What does this research mean for the field?

Contemporary carnival practices at the Tijuana border preserve the historical cultural traditions and political protest elements of Morelos, Mexico, utilizing critical geopolitical locations to express binational cultural identity. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.NOVEL_FINDING. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.ESTABLISHES_NEW_DIRECTION.

What question did this study set out to answer?

Understand the dynamic nature of the Tijuana–California border by examining festive cultural performances that counter dominant narratives of border violence.

September 10, 2026Cultural SociologyOpen Access

Carnival in Tijuana: A Visual Study of the Brinco del Chinelo

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Authors

NRNancy Rios-ContrerasChapman University CBChenesia BrownState University of New York at Oswego

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Implication

Visual ethnographic study reveals persistent cultural identity and political protest in Tijuana carnival celebrations, highlighting festive resistance along the Mexico–United States border.

Key Points

Understand the dynamic nature of the Tijuana–California border by examining festive cultural performances that counter dominant narratives of border violence.
Applied a visual sociology framework utilizing photo-ethnography and fieldwork observations.
Conducted fieldwork between 2022 and 2024 during the annual summer festival Carnaval Sin Fronteras in Tijuana, Mexico.
Documented the persistence of regional traditions from Morelos, Mexico, through specific place-centered attire, masks, music, and the Brinco del Chinelo dance.
Demonstrated that traditional celebrations preserve an element of political protest by occupying sensitive border sites such as a binational park, church plaza, and a boardwalk facing the border wall.

Cite This Study

Rios-Contreras et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa27aca58559d80afc739cb https://doi.org/10.1177/17499755261474594

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Implication

Visual ethnographic study reveals persistent cultural identity and political protest in Tijuana carnival celebrations, highlighting festive resistance along the Mexico–United States border.

Carnival in Tijuana: A Visual Study of the Brinco del Chinelo

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Carnival in Tijuana: A Visual Study of the Brinco del Chinelo

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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