Alan Lilienthal

Big news: we have a new cohost! In our recurring “Tour Guide” bonus episodes, we ask transborder people to take us on a tour of a special place in the borderlands: a place that means a lot to them. Today, our new fronteriza cohost Natalie Gonzalez, along with our longtime fronterizo host Alan Lilienthal, take us on a tour of two of their favorite places in Tijuana and tell us more about their life on la línea. Today’s episode continues our new season of "Port of Entry" focused on crossborder artists and musicians who’ve turned pain into superpowers.

Victor Lebowski, better known as the artist Tijuanauta, captures the beauty of the borderlands in his art. His detailed ink drawings are often a mishmash of U.S.-Mexico icons, like Star Wars characters and taco carts, or astronauts eating carne asada. But for a long time, Tijuanauta refused to sell his art or make art his day job. Instead, he hid behind the safety of his office job and stayed inside a cubicle for a decade. But recently, Tijuanauta took the plunge. He became a full-time artist and had his first-ever art show in Tijuana over the summer. The artist is gaining traction fast, but his biggest battle is inside his own brain. A mix of lifelong anxiety and self-doubt has long stopped Tijuanauta from being the artist he's destined to be. But he’s finally fighting back.

Mexican musician Javier Bátiz could very likely have been world famous had he headed north of the border with his good friend and bandmate Carlos Santana back in the 1960s. But instead, Javier went south to Mexico City, where he built a successful career in the country he loves. In a new episode of “Port of Entry,” we look into how Javier’s life, decisions and decades-long musical career have brought him internal peace and fulfillment he says is far more important to him than reaching the high-level fame his friend Carlos found. Today’s story continues our new season of "Port of Entry" focused on artists and musicians who’ve turned pain into superpowers.

You know what they say about one man’s trash becoming another’s treasure, right? At the border, the journey from trash to treasure often involves an actual trip from San Diego to Tijuana, where things like furniture, appliances and other used or discarded objects find a second life. But, of course, those objects don’t move themselves. The whole cross-border, second-hand world involves people like Seth Sullivan, aka “Art Pusher,” one of the best-known “pickers” in the borderlands. Seth is a fireball who’s been through a lot in his cross-border life. But his struggles have only fueled him to keep going and growing. Today’s story kicks off a new season of "Port of Entry" focused on artists and musicians who’ve turned pain into superpowers. Follow Art Pusher on Instagram. *** “Port of Entry'' is written and produced by Kinsee Morlan. Emily Jankowski is the co-producer and director of sound design. Alisa Barba is our editor. Lisa Morrisette-Zapp is operations manager and John Decker is the interim associate general manager of content. This program is made possible, in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

In this bonus episode, meet a woman who takes people’s pets from San Diego to Tijuana for more affordable veterinary care. It’s a story about the great…

In a new “Port of Entry” bonus episode: One Baja chef’s pandemic story and the camera crew who followed it. Valle de Guadalupe has exploded over the last decade. It’s become a hugely popular wine and food destination for people from around the world. But when the pandemic hit, the flood of tourism to the culinary region just completely stopped at first, then slowly turned into a trickle. A new one-hour special on KPBS called “Ingrediente” tells the story of how Valle de Guadalupe chef Drew Deckman and his restaurant crew learned how to survive and even thrive through the ongoing pandemic. We talk to Deckman and the show’s producer, Jill Bond.