Jorge Meraz: Today on "Crossing South," we get to see an initiative to feed refugees and the less fortunate in Tijuana, and we meet an artist who has made salsa popular in this region, and it's coming to you now.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Jorge: Well, as you can see, folks, we ain't in Kansas anymore.

This isn't like the shiny part of TJ, but colonias like this in the Zona Norte of Tijuana, this is where the bulk, sometimes, of a lot of the migrants ended up because the border is right adjacent to this area, so many shelters, which are located all over the city, but many shelters are situated in this particular region in this colonia of the city.

We're gonna meet a couple of girls who are, you know, spearheaded, a couple of those overachievers that will just not be denied, who are helping out with great initiatives to, kind of, ease the situation of these migrants which find themselves in these less-than-ideal situations, and we're gonna get to meet 'em right now.

It's "Crossing South," folks, don't go anywhere.

You're gonna get to see all of that.

So stay with me.

Jorge: So, Yolanda and Maru, tell me the story of it.

I mean, how did you guys, you know, even come up with the idea of having this charity to help people less fortunate?

Tell me about it.

Yolanda Selene Walther-Meade: I'm the cofounder of This Is About Humanity, which was initially established to provide separated and reunited families with the way they come together.

As the pandemic hit, our definition of "vulnerable communities" expanded, and so we started working with migrant families at the shelter with unaccompanied minors and the like on programmatic issues, one of which was food insecurity.

This kitchen was originally run by World Central Kitchen.

World Central Kitchen is a food relief organization for immediate catastrophic events like--that was founded by Chef Jose Andres, when the hurricane hit Puerto Rico, and since then has gone all around the world, and he's been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

So when the migrant caravans came to Tijuana, they set up this kitchen and worked continuously until about three months ago.

World Central Kitchen, fast-forward to a couple months ago, called me and said, "We're shutting down our kitchen," and I said-- Jorge: "Noooo--" Yolanda: --"Oh, my God."

Maru Rique: "Noooo--" Yolanda: "What do you mean you're shutting down the kitchen?"

I mean, you know, 2,000 people a day eat from this kitchen.

I called Maru, and I said, "I've had this crazy idea.

Is there a way in which this is about humanity, and the International Community Foundation can fund a pilot project that Fundacion Tijuana Sin Hambre can run?"

And so Maru said, "Yes," without a second hesitation.

Maru: Of course, I did.

Jorge: This was all so amazing to hear, and to make it more impressive, they make 2,000 meals every day for ten shelters.

That's over 700,000 meals a year coming out of this one kitchen.

Jorge: Tijuana Sin Hambre, when it started, was it looking to help the local people who are left migrants, who didn't get to cross and are wandering?

Maru: No, we just wanted to help people at the beginning, people who lost their jobs and couldn't eat because they were living day by day.

We just called our neighbors and say, "Let's do something.

What can you do?

What can you give?"

And we started doing food packages for people who were unemployed.

That was our main focus at the beginning, and after a month, we were around 1,000 volunteers.

Jorge: Oh, wow.

Maru: People from Tijuana are the biggest heart, and we were so happy by the response.

Jorge: But Yolanda wanted to upgrade in order to be able to meet the needs of more people than what they are currently handling.

Yolanda: I was on the ground throughout the pandemic for, like, four days out of the week, looking for what initiatives and shelters we could partner with or support with our fiduciary sponsor, the International Community Foundation.

And so, during the pandemic, I came up with the idea of doing a cross-border matching grant so that instead of just this is about humanity giving out 50 grand or whatever amount, we could bring together institutions like the International Community Foundation, like Cross Border Xpress, private donors on both sides of the border so that they would match our grants, one to one, two to one, three to one, so then we weren't just giving out $50,000.

It could be $200,000 to more individuals-- Jorge: Organizations like Tijuana Sin Hambre?

Yolanda: Like, Maru, like Tijuana Sin Hambre.

Jorge: This would turn out to be of great importance because of a major problem Tijuana is dealing with.

Jorge: So what's the situation right now, guys?

What's the situation?

What are the needs in Tijuana, the region that you tend to?

What are the needs right now?

Yolanda: Well, anywhere around the world, there are 280.6 million migrants at any given time of which 35 million are children under the age 18.

Tijuana has seen or sees about 300,000 migrants migrate to or through the city, so, I would say, things like legal representation, shelter, you know, a roof over their heads.

It's just like a flip of the coin that determines what side of the border that you're on, and ultimately, I think the most important thing is that we hold onto our humanity and that we can see that in others, and then I would say that that is a fundamental reason that people gravitate towards this kind of initiative because, in finding our own humanity, we're able to help others in our community.

Jorge: It's really nice to get to know your story, get to know your organizations, hopefully, creating awareness, more people step forward and help you guys out.

But I wanna help out.

You guys think I could help you guys out with your-- with what you're gonna do today?

both: Yes.

Maru: Of course.

Yolanda: We're gonna go to Movimiento Juventud 2000.

It's one of--this is about humanities, partner shelters, and one of the shelters that is on the daily rotation for receiving meals from La Fundacion Tijuana Sin Hambre.

It's a family shelter.

They usually have about 150 to 200 migrants from all over.

Jorge: Before we headed over to see them in person, I was curious about who exactly these shelters are taking care of.

Maru: These are the communities that we serve.

Jorge: So all these are shelters?

Maru: All these are our shelters or communities.

Jorge: How many of these are just, you know, impoverished locals, and how many of these are immigrants?

Like, which ones--how many do you think of these shelters are, what?

Maru: Ten shelters are from migrants.

Jorge: Ten.

Maru: Ten shelters that we serve.

And two communities that we serve also daily are from locals.

Jorge: Local impoverished communities.

Maru: Local.

Jorge: Being a border city, the migrant need is a reality here, right?

I mean, always, I mean, it's a very unique need for this region, right?

Like, other cities, you know, other states in Mexico, they're not facing this like you guys are, right?

'Cause everyone smashes into that wall here, right?

Yolanda: That's right.

The U.S.-Mexico border is comprised of 2,100 miles.

There are ten border states.

Six are from Mexico, and four are from the U.S., but the area in which there is an increased influx of migrants, because of more ease of crossing perhaps than, for example, the Rio Grande in Texas, is this San Diego-Tijuana border.

Jorge: So we visited the shelter, and you can see that it has limitations.

During the daytime, the men are trying to figure things out.

So, in the daytime, the most thing you're gonna see in one of these shelters is women and children.

Jorge: So this is one of their learning centers so the kids can continue to have an education while they're here, so it's funded by same organization as Yolanda was talking about.

So each one of these thumbs represents a child that was already given asylum in the U.S.

So each one of those green thumbs represents a child that was able to successfully make his or her American dream a reality.

They're already there.

So it's really beautiful, this little room.

But, like, again, you gotta see what-- where these people are staying.

Each one of those tents represents their room.

You know, that's their lodging.

That's where all their belongings are.

It's not ideal, you know?

You just look at this world and so many hardships for so many people.

It's really good to have, you know, organizations like these who are just volunteering and trying to ease a difficult situation.

Jorge: Everything that you see around, even the kitchen and the school area, at night, the floor literally becomes accommodations.

So the people that can't fit in tents, you know, whatever, you know, space on the floor they can find, it becomes basically their bed.

But this is it.

I mean, it's not an ideal situation, for sure, but I can tell you that they're probably glad that it exists, right?

They're very glad it exists.

We just live in a world-- right?-- where borders are shifting, where, you know, conflicts, famines, different tragedies, natural disasters, large swaths of populations are constantly shifting, and people are having to step up.

Wherever those communities end up, the local population has two choices--to turn them away or reject them, be belligerent, or bring out a degree of compassion.

Jorge: Well, I also wanted to help a little bit, which is really nothing compared to what the workers here are doing day in and day out.

They are literally impacting the lives of thousands of people.

Jorge: Mr. Chema here, he's the founder of the shelter.

He's the one running the place, and he's telling me how there's a program, started a few years back, suggested by some of the people, the migrants staying here, that they wanna help out, you know, how, "We don't just wanna be, you know, sitting out there all day doing nothing.

What can we do to help?"

So now, after that, they put a program where each one of the moms or whoever is here, they help out four days in the kitchen, and that's their job.

Gives them a dignified presence here.

They're kind of carrying their own way, contributing, and it gives them a feeling of purpose, and, like, they're not just here for free, not doing anything.

And Mr. Chema here, the founder, is very happy, very proud of that program, so very nice.

Jorge: There's a real need everywhere, right?

But this is the reality in Baja, in Tijuana, shelters like this, and generous people who are stepping up to help out at something that we were very happy to show.

So, we're gonna roll up our sleeves, and we're gonna try to help out.

♪♪♪ Jorge: Noble efforts like these must be highlighted, and we're happy to do so.

We're happy to have had a glimpse.

So now we move to a different part of town where we will meet an individual who is very enthusiastic about the nonfood version of salsa.

Jorge: Here, you could see that the Caribbean culture is very universal, right?

Around the world, people like salsa, bachata, and the Puerto Rican, Caribbean, Cuban, all these different cultures, very popular, right, around the world, no matter where you are.

But Mexico's always been like, kind of, like--I don't know--reticent?

Or, just, it just hasn't caught on as much.

You're very unlikely to find a Mexican city with that type of culture, like, established, where you know where to go.

But there's one person that is changing that, at least in the city of Tijuana and the state of Baja, and he's standing right next to me.

Name is Julio Ruiz.

How're you doing, my friend?

Julio Ruiz: Nice to-- good to meet you.

Good.

Thank you.

Jorge: Julio, you're creating a name for yourself.

I've been seeing you, even YouTube videos, social media.

You're carving a niche in Baja, you know, in a genre and a culture that's not very common for Mexicans, right?

Julio: Right, it's more common for actually the banda and the norteno-- Jorge: Right, that's common here.

Julio: That culture is very, like, prominent over here.

It predominates everything, but I brought in that little-- plant a little seed of salsa and then watched it grow.

Jorge: Amazing.

Julio: Yes.

Jorge: So you come from L.A., right?

That's where you made this out?

Julio: I'm from Los Angeles.

Jorge: Is that where "Machito"-- your nickname is "Machito" Ruiz, right?

Julio: Yes, Machito Ruiz.

That's my stage name, "also known as."

But, yes, I'm from Los Angeles, and, over there, there's more salsa than fish.

Jorge: Right, exactly, like, in the states, any given major city, metropolitan city, is gonna have--it's gonna have that type of culture.

Julio: Yes, most big cities have salsa.

Jorge: Correct, correct.

When you show up, how did it even dawn on you, like-- first of all, you found none of that culture here, right?

Julio: No, actually, like, I asked my aunt 'cause she was--you know, she's at home making tortillas and stuff.

"Hey, Tia, I wanna go and dance salsa."

She goes--I was only here for a vacation, and she's like, "No--" Jorge: She's like, "You can eat salsa."

Julio: --"there's no salsa here.

Only kind you can eat in the tacos, you know?"

And I'm like, "Okay, no--" I didn't--I didn't believe her.

I'm like, "I'm in Latin America.

What're you talkin' about?"

So I go out, and I'm lookin', and I search for salsa.

Jorge: Probably to Revolution Avenue you go, walk along the crowd.

Julio: Right, and as I'm walkin' around, I get this little spot over there by 2nd Street, Revolution, but there's, like, it's like kind of a tropical atmosphere, but it's kind of, you know, weird, so I was like, okay, I walk in there, and I tell the DJ--at that time we were using CDs.

I said, "Can you put this CD on?"

Jorge: No way.

Julio: And I started dancing salsa, right?

And people-- "Wow, this is how you dance salsa?"

Very different from what their conception of salsa was here.

And so, yeah, so I was at this one place, dancing at an event, and Televisa, which is one of the-- Jorge: Yeah, TV networks in Mexico.

Julio: --main networks here, they decide to contact me.

And so, they did.

They called me down, and I'm like, "Well, I don't even know-- I know CBS; I know ABC.

I don't know none of this," right?

So they're like, "Okay, go--" and then I went, and they're-- "Yeah, come on, we're gonna pay you.

You're gonna get on our network, and we want you to come and do our opening for our show," and I was like, "Oh, this is cool," right?

Jorge: Amazing.

Julio: Yeah.

Jorge: So you went back to L.A., taught over there; San Diego, taught some more, and then, again, to Tijuana?

Julio: Came back to Tijuana and then I ended up, like, staying.

This time I stayed.

Jorge: How has the local population reacted to salsa, man?

Julio: Well, it took off like a wildfire.

Now we have salsa from people that were in my, actually, my dance academy.

They opened up their own dance studios, and they're all doing, like, good.

They're also-- Jorge: So there's--now there's more salsa students in Tijuana now?

Julio: Right, now you got, like, different academies and-- Jorge: Wow.

Jorge: After getting to know Julio, I was anxious to see if he was really such a great salsa dancer.

They flowed like the wind.

They moved like water.

♪♪♪ Jorge: Honestly, I've always had trouble with salsa.

I know a couple of moves that a friend taught me, and that's it.

I just go back to those two, three moves.

Julio: Let's do it.

Let's do it.

You ready?

Jorge: I'm ready, man, I'm ready.

Julio: All right, let's go.

We're gonna do one foot forward, the left.

One, two, three, and five, six, seven.

Perfect.

Jorge: In Mexican, but salsa is more popular in the Caribbean, you know, other Hispanic countries, and not necessarily Mexico.

So it's not really something I've ever engaged in.

Julio: Now forward step, one, two, three--five, six.

Now to the side.

One--to the other side.

Hah-hah-hah.

It was the other side.

Jorge: Left.

Julio: To the left.

Jorge: I'm sorry, okay.

Julio: One, two, three, and five, six-- now you're doin' it too fast.

Jorge: Ah-hah-hah, okay.

Julio: Ready?

And one, two, three, and five, six, to the left, one-- Jorge: So if Machito Ruiz can get this bear with two left feet to dance some salsa, hey, it means he's very talented, and he's a very good teacher.

Julio: One, two, three, and five, six--basic step and-- Jorge: Man, I was really massacring his moves, wasn't I?

But I had to stick to it.

I wasn't gonna give up.

It's kind of hard to keep track of all the steps, but in the end, you gotta feel it, so I started to get the hang of it.

I might've stepped on her toes a couple of times, but she didn't say anything.

She was able to guide me through the basic steps that the master had taught me.

Julio: Wow, this is it.

This is your calling.

Jorge: Oh, man.

Julio: He did that better than the basic.

You did it better than the basic.

Jorge: Hey, if you could get me to do a couple of moves, I am impressed, my friend, 'cause, whenever I've danced salsa, I'm just like ridiculous.

Julio: I'mma have to take you dancing with me, you know?

Like, we gotta go out and dance.

Jorge: It's "Crossing South," folks.

If Machito Ruiz can get a klutz like Jorge to do this, he can get anyone.

All right, Bella, let's see if I can do this.

♪♪♪ Julio: Good, good.

Bella: That was good.

Julio: That's good, my friend, wow.

Jorge: Heh-hah, hah-hah.

Julio: Jorge can do it.

Jorge: Heh-heh-hah.

Julio: You can do it too.

Jorge: So, I mean, how do you go from that, from being someone who teaches salsa, okay, you had a little stint on local television and whatnot, but how did you go from that to a full-orchestra stage, man?

I saw you, man.

You looked like Pitbull up there with your sunglasses.

You're like-- Julio: That's another crazy thing that happened to me.

I'm actually doing it because I want to promote salsa and events in my academy, and then, all of a sudden, I'm like, "It's time to pay the band 'cause I sold all the tickets," right?

And I had to pay the band.

I'm like--I was like, "Okay, now I have to figure out a way how to pay myself."

Jorge: Right.

Julio: So I did.

I became a singer.

Jorge: Tell me, exactly, where are you at, man?

Where's Machito Ruiz right now, stage-wise, artist-wise, and where do you wanna go?

Julio: Well, in production, right now I'm in production.

I'm making my own.

I just made the second bachata.

Well, actually, I made the last bachata was all in English.

It's called "Looking for Love."

Prior to that, I have a salsa called "Ay Mujer," and "No lo Logro".

Now what I'm trying to do right now is a merengue, but it's like a process, and everybody thinks that everything's overnight, and it's not.

Anybody that's out there that wants to make it, you have to be consistent, and you have to always stay humble.

Stay humble.

Jorge: Always.

I like that.

Julio: Stay humble, my friend.

Jorge: I like that, my friend, for sure.

Julio: Then you connect with the people.

Jorge: Now that I knew that Julio wasn't only a great dancer but an amazing artist overall, it was time to really see him action.

The event started with salsa lessons for anyone who wanted to participate, which came in handy for when the real party was to begin.

Even though it's not part of the local culture, you can see people really wanna learn, if not to master it, at least to be able to experience dancing this type of music, which is not endemic to Mexico.

It's time to see the master at work.

We were backstage, and I definitely noticed that he was ready to perform.

He's a natural, full of energy, ready to put on a show for his audience.

Julio: Muy buenas noches mi gente.

Bap-bap-bap, bap-bap.

Bap-bap-bap, bap-bap.

Bap-bap-bap, bap-bap.

Julio: No lo escucho.

♪♪♪ Julio: Rico.

Julio: [speaking in Spanish] ♪♪♪ Julio: [speaking in Spanish] ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ [singing in Spanish] Julio: [speaking in Spanish] ♪♪♪ Julio: [speaking in Spanish] ♪♪♪ [singing in Spanish] Julio: [speaking in Spanish] [singing in Spanish] ♪♪♪ [singing in Spanish] Julio: [speaking in Spanish] ♪♪♪ Julio: [speaking in Spanish] Rico.

♪♪♪ Jorge: That's Machito Ruiz, folks, a pilgrim of his music in foreign lands.

Jorge: So, after getting to see how the generosity of a few can help so many at ground level and getting to add a skill to my resume with some salsa moves, we leave wondering what else we'll experience the next time we get to cross south.

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