“In elementary school, I would wake up as early as 4 in the morning, then we would cross and my dad was dropped off at work first,” she said. “Then after classes, my brother and I would do homework at the park or wherever we could. Dinner would be in the car, then we would arrive home at around 10 p.m. and do the whole thing all over again. It was exhausting. I remember me and my brother thinking, ‘Is this normal?’”
“I’ve never been more tired than when I was a kid, but it gave me my foundation for resilience today,” Falcón Orta said.
After high school, the transborder commute did not end for Falcón Orta. She studied at San Diego State while earning her undergraduate degree in psychology, attended Long Beach State for her master’s in counseling, and then returned to SDSU for her Ph.D. in education.
Now, Falcón Orta is dedicated to helping other transborder students by researching and understanding the transborder student population and implementing inclusive practices in her classroom.
“I try my best to bring in an inclusive, validating, and supportive environment for my population of transborder students because transborder students are prevalent throughout the education pipeline,” she said.
Knowing the dedication transborder students put into attending school daily, Falcón Orta tries to refrain from canceling her classes at the last minute. If she does, she’ll start a Zoom meeting so her students still have the opportunity to learn.
“There are psycho-social stressors that come with crossing the border every day,” Falcón Orta said. “Students have to deal with long border wait times, stress and exhaustion from their very rigorous schedules, and then that student has to be in class all day, or they factored in an entire commute for just one class.”
She said transborder students also face double jeopardy. “Obstacles they face as people of color in the United States, chances are they also face that in Mexico.”
“Transborder students are not only physically involved with the two countries, they are involved socially, academically, professionally, civically and even politically,” Falcón Orta said. “But, it’s not black and white. They end up living this transnational life for reasons beyond their control, such as economic hardship, being born into mixed immigration status families and continuing as part of a long lineage of a transborder family.”
“By default, they are binational citizens, bilingual, biliterate and significantly engaged in leadership on both sides on the border because they see firsthand a lot of the hardships at the borderlands,” she added. “And, they’re like you and me — they’re human and have hopes and dreams.”
Falcón Orta assisted in organizing a transborder graduation in Mexico. Additionally, she serves as a director for SDSU’s Imperial Valley Cross-Cultural Center, which offers students opportunities to engage with their community through social justice events and provides access to student peer mentors.
“When students first start to live a transborder life, it’s very difficult,” Falcón Orta said. “Students feel like they don’t belong anywhere.”