Christ Chávez

International Friendship Festival

Eagle Pass

Heading into its 63rd year, the International Friendship Festival fetes the connection between Eagle Pass and sister city Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico. The March festivities commence with the “abrazo,” or embrace, where one chosen resident from each side of the Rio Grande hugs the other on International Bridge 1. “It’s a showcase of the strength of our friendship,” Eagle Pass Marketing and Tourism Director Aide Castaño says. eaglepasstx.gov

Hugs Not Walls

El Paso

The Border Network for Human Rights organizes the Hugs Not Walls event to reunite families separated by the border. At these somewhat regular affairs, roughly 200 families are brought together, sometimes after years apart, and provided the opportunity to share a heartwarming bear hug. “It’s an act of love and care for our communities—communities that deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and humanity,” BNHR Executive Director Fernando García says. bnhr.org

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From the November 2024 issue

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