The Sun breaches through the southwestern edge of the fence
dividing the United States with Mexico.
For centuries, civilizations have built structures to establish and protect their political boundaries. Perhaps, among the most famous examples is the 5,500-mile-long Great Wall of China and the 96-mile-long Berlin Wall. The United States government has recently initiated construction on a similar structure extending across the 2,000-mile-long border with Mexico.
Born and raised in San Diego, I had never taken the opportunity to check out the mighty fence so I took a trip to Border Field State Park to see its progress. As I walked toward the southwestern edge of the country, I could clearly see to the other side where families and teenagers enjoyed a day at the beach. A border patrol vehicle, however, patrolled my side of the beach just a few feet from where the fence stopped and the rest of the beach continued.
In a geography class last year, I learned many political boundaries are based from topographical features in the area, like the Pyrenees Mts. which naturally divide Spain and France making them one of the more stable borders in Europe. But the only feature that divided U.S. territory with Mexican territory was the 20-foot-tall wall. It was unatural.
The U.S. government plans to extend the 20-foot-high fence 300 feet into the pacific. A project that would cost tax payers $4.3 million to complete in addition to the $2.1 billion cost of the entire fence, according to numbers reported by the Los Angeles Times.
INTO THE PACIFIC- What appears to be another one of California’s luxurious peers is actually a marker for the 2,000-mile-long fence dividing U.S. and Mexico which the government plans to extend 300 feet into the ocean.
NATURE KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES- Sea birds look for food to eat on the northern side of the fence while people enjoy a day at the beach on the south side.
THE OTHER SIDE- A family walks north toward the 20-foot-tall fence that marks the end of Mexican territory.
20 FEET TALL- A man stops to take a look at the 20-foot-tall fence from Tijuana looking north.
HOW’S MY HAIR?- To the left, a tourist couple takes a picture at the southwestern end of the United States in front of the fence dividing U.S. and Mexico.
INSPECTION- CBP officer Joseph Tarbona inspects traffic at the San Ysidro port of entry at the United States / Mexico border.
Statistics show that in 2009 about 30,000,000 people crossed through the San Ysidro port of entry, almost 20,000,000 more than the Otay Mesa and Tecate borders combined. "Thousands and thousands and thousands of people cross everyday," said Transit System Security Officer Francisco Garcia, 23. "This is the biggest border crossing in the United States."
TYPICAL NIGHT- Cars make their way into Mexico with little to no custom checking while cars trying to get into the United States stall as they wait for customs and immigration officers to let them through San Ysidro Port of entry, one of the busiest border crossings of the United States/ Mexico Border.
OVER THE MT. AND THROUGH THE DESERT- A piece of the 2,000-mile-long fence along Border Field State Park in San Diego.
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