Local San Diego

Bridging Two Worlds to Build a More Inclusive Future Vanessa Muñoz’s life was shaped by the constant movement between two worlds. Growing up in Tijuana while attending school in San Ysidro, she learned early on what it meant to live in the in-between. “We’d cross the border every day,” she recalls. “We’d wake up at six, wait in those long lines to get into the U.S., and after a full day of school, we wouldn’t end the day until 10pm. Then we would travel back to Mexico, and we’d repeat that every single day.” This constant movement across borders required Vanessa to balance two cultures. At home, Spanish was the language of family and community. “Spanish is my first language, and that’s how I communicated with my parents and family,” she shares. “But in school, they expected you ...

Chef Itze Behar (Desplácese hacia abajo para leer el artículo en español.) Chef Itze Behar: Redefining Baja Cuisine and Empowering Women in the Culinary World From the streets of Tijuana to the helm of one of San Diego’s most exciting culinary ventures, Chef Itze Behar’s story is one of perseverance, creativity, and an unshakable belief in the power of community and locally sourced ingredients. At Black Radish, she’s not just serving food; she’s telling a story—one that celebrates her heritage, empowers women, and showcases the beauty of Baja cuisine. Chef Itze Behar’s culinary journey is deeply intertwined with her upbringing in Tijuana, where the flavors and aromas of local cuisine filled the air. Growing up in this bustling border city, she found inspiration in the everyda...