The New Tijuana
Thursday, May 24, 1990
by Joe Stein
ALTHOUGH IT'S frustrating for San Diegans to encounter outsiders who
still think of this as a sleepy, little Navy town instead of the nation's sixth-largest
city, the mistake should be understandable. We make the same error in our attitude toward
Tijuana.
The growth spurt that has swelled the population of San Diego is even
more pronounced in Tijuana, now the second-largest city on the West Coast with a
population of almost two million.
Furthermore, our neighbor across the border is emerging as a political,
economic and social leader for Mexico, according to "The New Tijuana," a locally
produced documentary that appears from 8 to 9 tonight on KPBS (Ch. 15).
The program points out that Tijuana, which attracts an estimated 35
million tourists who pump a billion dollars into the local economy each year, is the
world's most-visited city.
Being that Tijuana is marking its centennial in 1990, tonight's show very well could have
been turned into a puff piece, a glorified travelogue. Credit producer/writer Paul
Espinosa and director/writer Frank Christopher with the fact that "The New
Tijuana" doesn't make that mistake.
Tijuana's warts, and there are many, also are duly noted.
For example, attention is paid to the negative side effects of the
city's population explosion by zooming in on one of the communities that has sprung up on
the outskirts like wild mushrooms. "El Florido," as it's called, lacks water,
electricity and security, and presents serious sanitation problems. Still, it's a
closeknit city within a city that harbors the dreams of so many.
KPBS cameras provide an affectionate look at the traditional coming-out
party of a 15-year old girl in El Florido.
Tonight's documentary is broken into four segments:
• "The Legacy of the Past" uses archival photos and film
footage to explore Tijuana's history, how the city has attempted to change its image as a
seedy border town serving Americans looking for good times and even better buys.
• "The Promise of the Future" describes how Tijuana's
cheap labor force has made it a magnet for foreign investments. For instance,
"maquiladoras" are assembly plants that import raw materials into Mexico
duty-free and export finished goods across the border into the United States, where custom
duties are charged only on the value added to the product while in Mexico. Some 65,000
Tijuanans are employed in maquiladoras, which are primarily American-funded, although
Japanese companies are becoming an ever-greater force.
• "The Price of Independence" examines Tijuana's
fiercely independent press, focusing primarily on the weekly called Zeta. Among those
viewed in this segment is outspoken Columnist Hector Felix Miranda, known as "El Gato
(The Cat)." His shotgun slaying in 1985 is still unsolved. The out-and-out
assassination of the journalist was, indeed, a shock, but Zeta's editor/publisher, Jesus
Blancornelas, acknowledges that Tijuana journalists are well aware of possible
repercussions when they take on the power structure.
Although it's more expensive to produce Zeta in the United States,
Blancornelas does just that, leaving as little property as possible in Mexico, where it
might be seized.
• "The Challenge of a Generation" looks at last year's
dramatic elections in the state of Baja California, where the Institutional Revolutionary
Party (PRI) hold on elected office finally was broken when National Action Party (PAN)
candidate Ernesto Rulfo won on a platform of reform. It was the first opposition victory
in the history of the Mexican republic, where all elected officials in the country, from
the president down to the mayor of the smallest town, had been handpicked in the past by
PRI.
Along with Ruffo, Tijuana Mayor Carlos Montejo and the other PAN
candidates also were swept into office, shaking the entire nation to its core.
If there's any significant weakness in tonight's program, it's that
"The New Tijuana" isn't long enough. You'll yearn to hear more about Tijuana's
storied past, especially during Prohibition when it was a gathering place for Hollywood's
beautiful. And the story of the 1980 flood that conveniently wiped out the squatters along
Zona del Rio, the city's River Zone, paving the way for modern development, is sure to
pique your interest.
Some believe that the tragedy, which killed 20 (approximately 70 never
were found), might not have been an accident.
"The New Tijuana," which was made possible by a grant from
the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, is narrated by Luis Valdez, founder and artistic
director of El Teatro Campesino, and will be simulcast in Spanish tonight on KPBS-FM
(89.5) and XHITT-FM (88.7). Ch. 15 will repeated its telecast at noon Wednesday.