> 00:20:03.100
Pati, voice-over:
And this is one
00:20:03.100 --> 00:20:04.833
of their cold storage
warehouses.
00:20:04.833 --> 00:20:07.033
It's used to store meat
and produce
00:20:07.033 --> 00:20:09.800
while it gets inspected
by the USDA
00:20:09.800 --> 00:20:12.533
before it's shipped
all over the world.
00:20:12.533 --> 00:20:14.967
Pati: It's so cold!
00:20:14.967 --> 00:20:17.133
So it's a product
that comes from Texas,
00:20:17.133 --> 00:20:19.733
it's processed in Mexico
and goes to Japan.
00:20:19.733 --> 00:20:21.033
Man: Yeah, exactly.
00:20:22.133 --> 00:20:23.800
Pati, voice-over:
Víctor André Gamas Mayer
00:20:23.800 --> 00:20:26.533
is a fourth generation
customs broker.
00:20:26.533 --> 00:20:29.533
We have more than
2000 clients operating
00:20:29.533 --> 00:20:31.533
in, uh, 180 countries.
00:20:31.533 --> 00:20:34.500
And those clients expand
from the mining industry
00:20:34.500 --> 00:20:35.833
to the produce industry,
00:20:35.833 --> 00:20:39.967
to the, uh,
automobile industry,
00:20:39.967 --> 00:20:41.667
uh, and anything
you can think of
00:20:41.667 --> 00:20:43.700
that is being produced
in North America,
00:20:43.700 --> 00:20:45.667
we have a hand on it.
00:20:45.667 --> 00:20:47.700
Now, tell me a little bit
about the importance
00:20:47.700 --> 00:20:50.667
of your location
on the borderlands.
00:20:50.667 --> 00:20:53.233
Why is that so crucial
and what happens here?
00:20:53.233 --> 00:20:55.767
André: As a whole,
looking at the borders, uh,
00:20:55.767 --> 00:20:57.333
between the United States
and Mexico,
00:20:57.333 --> 00:21:00.200
Nogales is arguably
the fourth most busiest
00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:01.567
port of entry,
00:21:01.567 --> 00:21:03.400
going from Laredo
to El Paso,
00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:05.300
San Diego, Nogales.
00:21:05.300 --> 00:21:06.933
Pati: Wow!
00:21:06.933 --> 00:21:08.867
But if we're talking
about the produce industry,
00:21:08.867 --> 00:21:11.333
we could argue that this
is the most important
00:21:11.333 --> 00:21:12.633
and the busiest one.
00:21:15.233 --> 00:21:17.800
We have been here
for more than 80 years,
00:21:17.800 --> 00:21:19.667
in Nogales, Sonora
and Nogales.
00:21:19.667 --> 00:21:21.233
Four generations.
00:21:21.233 --> 00:21:23.900
My great grandfather
arrived to Nogales, uh,
00:21:23.900 --> 00:21:26.233
Sonora to open
the port of entry
00:21:26.233 --> 00:21:28.367
as a member of
the Mexican military.
00:21:28.367 --> 00:21:31.333
Later on, he received
his license to become
00:21:31.333 --> 00:21:32.467
a customs broker.
00:21:32.467 --> 00:21:34.100
And as time went on,
00:21:34.100 --> 00:21:37.600
my family grew and our
family business grew.
00:21:37.600 --> 00:21:39.167
The border, I heard
once, is almost
00:21:39.167 --> 00:21:40.700
like a third country.
00:21:40.700 --> 00:21:43.633
We are bicultural,
binational, bilingual.
00:21:43.633 --> 00:21:46.567
And that strength
in being able to
00:21:46.567 --> 00:21:49.200
understand different
cultures, different regions,
00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:51.300
different nationalities
00:21:51.300 --> 00:21:53.367
allows us to have
a broader reach
00:21:53.367 --> 00:21:54.967
when we're working
in business,
00:21:54.967 --> 00:21:57.467
when we're meeting people
in our universities,
00:21:57.467 --> 00:21:59.467
or when we're simply
going out for a walk
00:21:59.467 --> 00:22:01.200
and--and bumping
into a neighbor.
00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:04.500
Without the U.S., Mexico
wouldn't be the same.
00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:07.167
And without, uh, Mexico,
the United States
00:22:07.167 --> 00:22:08.733
wouldn't be the same.
00:22:08.733 --> 00:22:10.433
Pati, voice-over:
And one thing is for sure,
00:22:10.433 --> 00:22:12.633
the U.S. would not
be the same
00:22:12.633 --> 00:22:14.900
without Mexico's
watermelon industry,
00:22:14.900 --> 00:22:18.400
which supplies the U.S.
during the winter months.
00:22:20.233 --> 00:22:21.933
Pati: And everything is
watermelon-themed.
00:22:21.933 --> 00:22:23.167
Christian:
Everything is watermelon,
00:22:23.167 --> 00:22:24.567
just like you see here...
00:22:24.567 --> 00:22:25.667
Pati, voice-over:
Christian's job is
00:22:25.667 --> 00:22:27.067
to sell watermelon.
00:22:27.067 --> 00:22:28.733
And he's either
really good at it,
00:22:28.733 --> 00:22:31.400
or maybe he likes them
a little too much.
00:22:31.400 --> 00:22:32.667
Pati:
A watermelon painting.
00:22:32.667 --> 00:22:34.067
Watermelon paintings,
yes.
00:22:34.067 --> 00:22:36.733
And I spy some beautiful
watermelon ladies.
00:22:36.733 --> 00:22:39.600
Yes, uh, every year,
at the National Watermelon
00:22:39.600 --> 00:22:43.567
Convention, we elect,
out of eight contestants,
00:22:43.567 --> 00:22:46.100
uh, we elect one national
watermelon queen
00:22:46.100 --> 00:22:48.233
for--for a year.
00:22:48.233 --> 00:22:49.733
Pati, voice-over:
And now he's trying
00:22:49.733 --> 00:22:51.300
to convince me
that watermelon
00:22:51.300 --> 00:22:52.667
can replace tomatoes.
00:22:52.667 --> 00:22:55.633
Pati: OK, so this is
your watermelon pico.
00:22:55.633 --> 00:22:57.400
My watermelon
pico de gallo.
00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:00.900
Pati, voice-over:
I'm definitely going
00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:03.167
to get emails
from the tomato people.
00:23:03.167 --> 00:23:05.200
Christian: So you should be
getting a little bit of kick,
00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:08.233
but you still kind of get like
a little sweet balance there.
00:23:08.233 --> 00:23:10.767
Pati, voice-over:
Next up, a poké replacing
00:23:10.767 --> 00:23:12.300
tuna with watermelon
00:23:12.300 --> 00:23:17.067
topped with watermelon
rind instead of cucumber.
00:23:17.067 --> 00:23:18.100
Cheers!
00:23:18.100 --> 00:23:19.400
Cheers!
00:23:20.833 --> 00:23:22.233
Pati, voice-over:
OK, here come
00:23:22.233 --> 00:23:23.633
the tuna people emails
00:23:23.633 --> 00:23:25.933
and the cucumber
people emails.
00:23:27.133 --> 00:23:30.767
This last one feels
like a bit of a stretch.
00:23:30.767 --> 00:23:33.567
Nigiri sushi using
seared watermelon
00:23:33.567 --> 00:23:35.267
instead of tuna.
00:23:35.267 --> 00:23:37.500
Oh-oh.
I got too excited.
00:23:37.500 --> 00:23:38.933
Hold on.
00:23:38.933 --> 00:23:40.633
I'm supposed to do it
in one bite?
00:23:40.633 --> 00:23:44.700
No, you can take--
you can do it in two, yeah.
00:23:44.700 --> 00:23:46.567
Now I lost mine.
00:23:49.167 --> 00:23:51.400
Even though the watermelon
is warm, it's still kind
00:23:51.400 --> 00:23:54.467
of refreshing, it still has
a little bit of sweetness.
00:23:54.467 --> 00:23:55.867
This is my favorite.
00:23:55.867 --> 00:23:57.333
Pati, voice-over:
I'm fully aware
00:23:57.333 --> 00:23:58.733
I'm getting
the hard sell,
00:23:58.733 --> 00:24:00.733
but these are
surprisingly tasty.
00:24:00.733 --> 00:24:03.900
If you think the watermelon
people are intense...
00:24:03.900 --> 00:24:05.100
Yes.
00:24:06.133 --> 00:24:07.700
Pati, voice-over:
Just wait until you meet
00:24:07.700 --> 00:24:09.633
the chile people.
00:24:09.633 --> 00:24:14.100
[Music]
00:24:14.100 --> 00:24:16.700
A five-hour drive
from Nogales, Arizona,
00:24:16.700 --> 00:24:18.433
is Hatch, New Mexico,
00:24:18.433 --> 00:24:20.533
widely considered
the chile capital
00:24:20.533 --> 00:24:22.067
of the world.
00:24:22.067 --> 00:24:24.233
But this Mexican
will be the judge of that.
00:24:24.233 --> 00:24:26.933
The--the sun feels so nice
because it's getting
00:24:26.933 --> 00:24:30.300
so "chile." So chilly!
So chile!
00:24:30.300 --> 00:24:32.700
Is it chilly or chile?
00:24:32.700 --> 00:24:34.433
That's the big question
around here.
00:24:34.433 --> 00:24:36.400
It is chilly
in this chile town.
00:24:36.400 --> 00:24:37.767
Andrea: Yes.
00:24:37.767 --> 00:24:39.067
Pati, voice-over:
Andrea Álvarez is
00:24:39.067 --> 00:24:40.767
a product
of four generations
00:24:40.767 --> 00:24:42.733
of chile farmers
who've worked these fields
00:24:42.733 --> 00:24:46.367
since before New Mexico
became a state in 1912.
00:24:46.367 --> 00:24:50.400
Pati: I feel like most people
think about Hatch chiles
00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:52.367
as a variety of chile.
00:24:52.367 --> 00:24:54.000
A chile called Hatch.
00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:56.733
It's actually not,
so Hatch is a location,
00:24:56.733 --> 00:25:00.967
and everybody thinks
that Hatch is the chile.
00:25:00.967 --> 00:25:03.233
No, it's chile
that's grown in Hatch,
00:25:03.233 --> 00:25:05.067
New Mexico.
OK.
00:25:05.067 --> 00:25:06.533
And there's different
varieties of chile
00:25:06.533 --> 00:25:08.233
that are grown here,
in the valley,
00:25:08.233 --> 00:25:09.933
that we're famous for.
00:25:09.933 --> 00:25:12.100
And the reason
we're so famous for it
00:25:12.100 --> 00:25:14.733
is because we have
the perfect soil,
00:25:14.733 --> 00:25:16.233
the perfect PH balance,
00:25:16.233 --> 00:25:17.467
we're right next
to the river.
00:25:17.467 --> 00:25:18.633
We have
the perfect weather,
00:25:18.633 --> 00:25:20.833
and all these
different things
00:25:20.833 --> 00:25:24.233
come into contribute
to make the chile taste
00:25:24.233 --> 00:25:26.833
in a way that no other
chile tastes.
00:25:26.833 --> 00:25:29.167
Now, tell me,
there's green chile
00:25:29.167 --> 00:25:30.567
and red chile.
00:25:30.567 --> 00:25:32.133
So if you order anything
red in this valley,
00:25:32.133 --> 00:25:34.400
Sandia hot is
what they're using
00:25:34.400 --> 00:25:35.700
and that's a variety.
00:25:35.700 --> 00:25:37.400
OK. And what chile is
typically used
00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:38.667
for the green chile?
00:25:38.667 --> 00:25:40.433
It's gonna be
the Big Jim.
00:25:40.433 --> 00:25:42.433
It's the most famous
variety here,
00:25:42.433 --> 00:25:43.900
in the Hatch valley.
00:25:43.900 --> 00:25:45.167
Pati, voice-over:
The town of Hatch is
00:25:45.167 --> 00:25:46.833
like a big family.
00:25:46.833 --> 00:25:48.700
And Andrea is so dedicated
that she even planned
00:25:48.700 --> 00:25:52.067
her soon-to-be child's birth
around harvest season.
00:25:52.067 --> 00:25:54.167
But she's concerned
that a century of family
00:25:54.167 --> 00:25:55.967
farming tradition is
threatened.
00:25:55.967 --> 00:25:58.700
So much so that she's
producing a documentary
00:25:58.700 --> 00:26:01.467
about how big corporations
are taking over
00:26:01.467 --> 00:26:03.033
the family farms,
00:26:03.033 --> 00:26:05.133
and the younger generations
are finding better
00:26:05.133 --> 00:26:07.967
economic opportunities
elsewhere.
00:26:07.967 --> 00:26:10.700
These kids are leaving,
pursuing different careers
00:26:10.700 --> 00:26:12.800
and pursuing
the American dream,
00:26:12.800 --> 00:26:15.000
and rightfully so,
you know what I mean?
00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:17.767
But as they're doing that,
we're losing these skills
00:26:17.767 --> 00:26:19.533
of working in the field.
00:26:21.233 --> 00:26:22.733
Pati, voice-over:
Jesús Pérez and his wife,
00:26:22.733 --> 00:26:24.433
Esperanza,
are a good example.
00:26:24.433 --> 00:26:27.267
They've been in the chile
business here for 40 years,
00:26:27.267 --> 00:26:30.167
working in the fields
and selling decorative ristras
00:26:30.167 --> 00:26:32.500
that they make in a shed
in their backyard.
00:26:32.500 --> 00:26:36.467
[Speaking Spanish]
00:26:45.867 --> 00:26:47.567
Pati, voice-over:
At 70 years old,
00:26:47.567 --> 00:26:50.567
Jesús starts work
at 5 a.m. every day.
00:26:50.567 --> 00:26:52.133
Their three kids
once helped,
00:26:52.133 --> 00:26:55.133
but have moved far away
for different careers.
00:26:55.133 --> 00:26:57.933
[Speaking Spanish]
00:27:25.100 --> 00:27:26.800
Pati, voice-over:
Andrea's friend and mentor,
00:27:26.800 --> 00:27:29.033
Scott Adams is
a fifth generation
00:27:29.033 --> 00:27:30.600
chile farmer.
00:27:30.600 --> 00:27:32.967
In our school systems
we're trying to train
00:27:32.967 --> 00:27:34.700
people away
from the farms.
00:27:34.700 --> 00:27:37.500
But now the government
is actually offering
00:27:37.500 --> 00:27:41.100
programs for young farmers
to come back to the farms
00:27:41.100 --> 00:27:42.933
because they'd wake up
one day and say,
00:27:42.933 --> 00:27:44.600
"Well, we're not gonna
have any food."
00:27:44.600 --> 00:27:46.033
Pati, voice-over:
Scott's family owns
00:27:46.033 --> 00:27:48.067
one of the bigger
farms in town
00:27:48.067 --> 00:27:51.533
with upwards
of 630 acres of chile
00:27:51.533 --> 00:27:53.067
in 15 different varieties.
00:27:53.067 --> 00:27:54.567
So your family has
been in the business
00:27:54.567 --> 00:27:56.033
for how long?
00:27:56.033 --> 00:27:57.900
If I went back to
my great-grandfather?
00:27:57.900 --> 00:27:59.100
Yeah.
00:27:59.100 --> 00:28:00.767
Probably, close to
a hundred years.
00:28:00.767 --> 00:28:03.167
So there's six children
in my family.
00:28:03.167 --> 00:28:04.233
OK.
00:28:04.233 --> 00:28:05.700
I'm left here.
00:28:05.700 --> 00:28:08.033
And then my brother
is in Las Cruces.
00:28:08.033 --> 00:28:10.500
My oldest brother.
That's it, yeah.
00:28:10.500 --> 00:28:12.867
Sometimes the children
are born.
00:28:12.867 --> 00:28:14.833
And they have "farmer"
on their forehead.
00:28:14.833 --> 00:28:16.700
I have three daughters
and one son,
00:28:16.700 --> 00:28:19.700
and they're all involved
in the farm business.
00:28:19.700 --> 00:28:21.067
And they all were born
with "farmer"
00:28:21.067 --> 00:28:23.533
on their forehead?
Or you're making sure?
00:28:23.533 --> 00:28:25.267
Or they brought
farmers home.
00:28:25.267 --> 00:28:26.867
Oh, really?
00:28:26.867 --> 00:28:28.567
Yeah, there's three girls
and they married.
00:28:28.567 --> 00:28:30.833
They said, "When you shop,
shop right."
00:28:30.833 --> 00:28:32.333
Bring farmers home.
00:28:32.333 --> 00:28:33.833
But they all like
this way of life?
00:28:33.833 --> 00:28:35.500
They like this way
of life.
00:28:38.400 --> 00:28:40.800
Pati, voice-over: Valley Cafe is
a family-owned restaurant
00:28:40.800 --> 00:28:42.567
and one of Andrea's
favorite places
00:28:42.567 --> 00:28:45.000
to get enchiladas
and flautas covered
00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:46.233
in chile sauce.
00:28:46.233 --> 00:28:47.800
I can't decide
on green or red,
00:28:47.800 --> 00:28:50.133
so I'm getting my enchiladas
Christmas-style.
00:28:50.133 --> 00:28:52.633
Oh, thank you.
00:28:52.633 --> 00:28:54.033
Thank you so much.
00:28:54.033 --> 00:28:55.300
Waitress: You guys,
enjoy your food.
00:28:55.300 --> 00:28:56.367
Thank you.
00:28:56.367 --> 00:28:57.433
Thank you.
00:28:57.433 --> 00:28:58.700
They look so good.
00:28:58.700 --> 00:29:00.467
And rather than
rolled enchiladas,
00:29:00.467 --> 00:29:02.100
that crunch's
so delicious
00:29:02.100 --> 00:29:05.167
I'm inclined to steal
one of those flautas
00:29:05.167 --> 00:29:06.367
from you.
00:29:06.367 --> 00:29:07.733
Please, do.
00:29:10.400 --> 00:29:12.033
That green chile
is spicy.
00:29:13.867 --> 00:29:16.300
Oh, my God,
it's so spicy.
00:29:16.300 --> 00:29:17.833
[Laughs]
00:29:17.833 --> 00:29:19.733
Have you tasted
anything like it before?
00:29:19.733 --> 00:29:22.733
I mean, I've tasted
hot chiles.
00:29:22.733 --> 00:29:26.667
For sure, but this is
a very peculiar kind
00:29:26.667 --> 00:29:28.600
of heat and taste.
00:29:28.600 --> 00:29:31.300
And it's just staying
there.
00:29:31.300 --> 00:29:33.133
Yep, it burns different.
00:29:33.133 --> 00:29:34.833
And it just lingers.
00:29:34.833 --> 00:29:36.667
It lingers,
I was gonna say...
00:29:36.667 --> 00:29:41.900
The food of a place
resembles its people.
00:29:41.900 --> 00:29:45.267
And having met you
and so many people here
00:29:45.267 --> 00:29:47.533
from the community,
00:29:47.533 --> 00:29:50.667
people here are just
like the Hatch chiles.
00:29:50.667 --> 00:29:52.867
They're bold and strong.
00:29:52.867 --> 00:29:53.967
Yes.
00:29:53.967 --> 00:29:56.200
What is it that you
want to preserve
00:29:56.200 --> 00:29:57.700
and fight for?
00:29:57.700 --> 00:29:59.800
That is--the most
important thing to me
00:29:59.800 --> 00:30:01.467
is to continue
to preserve
00:30:01.467 --> 00:30:02.867
a family tradition.
00:30:02.867 --> 00:30:05.733
And I'm not the only one
who feels that way.
00:30:05.733 --> 00:30:08.000
I think it's something
that's instilled
00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:09.100
in all of us.
00:30:09.100 --> 00:30:10.400
Whether we're
business owners,
00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:11.967
whether we're farmers,
00:30:11.967 --> 00:30:14.800
any individual particularly
wants to create
00:30:14.800 --> 00:30:16.700
something that they
can leave their child.
00:30:16.700 --> 00:30:18.167
I think it's human nature.
00:30:18.167 --> 00:30:19.667
It's the legacy.
00:30:19.667 --> 00:30:22.000
Like, let's--let's take
this kiddo, for example,
00:30:22.000 --> 00:30:24.100
that's growing
inside of me.
00:30:24.100 --> 00:30:25.900
I may not be able
to leave them anything
00:30:25.900 --> 00:30:28.700
monetarily, but they
will always have
00:30:28.700 --> 00:30:30.533
a set of skills,
00:30:30.533 --> 00:30:33.033
work ethic,
perseverance.
00:30:33.033 --> 00:30:35.567
Pati, voice-over: Also a threat
are the many companies
00:30:35.567 --> 00:30:37.000
that profit
from the Hatch name
00:30:37.000 --> 00:30:39.233
without actually growing
chiles here
00:30:39.233 --> 00:30:41.233
or investing back
into the community.
00:30:41.233 --> 00:30:43.700
It's especially tough
for a town known
00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:45.200
for serving others
where there are
00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:48.567
as many military veterans
as there are farmers.
00:30:48.567 --> 00:30:50.567
There's a sense
of serving.
00:30:50.567 --> 00:30:52.500
That's something
that I've seen
00:30:52.500 --> 00:30:54.433
a--a lot of, amongst
many families,
00:30:54.433 --> 00:30:55.667
not just my own.
00:30:55.667 --> 00:30:58.100
But a sense of--of serving
00:30:58.100 --> 00:31:00.833
not only our community,
but our nation.
00:31:00.833 --> 00:31:04.900
And there's so much more
to--to it than meets the eye.
00:31:04.900 --> 00:31:06.567
You know, I think
so many of us take
00:31:06.567 --> 00:31:10.667
for granted, you know,
what freedom is
00:31:10.667 --> 00:31:14.033
and the cost of it
and it's more than
00:31:14.033 --> 00:31:18.867
a gentleman signing up
four years of his life.
00:31:18.867 --> 00:31:20.133
Sorry.
00:31:22.633 --> 00:31:24.233
Pati, voice-over:
The warm sunny days
00:31:24.233 --> 00:31:25.800
and cool breezy nights
00:31:25.800 --> 00:31:28.967
are said to be the secret
to the spicy rich flavor,
00:31:28.967 --> 00:31:31.433
but I think the warmth
of the families here
00:31:31.433 --> 00:31:33.433
have something to do
with it, too.
00:31:33.433 --> 00:31:36.000
[Speaking Spanish]
00:31:47.100 --> 00:31:48.567
Pati, voice-over:
Hatch chile is used
00:31:48.567 --> 00:31:50.700
for much more
than enchiladas.
00:31:50.700 --> 00:31:53.500
My last stop is Sparkys,
in the center of town.
00:31:53.500 --> 00:31:56.133
It's impossible to miss.
00:31:56.133 --> 00:32:00.200
Pati: I want the world-famous
green chile hamburger!
00:32:00.200 --> 00:32:01.500
Hello.
00:32:01.500 --> 00:32:02.500
Pati, voice-over:
Owners Teako Nunn
00:32:02.500 --> 00:32:04.100
and his wife Josie
00:32:04.100 --> 00:32:06.400
I'm told make a legendary
green chile cheeseburger.
00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:08.233
Hello.
00:32:08.233 --> 00:32:10.967
This place
just stands out.
00:32:10.967 --> 00:32:12.633
Tell me a little bit
about everything
00:32:12.633 --> 00:32:13.967
that you have out here.
00:32:13.967 --> 00:32:16.700
It started with
A&W Root Beer Mama,
00:32:16.700 --> 00:32:18.200
she's on the roof.
00:32:18.200 --> 00:32:20.233
OK, so you just keep on
bringing things.
00:32:20.233 --> 00:32:21.500
Yeah.
00:32:21.500 --> 00:32:24.100
Like we had that
Sparky robot made
00:32:24.100 --> 00:32:27.867
and Teako built
the old west town.
00:32:27.867 --> 00:32:31.000
Why is it so important
to you to make people happy
00:32:31.000 --> 00:32:33.300
and to give them
so many things
00:32:33.300 --> 00:32:35.033
to be entertained with?
00:32:35.033 --> 00:32:36.167
It makes us happy.
00:32:36.167 --> 00:32:37.767
It's fun.
00:32:37.767 --> 00:32:39.500
Pati, voice-over:
It started as a coffee shop
00:32:39.500 --> 00:32:43.133
in 2008, but their eclectic
style and crazy good chile
00:32:43.133 --> 00:32:45.700
cheeseburger quickly
got the town talking.
00:32:45.700 --> 00:32:47.967
It was like 200 people,
00:32:47.967 --> 00:32:50.233
and then now it's like
around the building.
00:32:50.233 --> 00:32:53.667
And it's just beautiful
to see all these people.
00:32:53.667 --> 00:32:54.833
Pati, voice-over:
Teako's father,
00:32:54.833 --> 00:32:56.200
a former restaurant owner,
00:32:56.200 --> 00:32:58.000
taught him the importance
of making people
00:32:58.000 --> 00:32:59.433
feel special.
00:32:59.433 --> 00:33:02.300
I hope I don't get
sentimental,
00:33:02.300 --> 00:33:04.433
but it's mood.
00:33:04.433 --> 00:33:06.500
Dad taught me mood.
00:33:06.500 --> 00:33:11.267
And we want
everybody to have
00:33:11.267 --> 00:33:12.600
a good time.
00:33:14.267 --> 00:33:16.067
Pati, voice-over:
It's definitely a good time.
00:33:16.067 --> 00:33:19.033
It's kind of like
if Andy Warhol opened
00:33:19.033 --> 00:33:20.233
a burger joint.
00:33:20.233 --> 00:33:22.233
They were kind enough
to open for me
00:33:22.233 --> 00:33:24.967
and my team on a day
they're usually closed.
00:33:24.967 --> 00:33:27.100
Pati: This feels like
an amusement park!
00:33:27.100 --> 00:33:29.300
Yeah, well, there's
a lot of stuff in here
00:33:29.300 --> 00:33:30.867
that came--
like the Trapper,
00:33:30.867 --> 00:33:32.433
he's from
an amusement park.
00:33:32.433 --> 00:33:33.833
Pati: Oh, wow!
00:33:33.833 --> 00:33:35.300
Man: The Trapper's wisdom
for the ticket.
00:33:35.300 --> 00:33:37.833
Why did you move
to Hatch?
00:33:37.833 --> 00:33:39.333
To get out of the city.
00:33:39.333 --> 00:33:40.600
Pati: OK.
00:33:40.600 --> 00:33:42.800
There were 1500
people here then.
00:33:42.800 --> 00:33:45.800
And we've been here
42 years
00:33:45.800 --> 00:33:48.700
and there's still
only 1500 people, it's...
00:33:48.700 --> 00:33:49.900
And you love that.
00:33:49.900 --> 00:33:52.567
Everybody kind
of knows everybody
00:33:52.567 --> 00:33:55.000
and they chip in
when things are down,
00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:57.567
you know? They help
each other.
00:33:57.567 --> 00:33:59.233
It's pretty cool.
00:33:59.233 --> 00:34:01.767
So what's so unique about
your green chile burger?
00:34:01.767 --> 00:34:03.300
Or is it just that you,
guys, make it
00:34:03.300 --> 00:34:04.533
and you're so endearing?
00:34:04.533 --> 00:34:05.567
Josie: I think...
00:34:05.567 --> 00:34:08.367
[Laugh]
00:34:08.367 --> 00:34:11.033
I think it's the seasonings
and everything.
00:34:11.033 --> 00:34:13.833
And also our green chile
cheeseburger
00:34:13.833 --> 00:34:16.033
doesn't have
all the add-ons,
00:34:16.033 --> 00:34:18.833
like tomato, lettuce.
You get...
00:34:18.833 --> 00:34:21.767
Nothing, just
green chile and cheese.
00:34:21.767 --> 00:34:23.500
So I wanna try
a burger.
00:34:23.500 --> 00:34:25.033
Teako:
Let's--Let's go.
00:34:25.033 --> 00:34:26.667
Pati, voice-over:
Honestly, it's hard for me
00:34:26.667 --> 00:34:28.567
to imagine my burger
without ketchup.
00:34:28.567 --> 00:34:30.167
But they do things
a little differently
00:34:30.167 --> 00:34:33.367
around here, in case
you hadn't noticed.
00:34:33.367 --> 00:34:36.233
Come, Tyler, come
see the green chile.
00:34:36.233 --> 00:34:37.633
It looks beautiful.
00:34:37.633 --> 00:34:41.633
Teako: It's USDA choice,
black Angus 80/20.
00:34:41.633 --> 00:34:43.300
It's perfect
for a burger.
00:34:43.300 --> 00:34:45.267
And this is
your secret seasoning?
00:34:45.267 --> 00:34:46.433
Yes.
00:34:46.433 --> 00:34:47.833
Yeah. Oh!
00:34:47.833 --> 00:34:49.500
Aren't you something?
00:34:49.500 --> 00:34:50.967
Yeah, there you go.
00:34:50.967 --> 00:34:52.300
Pati, voice-over:
OK, now we're getting
00:34:52.300 --> 00:34:53.867
into the good stuff.
00:34:53.867 --> 00:34:55.767
The 50-year-old secret
family spice recipe
00:34:55.767 --> 00:34:57.567
passed down
by Teako's father
00:34:57.567 --> 00:35:00.300
that gives these burgers
an extra punch.
00:35:00.300 --> 00:35:01.333
[Laughter]
00:35:01.333 --> 00:35:03.067
Yeah, yeah.
00:35:03.067 --> 00:35:05.067
Pati, voice-over: Let's see if
I can guess what's in it.
00:35:05.067 --> 00:35:06.167
No.
00:35:06.167 --> 00:35:07.833
You'll see.
00:35:07.833 --> 00:35:10.300
I didn't get it,
I didn't guess anything.
00:35:10.300 --> 00:35:12.167
You got half.
00:35:12.167 --> 00:35:13.533
Oh, yeah.
00:35:13.533 --> 00:35:15.467
Pati: Oh, that is looking
so beautiful.
00:35:15.467 --> 00:35:17.800
OK, so now is when you
do the green chile?
00:35:17.800 --> 00:35:20.233
Yeah, now this is gonna be
about four ounces.
00:35:20.233 --> 00:35:22.567
All right, we're gonna
just put that burger...
00:35:22.567 --> 00:35:24.800
Hold on now,
it's heavy.
00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:26.433
And then we're gonna
put the top on
00:35:26.433 --> 00:35:28.067
just like that.
00:35:28.067 --> 00:35:29.567
Whoa!
00:35:29.567 --> 00:35:34.567
This is the world-famous
green chile cheeseburger
00:35:34.567 --> 00:35:36.067
from Teako.
00:35:36.067 --> 00:35:39.367
He said not to say it,
but he's making it for me.
00:35:39.367 --> 00:35:40.533
La familia.
00:35:40.533 --> 00:35:43.033
[Laugh]
00:35:43.033 --> 00:35:44.267
OK.
00:35:44.267 --> 00:35:46.033
Good luck.
Buena suerte.
00:35:49.667 --> 00:35:52.300
The meat is so tasty.
00:35:52.300 --> 00:35:55.100
And the consistency
is perfect.
00:35:55.100 --> 00:35:57.600
And the green chile
has so much flavor.
00:35:57.600 --> 00:35:59.467
It's spicy,
but like good,
00:35:59.467 --> 00:36:00.867
with a kick.
00:36:00.867 --> 00:36:03.100
And the melted cheese
on top is delicious.
00:36:03.100 --> 00:36:04.567
Good.
00:36:04.567 --> 00:36:06.233
Pati, voice-over:
The burger is perfect,
00:36:06.233 --> 00:36:08.367
but I continue to be
impressed by the full heart
00:36:08.367 --> 00:36:09.733
of the people
of this town.
00:36:09.733 --> 00:36:11.700
Yeah,
I'm just grateful.
00:36:11.700 --> 00:36:13.567
That's
what motivates me.
00:36:13.567 --> 00:36:14.933
Can I have some
of your fries?
00:36:14.933 --> 00:36:17.967
Please. Thank you
so much, Teako.
00:36:21.967 --> 00:36:23.300
Pati, voice-over:
For the town of Hatch
00:36:23.300 --> 00:36:25.033
to thrive,
it relies heavily
00:36:25.033 --> 00:36:26.567
on Mexican workers
00:36:26.567 --> 00:36:29.567
with temporary visas
to work in the fields.
00:36:29.567 --> 00:36:31.833
About an hour south,
in the town of Columbus,
00:36:31.833 --> 00:36:33.667
New Mexico it's
the opposite.
00:36:33.667 --> 00:36:36.300
Puerto Palomas, Mexico,
relies on its sister city
00:36:36.300 --> 00:36:38.800
of Columbus to get
their kids to school.
00:36:40.600 --> 00:36:42.700
Monday through Friday,
hundreds of kids
00:36:42.700 --> 00:36:44.700
wind their way through
the Puerto Palomas
00:36:44.700 --> 00:36:46.567
border crossing,
00:36:46.567 --> 00:36:48.500
where they're greeted
by U.S. school buses
00:36:48.500 --> 00:36:50.767
that bring them
to school.
00:36:50.767 --> 00:36:53.100
Diego is one of
the Mexican border guards,
00:36:53.100 --> 00:36:55.667
who greets these kids
every school day.
00:36:55.667 --> 00:36:58.067
[Speaking Spanish]
00:37:10.433 --> 00:37:13.100
Pati, voice-over: But it's not
just a benefit for Mexico.
00:37:13.100 --> 00:37:15.833
I think it's important
to understand
00:37:15.833 --> 00:37:18.367
that every student
that lives in Mexico
00:37:18.367 --> 00:37:19.967
that is a U.S. citizen
00:37:19.967 --> 00:37:22.667
comes here,
gets an education,
00:37:22.667 --> 00:37:25.267
and eventually
they move over
00:37:25.267 --> 00:37:26.733
to the United States.
00:37:26.733 --> 00:37:31.433
Eventually, they become,
uh, part of our economy.
00:37:31.433 --> 00:37:34.700
[Bell rings]
00:37:34.700 --> 00:37:36.633
What are you
dressed as?
00:37:36.633 --> 00:37:38.067
Pati, voice-over:
Viridiana Chacón is
00:37:38.067 --> 00:37:39.967
the principal
of Columbus Elementary,
00:37:39.967 --> 00:37:44.067
a U.S. school where 75%
of the kids live in Mexico.
00:37:44.067 --> 00:37:46.333
Viridiana: The kids
going to Palomas
00:37:46.333 --> 00:37:49.400
it's only about
five miles away.
00:37:49.400 --> 00:37:50.533
So super close.
00:37:50.533 --> 00:37:51.967
Yes, yes,
it's super close.
00:37:51.967 --> 00:37:54.967
So it takes them
about 10, 15 minutes
00:37:54.967 --> 00:37:57.533
to get there
and to come back.
00:37:57.533 --> 00:37:58.967
Pati, voice-over:
It's not unique for kids
00:37:58.967 --> 00:38:01.033
to commute
across borders,
00:38:01.033 --> 00:38:02.967
but this is the only
place in the U.S.
00:38:02.967 --> 00:38:04.833
where a public
school system
00:38:04.833 --> 00:38:06.433
sends buses
to the border
00:38:06.433 --> 00:38:09.433
to pick up and drop off
students.
00:38:09.433 --> 00:38:12.600
How many years since when
has this been happening?
00:38:12.600 --> 00:38:15.567
Well, see, I grew up
here, in Columbus.
00:38:15.567 --> 00:38:18.167
And it was already
in place.
00:38:18.167 --> 00:38:19.400
Yeah.
00:38:19.400 --> 00:38:22.567
And I would say more
than maybe...
00:38:22.567 --> 00:38:23.933
Since the 40s or so?
00:38:23.933 --> 00:38:26.700
Yeah, yeah.
It's been quite a while.
00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:29.600
Pati, voice-over:
The school district
00:38:29.600 --> 00:38:31.233
used to accept all
of the children
00:38:31.233 --> 00:38:32.667
who came over.
00:38:32.667 --> 00:38:34.467
But that stopped
when the law changed
00:38:34.467 --> 00:38:35.833
in the 90s.
00:38:35.833 --> 00:38:38.500
You know, every kid
that gets on that bus,
00:38:38.500 --> 00:38:40.633
that crosses
the port of entry,
00:38:40.633 --> 00:38:42.067
is a U.S. citizen.
00:38:43.567 --> 00:38:45.000
Pati, voice-over:
Where can I find
00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:47.033
two parents to talk
with about this?
00:38:49.967 --> 00:38:51.467
[Speaking Spanish]
00:38:51.467 --> 00:38:53.233
Pati, voice-over: If you say
"delicious restaurant,"
00:38:53.233 --> 00:38:56.167
you know me too well.
00:38:56.167 --> 00:38:58.967
Adriana Zizumbo owns
Borderland Café,
00:38:58.967 --> 00:39:00.967
which is famous
for these nachos
00:39:00.967 --> 00:39:03.533
topped with her signature
white enchilada sauce
00:39:03.533 --> 00:39:05.700
made from fresh
Mennonite cheese.
00:39:07.333 --> 00:39:09.700
She lives in the U.S.
and her daughter goes
00:39:09.700 --> 00:39:11.533
to Columbus Elementary.
00:39:11.533 --> 00:39:14.433
Working at her side
is Yvette Lira,
00:39:14.433 --> 00:39:17.033
a U.S. citizen
living in Mexico.
00:39:17.033 --> 00:39:19.000
You like living
in Palomas more than?
00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:20.967
I love, yeah, I love
living in Palomas.
00:39:20.967 --> 00:39:22.900
I think
it's just way better.
00:39:22.900 --> 00:39:24.000
And why?
00:39:24.000 --> 00:39:26.800
You have, uh, more
like a free life.
00:39:26.800 --> 00:39:29.667
Like, it's more calm,
more like you don't stress
00:39:29.667 --> 00:39:31.500
about a lot of stuff
that you have to stress
00:39:31.500 --> 00:39:32.900
over here,
in the United States.
00:39:32.900 --> 00:39:35.800
So you guys live
on different sides
00:39:35.800 --> 00:39:37.367
of the border,
but your kids go
00:39:37.367 --> 00:39:38.433
to Columbus.
00:39:38.433 --> 00:39:39.833
Yes.
00:39:39.833 --> 00:39:42.067
So your kids go
to the same school.
00:39:42.067 --> 00:39:43.967
And how is
that experience?
00:39:43.967 --> 00:39:46.567
I mean, I don't even think
they notice it, you know?
00:39:46.567 --> 00:39:48.067
They just go to school
together and that's
00:39:48.067 --> 00:39:49.633
all they know,
after school,
00:39:49.633 --> 00:39:51.567
they get on the bus
and, you know,
00:39:51.567 --> 00:39:53.033
my daughter gets
dropped off here
00:39:53.033 --> 00:39:54.500
at the restaurant.
00:39:54.500 --> 00:39:56.633
Her kids get dropped off
at the border.
00:39:56.633 --> 00:39:58.833
And, you know,
like a lot of parents,
00:39:58.833 --> 00:40:01.600
they're already waiting
for them in--at the border.
00:40:01.600 --> 00:40:04.100
And they all deserve
that chance to come in
00:40:04.100 --> 00:40:07.000
an--and learn an--
and get the opportunity
00:40:07.000 --> 00:40:08.600
that, you know,
our children here,
00:40:08.600 --> 00:40:10.500
in the States, get.
00:40:10.500 --> 00:40:11.667
Pati, voice-over:
While the students
00:40:11.667 --> 00:40:13.100
are U.S. citizens,
00:40:13.100 --> 00:40:14.667
some of their parents
may not be,
00:40:14.667 --> 00:40:16.500
so they cannot visit
the school,
00:40:16.500 --> 00:40:18.300
see the teachers,
nor come to any
00:40:18.300 --> 00:40:19.967
after-school activities
00:40:19.967 --> 00:40:22.900
like this folkloric
dance event.
00:40:22.900 --> 00:40:33.567
[Music]
00:40:33.567 --> 00:40:35.533
Good job, girls.
00:40:35.533 --> 00:40:37.033
[Applause]
00:40:37.033 --> 00:40:38.500
Pati, voice-over:
Tonight is a feast
00:40:38.500 --> 00:40:39.600
to commemorate
the Mexican
00:40:39.600 --> 00:40:40.967
Día de la Revolución.
00:40:40.967 --> 00:40:42.967
Going back to school
isn't so bad
00:40:42.967 --> 00:40:44.733
when this is
the cafeteria food,
00:40:44.733 --> 00:40:47.233
enchiladas,
crispy chicken taquitos,
00:40:47.233 --> 00:40:50.767
rice, beans, salsa
guacamole, crema.
00:40:54.300 --> 00:40:56.233
Mmm!
00:40:56.233 --> 00:40:57.700
What about the food?
00:40:57.700 --> 00:40:59.567
The food is delicious.
00:40:59.567 --> 00:41:00.933
[Laughs]
00:41:00.933 --> 00:41:02.500
Pati, voice-over:
Teacher Nicole Bearden's
00:41:02.500 --> 00:41:04.767
son and daughter
go to this school
00:41:04.767 --> 00:41:06.333
as do the other
two dancers
00:41:06.333 --> 00:41:07.900
at our table.
00:41:07.900 --> 00:41:10.067
They're really nice,
they help us learn and...
00:41:10.067 --> 00:41:11.833
Yeah?
00:41:11.833 --> 00:41:13.200
Pati, voice-over:
Twice a day everyone
00:41:13.200 --> 00:41:14.933
at this table
crosses the border.
00:41:14.933 --> 00:41:17.733
So you guys--
You all live in Palomas.
00:41:17.733 --> 00:41:20.067
It just feels like we live
out of town, you know?
00:41:20.067 --> 00:41:22.233
You just have to take a
little longer to get here.
00:41:22.233 --> 00:41:23.633
Yeah.
00:41:23.633 --> 00:41:24.800
Pati, voice-over:
Nicole is from the U.S.,
00:41:24.800 --> 00:41:26.167
but moved to Mexico
00:41:26.167 --> 00:41:27.867
with her husband
and kids.
00:41:27.867 --> 00:41:30.333
And I just--I like it lot.
I like it a lot better.
00:41:30.333 --> 00:41:31.967
How so?
00:41:31.967 --> 00:41:33.700
Uh, just you see somebody
walk down the street,
00:41:33.700 --> 00:41:35.633
you say, "Good morning,
how are you?" Um.
00:41:35.633 --> 00:41:38.167
Everybody smiles
at each other.
00:41:38.167 --> 00:41:39.700
They help each other out.
00:41:39.700 --> 00:41:40.967
Pati, voice-over:
And she's happy
00:41:40.967 --> 00:41:42.400
that her children
are getting
00:41:42.400 --> 00:41:44.433
a fully bilingual
education.
00:41:44.433 --> 00:41:46.000
I can already tell
in my kids' lives
00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:48.467
as children how much
it has helped them.
00:41:48.467 --> 00:41:50.467
So I can only imagine
as an adult
00:41:50.467 --> 00:41:53.967
how--how much
they'll achieve
00:41:53.967 --> 00:41:56.633
by knowing more
than one language.
00:41:58.833 --> 00:42:00.800
The kids
that come over here
00:42:00.800 --> 00:42:02.733
were born
in the United States.
00:42:02.733 --> 00:42:04.967
They have every right
to an education
00:42:04.967 --> 00:42:08.067
just like every other--
every other kid.
00:42:08.067 --> 00:42:10.833
So for them providing
that bussing for them,
00:42:10.833 --> 00:42:14.133
I know that it's essential
for so many of the kids.
00:42:14.133 --> 00:42:17.467
I--I see them
piling onto the bus
00:42:17.467 --> 00:42:19.000
every morning here.
00:42:20.700 --> 00:42:23.567
Pati: Any reaction of
people not being happy
00:42:23.567 --> 00:42:25.433
with people coming
from Mexico
00:42:25.433 --> 00:42:27.000
to get an education?
00:42:27.000 --> 00:42:29.000
I believe this has been
happening for so many years
00:42:29.000 --> 00:42:32.267
that--that people around
here just see it as...
00:42:32.267 --> 00:42:34.700
a normal everyday
occurrence.
00:42:35.900 --> 00:42:37.567
Pati, voice-over:
So look around.
00:42:37.567 --> 00:42:40.033
Which kids will return
to the U.S.
00:42:40.033 --> 00:42:41.300
when they grow up?
00:42:41.300 --> 00:42:42.900
Vivian says most
of these kids
00:42:42.900 --> 00:42:45.267
will return to find
their careers.
00:42:45.267 --> 00:42:48.033
Viridiana: Eventually they
become productive members
00:42:48.033 --> 00:42:51.233
of our society, which is--
and--and what we want.
00:42:51.233 --> 00:42:52.300
We come to learn.
00:42:52.300 --> 00:42:53.833
Pati:
You come to learn?
00:42:53.833 --> 00:42:55.733
The teachers are
really nice.
00:42:57.767 --> 00:42:59.033
Pati, voice-over:
Every border town like this
00:42:59.033 --> 00:43:00.533
has a unique
relationship
00:43:00.533 --> 00:43:02.133
with the one
on the other side,
00:43:02.133 --> 00:43:04.633
but here it feels alive
and thriving in a way
00:43:04.633 --> 00:43:06.833
that deeply benefits
each country.
00:43:06.833 --> 00:43:09.667
But, more importantly,
each kid.
00:43:09.667 --> 00:43:13.800
[Applause]
00:43:18.300 --> 00:43:21.433
And while the Columbus
school system is investing
00:43:21.433 --> 00:43:23.233
in the future,
00:43:23.233 --> 00:43:25.767
there's a community deep
in the remote landscape
00:43:25.767 --> 00:43:27.433
of Northern Chihuahua
00:43:27.433 --> 00:43:31.167
that is very much focused
on the past.
00:43:31.167 --> 00:43:34.100
For the Mennonite
community in El Sabinal,
00:43:34.100 --> 00:43:37.100
a century of seclusion
preserves their principles
00:43:37.100 --> 00:43:40.200
and carries on their devotedly
Christian culture.
00:43:40.200 --> 00:43:41.800
[Speaking German]
00:43:41.800 --> 00:43:44.833
Gender roles are based
on Biblical teachings.
00:43:44.833 --> 00:43:47.967
Men working
in the fields.
00:43:47.967 --> 00:43:51.500
Women cooking
and cleaning.
00:43:51.500 --> 00:43:55.833
[Singing in German]
00:43:55.833 --> 00:43:57.567
Where the native language
of the people,
00:43:57.567 --> 00:44:01.067
low German, is as foreign
as their fashion.
00:44:03.133 --> 00:44:06.467
[Speaking German]
00:44:13.333 --> 00:44:15.567
Oh!
00:44:15.567 --> 00:44:16.833
Pati, voice-over:
The Mennonite cheese
00:44:16.833 --> 00:44:18.767
is famous
throughout Mexico
00:44:18.767 --> 00:44:21.800
and I've been eating it
since I was little.
00:44:21.800 --> 00:44:24.700
David Hiedert is
the cheese maker in charge
00:44:24.700 --> 00:44:26.200
in the Sabinal.
00:44:26.200 --> 00:44:28.167
One of many small
colonies of Mennonites
00:44:28.167 --> 00:44:29.633
here, in Mexico.
00:44:29.633 --> 00:44:31.867
[Speaking Spanish]
00:44:36.433 --> 00:44:37.833
Pati, voice-over:
The Mennonites,
00:44:37.833 --> 00:44:39.567
with Swiss-Germanic roots,
00:44:39.567 --> 00:44:42.567
began arriving in Canada
in the 1700s,
00:44:42.567 --> 00:44:45.033
but eventually decided
they needed
00:44:45.033 --> 00:44:48.833
less government intervention
and more isolation.
00:44:48.833 --> 00:44:50.733
They found
what they were seeking
00:44:50.733 --> 00:44:53.567
in the 1920s,
deep in the borderlands.
00:44:53.567 --> 00:44:59.833
[Music]
00:44:59.833 --> 00:45:01.567
Mmm!
00:45:01.567 --> 00:45:04.733
[Speaking Spanish]
00:45:24.433 --> 00:45:25.833
Pati, voice-over:
After a few hours
00:45:25.833 --> 00:45:27.833
in the molds,
the cottage cheese
00:45:27.833 --> 00:45:30.100
is transformed
into the familiar
00:45:30.100 --> 00:45:31.567
Mennonite cheese.
00:45:31.567 --> 00:45:34.067
[Speaking Spanish]
00:45:54.533 --> 00:45:56.300
Pati, voice-over:
Jacob Harder is
00:45:56.300 --> 00:45:58.433
a local farmer here,
00:45:58.433 --> 00:46:00.433
who has been working
with the cows
00:46:00.433 --> 00:46:02.033
since he was a child.
00:46:02.033 --> 00:46:03.700
His 54 dairy cows
00:46:03.700 --> 00:46:05.533
supply milk
for this community
00:46:05.533 --> 00:46:06.633
and others.
00:46:06.633 --> 00:46:09.767
[Speaking Spanish]
00:46:18.033 --> 00:46:19.000
[Laughter]
00:46:19.000 --> 00:46:20.633
Pati, voice-over:
The majority
00:46:20.633 --> 00:46:23.033
of Mennonites here
are conservative
00:46:23.033 --> 00:46:24.433
and technology,
00:46:24.433 --> 00:46:26.400
which they view
as a tool for sin,
00:46:26.400 --> 00:46:28.967
comes slowly
to El Sabinal.
00:46:28.967 --> 00:46:31.967
It's embraced by some,
but rejected by most.
00:46:31.967 --> 00:46:34.833
Even causing families
to split.
00:46:34.833 --> 00:46:36.967
Jacob's parents chose
to leave the colony
00:46:36.967 --> 00:46:39.700
for a more traditional
community in Campeche,
00:46:39.700 --> 00:46:41.633
shunning things
like television
00:46:41.633 --> 00:46:43.100
and cell phones.
00:46:43.100 --> 00:46:46.367
Even rubber tires
for their tractors.
00:46:46.367 --> 00:46:49.467
[Speaking Spanish]
00:46:58.567 --> 00:47:00.767
[Speaks German]
00:47:00.767 --> 00:47:02.133
Pati, voice-over:
This boy just jumped
00:47:02.133 --> 00:47:03.500
off a big truck
00:47:03.500 --> 00:47:05.600
and he's dropping off
a paycheck.
00:47:05.600 --> 00:47:08.033
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:10.633 --> 00:47:13.167
[Laughter]
00:47:13.167 --> 00:47:15.800
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:15.800 --> 00:47:17.667
He's probably sitting...
00:47:17.667 --> 00:47:20.667
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:26.533 --> 00:47:28.067
Pati, voice-over:
The Mennonites came
00:47:28.067 --> 00:47:30.967
to the borderlands to
live by their own rules.
00:47:30.967 --> 00:47:33.133
Who needs a bike
when you can have
00:47:33.133 --> 00:47:35.733
400 horsepower?
00:47:35.733 --> 00:47:38.133
[Speaking Spanish]
00:47:59.233 --> 00:48:02.567
[Singing in German]
00:48:02.567 --> 00:48:04.067
Pati, voice-over:
The learning continues
00:48:04.067 --> 00:48:07.200
in this one room
Mennonite school house.
00:48:07.200 --> 00:48:09.967
[Singing in German]
00:48:09.967 --> 00:48:11.767
Boys on one side
of the room,
00:48:11.767 --> 00:48:14.100
girls on the other.
00:48:14.100 --> 00:48:18.367
So do you--like everyone
here speaks German, right?
00:48:18.367 --> 00:48:20.000
Yes. Yeah.
00:48:20.000 --> 00:48:23.300
And in your home and in church
and everything is German.
00:48:23.300 --> 00:48:28.567
Well, in church we--we use
the high German language.
00:48:28.567 --> 00:48:31.200
And in school?
00:48:31.200 --> 00:48:32.900
It's both.
00:48:32.900 --> 00:48:35.533
Julius, wait, how do you
say Julius in German?
00:48:35.533 --> 00:48:36.900
Yeltse.
00:48:36.900 --> 00:48:38.267
By the end of
our conversation,
00:48:38.267 --> 00:48:40.033
I'm gonna say it
right, Yeltse.
00:48:40.033 --> 00:48:41.167
Yeltse.
00:48:41.167 --> 00:48:42.467
Did I say it right?
00:48:42.467 --> 00:48:43.967
Pati, voice-over:
Julius or Yeltse
00:48:43.967 --> 00:48:45.733
was born in Mexico
and would spend
00:48:45.733 --> 00:48:47.700
his winters
here as a child.
00:48:47.700 --> 00:48:50.700
In warmer months,
his family would relocate
00:48:50.700 --> 00:48:52.433
to Alberta, Canada,
00:48:52.433 --> 00:48:53.933
where Julius
was educated
00:48:53.933 --> 00:48:55.967
in the Canadian
public school system.
00:48:55.967 --> 00:48:57.833
So you have a big job
in your hands
00:48:57.833 --> 00:48:59.700
because you have
so many kids.
00:48:59.700 --> 00:49:02.733
I have girls, 14,
and boys, 14, too.
00:49:02.733 --> 00:49:04.267
It--it's even.
00:49:04.267 --> 00:49:05.600
So almost 30 kids.
00:49:05.600 --> 00:49:08.300
From what age
to what age?
00:49:08.300 --> 00:49:11.033
Five and six to 12.
00:49:11.033 --> 00:49:14.033
[Laughter]
00:49:14.033 --> 00:49:15.900
Pati, voice-over:
Julius didn't set out
00:49:15.900 --> 00:49:18.833
to be a teacher
or a preacher.
00:49:18.833 --> 00:49:20.500
They made me
a preacher here,
00:49:20.500 --> 00:49:23.800
that's not my...
00:49:27.067 --> 00:49:28.200
I can't say it.
00:49:28.200 --> 00:49:29.333
Choice?
00:49:29.333 --> 00:49:30.467
Yeah.
00:49:30.467 --> 00:49:32.433
That was not my choice.
00:49:32.433 --> 00:49:33.767
People did it for...
00:49:33.767 --> 00:49:36.300
Well, probably,
God did it for me.
00:49:36.300 --> 00:49:40.000
That was not my--
my goal or something.
00:49:40.000 --> 00:49:44.167
It was somebody
else's. Yeah.
00:49:44.167 --> 00:49:46.300
What did you want
to do?
00:49:46.300 --> 00:49:47.633
What would be your--?
00:49:47.633 --> 00:49:49.133
Like, what do you think
you're good at
00:49:49.133 --> 00:49:50.600
or your calling?
00:49:50.600 --> 00:49:52.733
Uh, my thing
that I had in mind
00:49:52.733 --> 00:49:56.600
was, uh, songwriter,
singing.
00:49:56.600 --> 00:49:58.967
That was my--That
was my dream.
00:49:58.967 --> 00:50:01.200
And my specialty,
but...
00:50:01.200 --> 00:50:03.133
Yeah?
00:50:03.133 --> 00:50:07.400
I did have a chance,
a little, but I passed.
00:50:09.500 --> 00:50:12.000
My choice would be
to make changes
00:50:12.000 --> 00:50:15.567
that are helping us
to go forward,
00:50:15.567 --> 00:50:19.833
but they think
it's not...
00:50:19.833 --> 00:50:23.567
not for us that
we make changes.
00:50:23.567 --> 00:50:27.633
We have to stay
by the old...
00:50:27.633 --> 00:50:29.667
The old, uh, teachings.
00:50:29.667 --> 00:50:31.600
So you think
electricity is fine
00:50:31.600 --> 00:50:34.433
because it helps you
have an easier life.
00:50:34.433 --> 00:50:36.667
Yes, that's right.
00:50:36.667 --> 00:50:40.767
It helps us to do
what's necessary.
00:50:43.067 --> 00:50:46.100
What's your biggest hope
for them for the future?
00:50:46.100 --> 00:50:48.567
It's like the new
generation, right?
00:50:48.567 --> 00:50:49.933
I would hope for them
00:50:49.933 --> 00:50:52.500
that they--
that they hold on
00:50:52.500 --> 00:50:55.567
to faith, that was--
00:50:55.567 --> 00:50:57.900
that's my--my only
concern for them.
00:50:57.900 --> 00:51:00.700
Really, because that's--
that's the only thing
00:51:00.700 --> 00:51:03.267
that gets us
through life.
00:51:03.267 --> 00:51:05.400
Pati, voice-over:
A deep faith is at the core
00:51:05.400 --> 00:51:06.867
of this Mennonite colony.
00:51:06.867 --> 00:51:08.933
And its traditions
can be found not only
00:51:08.933 --> 00:51:11.467
in the school,
but also in the kitchen.
00:51:11.467 --> 00:51:13.700
[Speaking Spanish]
00:51:18.233 --> 00:51:19.833
Pati, voice-over:
In the home of Johan,
00:51:19.833 --> 00:51:21.433
his wife Ofelia
and their daughters
00:51:21.433 --> 00:51:22.967
are turning
simple ingredients
00:51:22.967 --> 00:51:26.767
into something
beautifully robust.
00:51:26.767 --> 00:51:30.000
[Speaking German]
00:51:30.000 --> 00:51:32.600
[Speaking Spanish]
00:51:53.767 --> 00:51:55.833
I was expecting
empanadas.
00:51:55.833 --> 00:51:58.300
But these are like
gigantic dumplings.
00:51:58.300 --> 00:52:00.233
I've never seen
empanadas
00:52:00.233 --> 00:52:02.700
being boiled
in water before.
00:52:02.700 --> 00:52:05.133
[Speaking Spanish]
00:52:05.133 --> 00:52:06.867
Pati, voice-over:
And because Ofelia
00:52:06.867 --> 00:52:09.700
can't speak Spanish
or English, I must wait
00:52:09.700 --> 00:52:12.400
for her husband
to answer.
00:52:14.300 --> 00:52:16.933
[Speaking Spanish]
00:52:21.867 --> 00:52:35.533
[Music]
00:52:35.533 --> 00:52:38.900
[Speaking Spanish]
00:52:58.233 --> 00:53:00.233
Pati, voice-over:
Hans is the elected leader
00:53:00.233 --> 00:53:02.133
of this Mennonite colony.
00:53:02.133 --> 00:53:05.067
[Speaking Spanish]
00:53:15.233 --> 00:53:16.967
Pati, voice-over:
A colony celebrating
00:53:16.967 --> 00:53:19.300
its centennial,
here, in Chihuahua.
00:53:19.300 --> 00:53:20.567
You showed me this
and it says,
00:53:20.567 --> 00:53:23.467
"100 years,
Mennonites in Mexico,
00:53:23.467 --> 00:53:26.167
1922-2022."
00:53:29.100 --> 00:53:30.767
Pati, voice-over:
Believers who live simply
00:53:30.767 --> 00:53:33.000
and follow faithfully.
00:53:34.467 --> 00:53:37.267
[Speaking Spanish]
00:53:37.267 --> 00:53:39.133
Pati, voice-over:
While the rest of the world
00:53:39.133 --> 00:53:40.800
races ahead.
00:53:43.467 --> 00:53:45.233
Even in the most
remote places,
00:53:45.233 --> 00:53:47.933
the borderlands
are teaming with life.
00:53:47.933 --> 00:53:50.767
But the life of
a borderlander, a fronterizo,
00:53:50.767 --> 00:53:53.233
is one that straddles
the liminal space
00:53:53.233 --> 00:53:54.633
between different worlds
00:53:54.633 --> 00:53:58.000
and flows with
unprecedented possibilities.
00:53:58.000 --> 00:54:00.100
If my travels
have revealed anything,
00:54:00.100 --> 00:54:02.433
it's how little
we understand
00:54:02.433 --> 00:54:04.767
the U.S.-Mexico
borderlands.
00:54:04.767 --> 00:54:07.767
For me, my appetite
to learn more
00:54:07.767 --> 00:54:10.600
only grows
more insatiable
00:54:10.600 --> 00:54:13.467
each time I explore
a new place
00:54:13.467 --> 00:54:16.067
in La Frontera.
00:54:20.233 --> 00:54:23.233
[Music]
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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