Playa de Memorias, August 31, 2024

"Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift." - Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants

The seeds of Playa de Memorias began to germinate when C. Diaz and I first met under the patio of Bandera Coffee Co. in Harlingen, Texas back in 2021. We had only spoken via zoom at this point but as soon as we sat down, and the coffee hit, we were dreaming up new worlds. I always say that the stars aligned when we met because everything felt natural, exciting and so real. We shared many dreams on this day and talked about Boca Chica, Corazón Grande being the first of many regional archival projects we could lead with our border community. 

Fast forward and it’s Saturday, August 31, 2024 and we’re on Boca Chica Beach hosting ENTRE’s very first beach happening, the one and only Playa de Memorias. It was surreal to drive onto the sand to find that we had the beach all to ourselves on such a beautiful day. Before this, we had been on our toes and developed four contingency plans for every possible challenge that might come up, which included potential rocket launches, random beach closures, and tropical storms and heavy rain. Fortunately, the weather was perfect, rocket launches were delayed, and the beach access was wide open. It really felt like the elements were on our side, or maybe it was the stars gently reminding us that they’re still aligned.

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The first of us to arrive got to witness some of the life that Boca Chica Beach holds, including the little piping plovers, shifty sand crabs and the hundreds of dragonflies looking to create even more life. The ENTRE crew cleaned up trash and setup areas for community to gather, while collaborators set up and carefully installed their work. Soon enough, we found ourselves becoming a part of the ecosystem, mindful of the rhythm and our surroundings, working together to create and sustain life. We welcomed over 40 people to this community celebration, some of which used the free transportation service we provided in partnership with the 77 Flea Market. We all got to enjoy some of the most delicious food by Luna Vela and Nadia Casaperalta, and a pop-up fabric installation by Nansi Guevara in partnership with La Tijera.

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Playa de Memorias aimed to create a space for elements of reciprocal love, joy, connection and validation, while also serving as a critique of the current landscape and the many risks Boca Chica Beach faces due to ongoing development of the private spaceflight company, SpaceX. Above all, Playa de Memorias was a celebration of land and water, an activation of collective joy and memory, and an embodiment of creative resistance created for and by our borderland communities. It was our seed in full bloom, bearing the fruits of our love and labor.

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Through this work we strive to uphold and raise awareness of the important roles place, memory, and joy play as conduits for deeper understanding and connection within the collective, and as a force that enhances the quality of life, well-being and genuine preservation of our lived experiences and histories. This work is dedicated to the borderlands and our community, and led with a desire to activate tender spaces and strengthen the connection to ourselves and our environments.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Playa de Memorias the beautiful and magical experience it was, we could not have done it without you. We hope that this celebration of land and people will continue to evolve and create a path for open discussion, preservation, and transformative action within the community and beyond. 

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Boca Chica Beach Forever!

Written by: Monica A. Sosa, ENTRE Worker-Owner + BCCG Project Curatorial Manager