Almost Paradise
I have always been fascinated with this place—its dynamic character being a border and a place often off the radar of most San Diegans. It’s history is one of chaos and turbulence from times when owners of beach houses would see Mexicans freely immigrating everyday, to times of the bike gangs ruling the IB streets, to more modern times of more stability and the formation of a more family-oriented community.
I have also grown interested in the border area after reading books like Tijuana Straits by Kem Nunn. I developed this image in mind that the extremities of Imperial Beach were just a wasteland. I had envisioned a barren land, empty and ridden with all of things unwanted and forgotten from society.
But the other day, I visited the Tijuana Estuary to find the complete opposite. Looking out across the wetland, you will find a thriving ecosystem especially known as a key stopover point for over 370 species of migratory birds, including 6 endangered species. Using binoculars, you see this shallow water habitat in the foreground, and in the background you can see the Tijuana Bull Ring, majestic in comparison to the shanties on the hills that look like they could tumble down at any moment.
It is truly a unique area, but a region with serious hurdles to overcome. Yesterday, I received an email to my inbox to inform me that Borderfield State Park was closed due to an estimated 400,000-gallon sewage spill in Playas De Tijuana. This is not an unusual message to receive, and therein lies the problem.
Solving this problem would make Imperial Beach my paradise.
