WATSONVILLE — While the majority of Watsonville’s population is either from Mexico or has ties to it, the city did not, until Tuesday, have a sister city relationship within the country.
The Watsonville City Council agreed to forge a relationship with Tangancícuaro, a city located in Michoacán, México.
Mayor Oscar Rios said a group of Watsonville residents, who are from Tangancícuaro, approached city officials about the possiblity of creating a sister city relationship.
Arturo Hernández Vázquez, mayor of Tangancícuaro, also wrote a letter to Rios, expressing interest in a sister city relationship.
“Today, modes of communication of the economic and cultural activities have made it easier for communities in the world to become closer,” he wrote. “Therefore, in an effort to learn the activities you and your community do, we invite you to work with us to share experiences, culture, information.”
Rios called the opportunity “very exciting.”
“Most of the population here is from Mexico, and finally someone is approaching us to have a sister city in Michoacán, México,” he said.
According to demographic information provided to Watsonville by Hernández Vázquez, Tangancícuaro has a population of nearly 33,000, and its economy is driven by an agricultural industry that produces crops such as raspberries, onions, zucchinis, tomatoes and more.
Tangancícuaro is comprised of a number of townships, including Gómez Farias, Valle de Guadalupe, San Antonio Ocampo and others.
Watsonville has three other sister city relationships: Kawakami-Mura, Japan; Pinghu, China; and San Pedro Masahuat, El Salvador.
