State's First Mexican Consulate Opens on George Street in New Brunswick

Workers rushed to clear dining furniture from rain-soaked George Street in the wee hours of Saturday morning to make way for the afternoon’s ribbon-cutting ceremony to open New Jersey’s first Mexican consulate.

And although it represented an early jumpstart on the event, you could actually trace the roots of Saturday’s celebration to January.

That’s when Mariana Diaz, consul of Mexico in New Brunswick, began to appear at seemingly every store opening, cultural festival, school event, holiday celebration, and art installation in New Brunswick.

The dignified diplomat with a warm smile and a robust resume of service stretching from Los Angeles to Denver to Washington to New York spent almost a year shaking hands, passing out business cards, and letting the residents of New Brunswick know a consulate was coming.

She offered words of encouragement at a jewelry store opening on French Street in January and accepted an invitation to dance at last week’s Mexican flag-raising ceremony, and during those months in between embraced the city.

So, it wasn’t surprising on Saturday that Diaz got the loudest ovation during an event that included remarks from Mexican Ambassador Esteban Moctezuma, Mexican Minister for Foreign Affairs Alicia Bárcena, Choose NJ President Wesley Mathews, Mayor Jim Cahill, and other dignitaries.

“She’s very down to earth,” said Deputy Consol Alan Hubbard. “She’s not a red carpet kind of person. She’s not someone who’s going to ask for special treatment. She met people in the community – everyone called her Mariana because she asked them to call her that. She said, ‘Don’t call me consul. My name is Mariana.’ It helped connect with the community very well.”

The Mexican consulate has made a home on the first two floors of the old Chase Bank at 390 George Street and will offer residents of 13 counties a vast array of services, ranging from assistance with getting visas and ID cards to help with wills and more.

Diaz’s work in the community over the past several months was also important because previously the consulate in New York did not offer all of its services when it would set up shop in New Brunswick for one week each year.

Visitors who stuck around through drenching rains and wind were treated to tours of the new consulate offices. A crowd gasped at the sight of a giant vault door and the safe that had been repurposed into a meeting room. In another area dubbed The Emergency Room, there were desks where consulate workers would assist those facing domestic violence situations and labor and civil rights disputes.

In fact, moments after the doors to the consulate opened for visitors, Bárcena presented one person with a consular ID card that was special: It’s an example of new documentation that includes an “X” in the case of people who identify as gender nonconforming or nonbinary.

Cahill said the contributions of residents from Mexico – many of whom are from the Oaxaca and Pueblo areas – have added to the city’s rich tapestry. That’s not surprising since the United States and Mexico share a similar history.

“Both countries fought for their independence and freedom, for equality and for the right of self-determination,” he said. “It is our shared belief in the fundamental principles of equality, of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and the recognition that the key to success is hard work, honesty and dedication to community that continues to propel New Brunswick forward and why we continue to celebrate the strong Mexican influence here in our city today.”

Story By: Chuck O'Donnell
Photo Credit: SRE