Growing up between the United States and Mexico has been interesting. Don’t get me wrong; I am proud to be Mexican, and I have enjoyed growing up and living in a place where I can experience two cultures.
I will always consider both Brownsville and Matamoros as my hometowns since I commute almost daily between them. It is impossible to say which one I like better.
I attended a bilingual school in Matamoros, which allowed me to grow up speaking both English and Spanish.
I remember the times of former Mexican President Felipe Calderón, when schools held shooting drills in case something happened. It was normal to be on lunch break playing kickball or tag with your friends when, suddenly, an armed conflict happened right next to the school.
I find it sad how that became the new normal in Tamaulipas, but I find it even sadder that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who left office Tuesday, has criticized Calderón without making a great improvement. I have no idea how his hand-picked successor, Claudia Sheinbaum, won the 2024 election with 60% of the popular vote.
Safety is a concern headed by the federal government in collaboration with state and local governments. So, yes, it is true that Matamoros has major safety issues, but I believe they’re not as bad as people in the Rio Grande Valley tell me.
I have attended school in Brownsville since 2019, my sophomore year of high school. I do not know how many people have told me how dangerous Matamoros, or Mexico overall, is and that I’m brave for daring to go there.
People are afraid of going into Mexico, unless they go to, like, Cancun or Mexico City, which I find ridiculous. While staying updated and reading the news is good and informative, I have come to realize it is important to have an opinion of your own.
Thousands of people, including me, commute daily between Tamaulipas and Texas without any issues.
Most people should be fine visiting our border sister cities taking regular precautions that should be followed anywhere in the world: follow the law, do not go into known dangerous areas, do not drive late at night and respect the locals.
Taking these precautions, I believe the chances of having your automobile stolen are slim to none.
People are not missing out on anything if they choose not to go to Mexico. I respect that choice. At the same time, as a border commuter, I am not “brave” for going across the Rio Grande.
While I appreciate the concern, I do not enjoy being told that Matamoros or Reynosa are highly unsafe by people who live on the border and do not dare to visit because of fear.
I wonder what changes, if any, will take place in Mexico now that President Sheinbaum was sworn into office.
