Across the border, a monument stands. This is Friendship Park, a place where the United States and Mexico meet, not as nations, but as neighbors. Friendship Park sits on Monument Mesa. It overlooks the Pacific Ocean, where the border wall plunges into the waves. You can access it from the US side through Border Field State Park in California. From the Mexican side, you enter through Playas de Tijuana.
Friendship Park’s history stretches back to 1849. The US-Mexico Boundary Commission first met here at the war’s end. At the park’s heart, you’ll find a stone monument. This is the original boundary marker, placed after the US-Mexico War. It sits directly on the border, half in each country. For years, there were no barriers at Friendship Park. People crossed freely. Some remember biking across to surf or grab tacos in Tijuana. Over time, the border has seen many forms. A rope, barbed wire, and a chain-link fence have all marked the line.
In 1971, First Lady Pat Nixon dedicated the surrounding area as Border Field State Park. She expressed her hope that the fence wouldn’t remain for long. She even cut the barbed wire herself, stepping into Mexico to greet the crowd. Her vision was an “International Friendship Park,” similar to those on the US-Canada border. This dream persists today in the “BUILD THAT PARK!” campaign.
Unfortunately, the landscape changed in 2006. The US government took land and built a complex wall system. The Friends of Friendship Park advocated for continued access. Starting in 2011, Border Patrol opened the US side on weekends. People could speak to loved ones through the metal mesh of the primary wall. Thousands rely on Friendship Park to reunite with family. Parents bring their children to meet grandparents for the first time through the wall. Others say goodbye to dying loved ones. It’s a place for the Binational Friendship Garden, The Border Church, and celebrations like La Posada Sin Fronteras and the Fandango Fronterizo.
While the Mexican side remains open and vibrant, access to the US side has been increasingly restricted. In 2020, the park closed completely on the US side, with no promise of reopening. This closure contradicts the very idea of international friendship. Despite these challenges, remember the deeper truths that the US and Mexico are friends, not enemies. Friendship remains the foundation of their relationship. Join the call to “Open Friendship Park” and “BUILD THAT PARK!”