The Red Bus, Paso del Norte International Bridge, El Paso/Juárez, 1989
Photograph and Text by Bruce Berman
The Old Red Bus ran back and forth over the Juárez International bridge for decades. The bus itself was from the late 1950s, a GM. First photo I ever took when I got to El Paso and started wandering around was of the Red Bus, on El Paso Street. I noticed the women, from 18 to late 40s, lined up. I came to know that they were “maids,” low wage women from Juárez that came over every day and served the Anglos of a neighborhood north of downtown. It was called Kern Place. At the end of the day -those that worked by the day and not the week- would walk south down the hill to “EL Centro,” get on the bus and go home, to Juárez
Generations of Anglo kids were raised by these “maids.” Tons of dishes were washed. Beds were made. Laundry was done. They watched the American culture and went home. Key word: Home. Theirs. Another world.
I shot that old photo in October 1975.
Between 1975 and when this was shot I went from knowing nothing about the border to knowing too much. I miss the Red Bus. I miss the El Paso that was stuck in the 1950s. It was in the “50s” for another 35 years. It had its own culture, it was easier, it had guts.
The current border bus, more modern but not much, is called the Borde. I should shoot it to show the contrast. I will, but it doesn’t turn me on. Just another bus.
It has no contrast, no texture, no soul.
That’s a metaphor for the border of 2022.
In fact, I don’t think I can recapture the Holy Ghost of those days unless I find a time tunnel.
Anyone know where I can find one of those?
