BY XIOMARA VILLARREAL-GERARDO

SAN YSIDRO—San Ysidro’s port of entry at the U.S.-Mexico border is the world’s busiest. In a typical year more than 10 million people cross back and forth over la linea, humanity’s all-time greatest gateway.

A whole bunch of them are Southwestern College students.

SC is the closest college to the border and in the years pre-COVID tens of thousands crossed daily to attend classes, work and visit family. As many as 40 percent of SC students live in Tijuana or nearby Baja California cities—including substantial numbers of non-Mexican students looking for less expensive housing and a lower cost of living. A sizable number of SC faculty and staff live in Mexico, as well.

Traversing the border was always grueling, but crossing la frontera became even more tedious in March when the U.S., Mexico, and Canada agreed to restrict “non-essential land travel across borders” for 30 days in order to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. These measures have been extended each month for the past seven months. The latest extends through December 21.

Border communities are suffering a devastating economic loss, according to Jason Wells, Executive Director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce.

“(Border restrictions) are arbitrary and having a profound effect,” he said. “About 95 percent of our clients are coming from Mexico, so you could imagine (the impact).”

Millions of people circulating across the border generate enormous amounts of money, Wells said. An estimated $2.5 billion moved through San Ysidro last year, he said, along with $1.5 billion in money exchanges and $880 million in retail sales. Mexican tourists and shoppers are currently not allowed to cross the border, raining hardship upon San Ysidro businesses and workers from the mighty Las Americas Outlet Mall to tiny mom and pop start ups.

“We have already lost over 100 businesses that will never reopen, not because of COVID, but because of the border restrictions,” he said. “We are at risk for a lot more. In normal times about 35 percent of San Ysidro businesses make their entire net revenue between November 30 and January 6.”

Wells said 70 to 75 percent of businesses that have reopened to some degree are operating at a 60 percent loss of their normal revenue. In his 20 years at the chamber of commerce, he said, he has never seen such a profound effect on San Ysidro’s economy.

Sunil Gakhreja, owner of Sunny Perfumes and Maya’s Gourmet Pizza on San Ysidro Blvd., said he is struggling to keep his businesses alive.

“Any business (in San Ysidro) takes 95 percent of its customers (from Mexico),” he said. “We’re trying to survive as long as we can, but it’s bad and getting worse.”

Even if the border restrictions are lifted soon, Gakhreja said, it will take two to three years for his businesses to recover. He said it is unfair that Americans can cross back and forth over the border but Mexicans cannot.

“(COVID-19) has happened to the whole world,” he said. “Me as a U.S. citizen, I can go and come back without any problem, but Mexicans cannot come in and that doesn’t mean that because they are Mexican they are going to have COVID.”

Either the border should be completely shut down or not at all, Gakhreja said.

Students are also struggling to adapt to the new border crossing restrictions.

Aerospace engineering major Luna Sainz used to rent a room in Chula Vista, she said, but moved to Tijuana with her parents due to the border restrictions.

“My family used to visit me (in Chula Vista) and that is one of the reasons why I had to move back,” she said. “My parents are Mexican (citizens) and can’t cross the border.”

Sainz also lost her job at Kraken Dice, an online role-playing company. Saving on rent was another reason she moved to Tijuana.

Biochemistry major Amber Rivera-Muñoz said she has faced similar issues. Rivera-Muñoz and her mother rented an apartment in Chula Vista until her mom lost her job. They moved to a less expensive place in Tijuana after struggling to pay their rent stateside.

Rivera-Muñoz said she understands that the U.S. and Mexico are trying to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus, but she said restrictions have hurt students. Even U.S. citizens like her who are allowed to cross the border struggle with excruciating wait times, sometimes up to five hours going north.

“I’ve already been waiting for like two or three hours in line to cross the border,” she said during a recent transit.

Araceli Moreno, an SC Reading Lab Technician and adjunct instructor, lives in Tijuana. Remote education has made life easier for her, she said, because she no longer has the stressful transborder commute. Moreno said she took all her teaching equipment home and is successfully helping students and staff virtually.

Moreno said Tijuana residents who used to cross the border regularly to shop are now spending their money and contributing to Tijuana’s economy.

“It is something that we are thinking is good for Tijuana,” she said, “but not that good for the United States (economy).”

Gakhreja said he encourages everyone in the community to shop local.

“That is how you will help local businesses survive,” he said. “I have understood the value of shop local and I urge every local community, not just San Ysidro where we are, but any part of the U.S.”

If the US-Mexico border restrictions are lifted before the end of the year, community members like SC students might have a chance to recover their jobs, said Wells. With COVID-19 spiking in California and at near-crisis levels in the South County, that is unlikely, he acknowledged. Chula Vista’s hospitals are the southern-most in this region of the United States and the nearest U.S. facilities to Americans living in Latin America. Unlike the stores and shops in San Ysidro, the region’s hospitals are experiencing no shortage of customers.