by Corey Calaycay

In 1956, President Eisenhower founded Sister Cities International to encourage the establishment of formal partnerships between cities in the U.S. and abroad to promote peace through citizen diplomacy, cultural exchanges, and economic development. On November 10, 1961, Claremont initiated a sister city relationship with Guanajuato, Mexico.

To commemorate the relationship, a street in Claraboya was named “Guanajuato Drive,” and a monument was erected on the street with the seal of Guanajuato and a plaque. Claremont resident Paul Wheeler recalls participating in the flag ceremony as a member of the local Boy Scout troop when the monument was dedicated.

The relationship continued for several years with delegations of community members traveling between the two cities, which included student exchange opportunities. In the late 1970s, interest waned and the program became dormant, but the monument on Guanajuato Drive remained, standing tall and proud.

(L-R) Claremont Mayor Corey Calaycay, Guanajuato, Mexico Mayor Samantha Smith, Claremont City Council member Sal Medina, and Alex Gomez at a sister city signing ceremony in Guanajuato on November 17. Photo/courtesy of Corey Calaycay

I discovered the monument years back while walking through Claraboya and was intrigued. I shared my discovery in conversations with community members every so often, and while sparking curiosity, it never generated any interest to investigate the history of or explore the opportunity to reinstate the relationship, until I met Joel Gonzales in September 2024 at the first annual Hispanic Heritage event that he and Claremont Heritage organized at Padua Hills Theatre. At some point over the course of that evening, I informed him of the monument and our past sister city relationship.

From that point, serendipity entered. Unbeknownst to me, Joel visited Guanajuato Drive, recorded video of the monument, and began speaking with contacts who had connections to Guanajuato. Meanwhile in Guanajuato, Presidenta Municipal (Mayor) Samantha Smith was elected in 2024 and began her tenure with a focus on sister city relationships that Guanajuato had with 35 cities across the globe. This included the desire to rekindle the relationship with Claremont. On May 5, she sent an email to Vice Mayor Jennifer Stark and me to initiate the conversation. But we missed her message.

The final fortuitous event came to pass in conjunction with my participation in the Pitzer College International Student Host Family Program. I was connected with Alex Gomez, a student from Sciences Po in France, but a native of Guanajuato. Alex’s concentration of study is Mexico/U.S. relations. Upon discovering his Guanajuato citizenship and his focus of study, I suggested to him that he might assist us in restoring our sister city relationship.

Alex arrived in Claremont on August 14, and City Manager Adam Pirrie and I brought him to see the Guanajuato Drivemonument. He was excited, and shortly thereafter began reaching out to contacts at home. A few weeks later he inquired about next steps. I told him I would reach out to community members who might be helpful. But the following day, before I had an opportunity to contact anyone, Joel Gonzales sent me an email containing a copy of Mayor Smith’s correspondence to me from May.

Things then began to move quickly. The annual Hispanic heritage event was less than a month away, and there was an opportunity to highlight the reestablishment of our relationship during the gathering. A virtual meeting was scheduled among Sal Medina, our first Mexican-born mayor and Council member; Adam Pirrie; Luis Carlos Salinas, representing Guanajuato and Mayor Samantha Smith; Joel Gonzales; Alex Gomez; and me. Following our conversation, we agreed to advance on reaffirming the relationship. In Claremont, we agendized a resolution at our September 23 City Council meeting authorizing the mayor and city manager to work on the agreement. After public comment, the item was approved unanimously. On her end, Mayor Smith recorded a video announcing Guanajuato’s commitment to the relationship that was shown at the September 25 Hispanic heritage event.

The culmination came November 17 — 64 years and a week to the day of the original sister city agreement — with a signing ceremony in Guanajuato, Mexico. Our Claremont delegation consisted of Sal Medina and me. We were joined by our mutual citizen and bridge between our cities, Alex Gomez. The signing coincided with the Mexican holiday commemorating their revolution. We walked the streets in a parade alongside Mayor Smith and her delegation followed by a tour of the Presidencia Municipal. We then had a formal signing ceremony at the Plaza de Mexiamora that included the exchange of 16 letters written by students in Guanajuato and Claremont.

I never imagined this emerging during my year as mayor. It is likely the greatest experience and honor I will ever know, and I am extremely grateful that Claremont’s sister city relationship with Guanajuato has been renewed.

Corey Calaycay is mayor of Claremont.