A La Raza Monument, Tijuana (must see)

The Monumento a México, popularly known as “Las Tijeras,”directly translated into English as “The Scissors.” It is one of the most recognizable modern public sculptures in the city’s civic district. Created by Ángela Gurría, the monument reflects her role in a male-dominated field. She sometimes used male pseudonyms early in her career, later becoming the first woman admitted to Mexico’s Academia de Artes in 1973.

The sculpture was designed not only as a symbolic monument, but also as a carefully engineered structure. Built for a seismic region, it uses deeply anchored reinforced steel. Its two independent triangular forms can flex during earthquakes without touching at the top. The intersecting shapes create the appearance of open scissors, which inspired the popular nickname “Las Tijeras.” From some viewpoints, the structure also resembles a giant letter “M,” connecting its abstract design directly with Mexico.

The monument’s symbolism is tied to Mexican Independence and the concept of mestizaje, the blending of Indigenous and European roots that shaped modern Mexican identity. The two rising forms can be interpreted as separate cultural forces joining together. The monument also became one of the earliest visual anchors of the surrounding redevelopment project, slightly predating the nearby Tijuana Cultural Center, whose famous dome opened in 1982.

Today, the monument functions as far more than a historical landmark. It has become one of the city’s main civic gathering points and an important site for public demonstrations and cultural events. During International Women’s Day marches on March 8, purple and green banners often cover parts of the sculpture, transforming Gurría’s abstract design into a contemporary symbol of solidarity, protest, and public expression.