ADESU: Alliance for sustainable development in the indigenous communities It is the oldest park in Tijuana. In fact, Parque Teniente Guerrero, located downtown, has been around since 1924, when Tijuana was merely a ranch. Today, though, the park is one of Tijuana’s most enduring symbols and one of the most popular gathering places for families in the city. Located on the corner of Third and Cinco de Mayo streets, the park might as well be the heart of the city. “Ever since I arrived in Tijuana in 1968, this park has been the place where I would bring my children to play and have fun on Sundays,” said Fernándo Soto, who now, as a senior citizen, still comes to Parque Teniente Guerrero, but instead of bringing his grown up children, too play chess with his friends. On a typical Sunday, if you visit the park, you would get a feeling of what it is to live in Tijuana. Families bring their children to play, clowns put out shows that make everybody laugh, the kiosk in the middle of the plaza reminds us of the small-town atmosphere so common throughout Mexico. Also, hundreds of doves and pigeons are the local residents of the park. “It can be the site that can represent all of Tijuana,” said Ricardo Fitch, member of the Sociedad Historia de Tijuana [Tijuana’s Historical Society] and an expert in the history of Parque Teniente Guerrero. “It captures the essence of what Tijuana is and has been.” The history of the park parallels the history of Tijuana, he said. In 1924, Professor Josefina Rendón Parra and a group of ladies formed a group called Junta Ferrivial Pro-Patria. Their goal was to open a park for the residents of the then small town of Tijuana. Back then, Tijuana didn’t have a public park and Rendón Parra felt that its residents needed a gathering place for fun with family. “The park wasn’t established by the goverment. It was created by Tijuana townspeople, by this group of ladies who felt the town would be a better place if it had a central park,” Fitch said. “Not even the land was given by the government. It was donated by María Luisa Viuda de Pérez, one of the ladies in Rendón’s group.” The name of the park comes from Teniente Miguel Guerrero, who was a lieutenant with the Mexican army that fought agains the American invassions of Baja California around 1910. “Professor Rendón chose that name to represent the tenacity of the city,” said Fitch, whose family has lived in Tijuana since the 19th. Century. Many of the trees in the modern day Parque Teniente Guerrero are part of the original trees that were planted in the 1920s. The first trees in the park were donated by Balboa Park in San Diego, Fitch said. “Teachers from the elementary school nearby would bring their students once a week to help with the maintanence of the park,” he said. Those same trees became the center of a controversy in 2005, when during the celebration of the city’s anniversary, the local government began to cut off some of the oldest trees in order to give a better view of the park. Fitch, who for years had organized the celebration, was against the government action. He and other members of Tijuana’s oldest families, organized protests against the government cutting off trees that, in some cases, were more than 80 years old! “The majority of Tijuana residents were against this action,” he said. “How was it possible that our city’s government was destroying part of the Tijuana’s history in order to celebrate the city’s own anniversary? It was plain stupid.” In total, about 30 old trees were lost, Fitch said. He added that the current administration has no sensitivity to the historical and cultural importance of the park. “The park is a mosaic of cultures,” he said. Indeed, Parque Teniente Guerrero has something unique to offer Tijuana residents. In front of one of the sides of the park, on Third St., there’s the Parroquía de San Franciso de Asís, a Catholic church famous for its architecture. Usually, on Sundays, after Mass, families cross the street to spend a few hours at the park. Also, in some seasons there’s a carnival next to the park, with rides for the kids. The Benito Juarez Public Library is located on the park premises as well. Children love to feed the hundreds of pigeons and doves that gather around the park’s kiosk. Judging from the scenes above, it is no wonder why Fitch, who every year puts out a Mañanitas festival at the park on July 10 to celebrate the city’s anniversary, calls the park the heart of Tijuana. “Parque Teniente Guerrero brings me so
many memories of my childhood. I’m sure that
tomorrow’s generations will feel the same
way about the park, too,” he said. Would you like to help out? Here are some of
the ways that individuals and organizations can
help: For more information please contact: Horacio
González
Moncada |
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