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Building community partnerships is difficult. Sustaining those well-earned relationships over time, well that can become a whole other challenge.
Thus the crossroads Pleasanton-Tulancingo Sister City Association finds itself at – on the Pleasanton end, anyway.
“We need new members, with the hope that some may take an interest and have the time to be involved in leadership positions,” PTSCA president Jorge Victoria told me Monday.
“Our membership has aged, and not being able to retain the many families and adults who have participated in past exchanges has definitely contributed to our yearly decline. After all, we have been fortunate with active adult and youth exchanges for the past 42 years,” Victoria said, adding:
“Our association today is even more important in easing/erasing cultural stereotypes.”
The sister city organization was founded by the late Bob Athenour and Steve Noble in 1983 to forge a bond of international goodwill between Pleasanton and Tulancingo, Mexico.
PTSCA has become a hallmark of the cause: annual adult delegation visits between Pleasanton and Tulancingo, student exchange programs in summers and community events here like the holiday posada, Cinco de Mayo fiesta and barbecue fundraiser. Pleasanton donated two fire trucks to Tulancingo. A bronze statue of Athenour sits on a park bench in the Mexican town. Countless life-changing personal experiences.
Among the many reasons this moment is all the more important.
The header of Victoria’s press release for next week’s member recruitment meeting tells the story plain as day – “Struggling to sustain the bridge: Longstanding Pleasanton-Tulancingo Sister City Association faces membership challenges”.
The nonprofit has 50 active memberships, compared to a peak of 92 in the past, according to Victoria. “The present leadership is nine members; all having served on the board for multiple years and would rather be relieved and can’t commit to the monthly meetings. The rest are mostly dues paying members, along with support from the city,” he said.
Victoria himself became involved 32 years ago when he and his wife joined when their oldest daughter participated in the student exchange program.
“Meeting PTSCA members, I was amazed the vast majority had very limited Spanish language knowledge, yet had a great interest in the Mexican culture and sharing ours,” he told me. “Being of Mexican ancestry, this greatly interested me in being involved and sharing my U.S. adopted culture.”
Victoria has served 18 years as president off and on over the years, first while he was still working as a mechanical designer and the past 11 years in a row in retirement.
The push to recruit new members is more than a numbers game (though the bottom line is obviously a factor); it’s imperative to breathe new life and excitement into PTSCA, according to Victoria.
“Along with new energies, ideas and interest in experiencing a new culture, along with sharing ours,” he said. “Operational relief would be great. We have been able to meet our financial needs with one yearly fundraiser dinner/auction.”
Interestingly, it seems to be a Pleasanton problem only.
“Tulancingo does not nearly have the same pain,” Victoria said. “Their interest in visiting, sharing, hosting is great. Many of the continuing new members come from parents of the exchange students, something we have not been able to retain. Just as a note, fluency in each other’s language has been no problem in sharing cultures and friendships.”
I felt compelled to ask whether the current international relations climate is playing a role in decreased membership, not to unnecessarily “politicize” a situation but to acknowledge that most of us have noticed the tone has shifted – whether that’s a deteriorating relationship between the federal governments of the U.S. and Mexico, Americans feeling less safe about traveling to Mexico, Mexicans likewise feeling less safe visiting the U.S. or just the reported significant drop in foreign tourism into America this year.
Victoria was upfront. “Due to our present atmosphere (political), I’m sure there’s some uncertainty for some to travel to Mexico,” he said. “Fortunately, our sister city counterparts in Tulancingo would be the first to advise us of any unsafe conditions to travel there. We’re planning on visiting Tulancingo in April 2026.”
After all, building strong relationships is at the heart of everything the association does.
“Its value is that of a link for better understanding between cultures, especially in today’s political environment. Not only our sister city, but the hundreds of sister city associations worldly,” Victoria said. “The hundreds of Pleasanton students and adults who have participated have lived this value.”
The PTSCA membership information event is set for next Sunday (Oct. 19) at 2 p.m. in the Cultural Arts Center at 4477 Black Ave. in Pleasanton. Learn more at ptsca.org/index.php/homepage or contact Victoria at president@ptsca.org.
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the associate publisher and editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
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