When the federal government announced a $577 million expansion of the San Ysidro Port of Entry in 2004, community members were surprised it didn't include amenities like public restrooms.
“Not only were we missing restrooms, but there was no place for new businesses,” Casa Familiar director Andrea Skorepa said at a workshop yesterday at the National Council of La Raza's annual convention. “All of this was going to be done with no community input.”
About 25 community leaders from across the country listened as Skorepa and three panelists at the coalition-building workshop talked about how they got the federal government to modify plans and address the concerns of those living near the port of entry.
The workshop was one of 40 at the national convention being held at the San Diego Convention Center in downtown San Diego. The four-day convention runs through tomorrow. While the highlights of the convention include appearances by presidential hopefuls Sen. Barack Obama, who spoke yesterday, and Sen. John McCain, who is speaking today, there also are a number of smaller workshops, sessions and talks.
This is the second time the National Council of La Raza, the largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States with 300 affiliates, has held its convention in San Diego. The last time was in 2000.
The workshop on coalition building showcased the efforts of local activists to have their voices heard on the San Ysidro Port of Entry expansion. The national organization hopes that by holding the workshop and others like it, people attending the conference will take the successful strategies and repeat them in their communities.
The local activists hired architects, urban planners and transportation experts, and met with federal officials about reshaping the expansion plans in a way that people living near the port of entry would benefit.
And yes, restrooms were added.
“I wanted to get new ideas on what people are doing here,” said Rubén Mancías, a community organizer from the border town of Edinburg, Texas, where residents are fighting attempts by the government to build a border fence.
“It's good to know that there are ways to work things out.”
Leticia Álvarez, a community organizer in Nashville, Tenn., said she wanted to learn more about how to organize and communicate better with the government because several anti-illegal-immigration ordinances had been considered recently in her state.
“I want to tell our elected officials what's going on at the border so they better understand the dynamics between both countries,” Álvarez said.
The expansion of the San Ysidro Port of Entry is expected to be completed by 2014. It will include several more traffic lanes and a realignment of southbound lanes, as well as new administration buildings and secondary inspection areas.
Skorepa formed a coalition that included the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce, the San Ysidro School District and several businesses and individuals. Together they worked to change the design.
“This was going to be treated like any other project, like an IRS building, a federal courthouse or an FBI facility,” Jason Wells, executive director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce, told the workshop audience. “Our government is not always going to know what's best for us or the best way to do it. You know what's best for you in for your community.”
Hiram Soto: (619) 293-2027; hiram.soto@uniontrib.com
