As a Mexican woman, and as part of the generation who lived through the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, the rise of the indigenous Zapatista resistance on the day that NAFTA entered into force in 1994, and the ensuing exodus of millions left without opportunities in the name of free trade, it is clear to me that these moments of tectonic shift, in this country as elsewhere, are moments of possibility; that the destruction that leads us to face the ruins and the long work of rebuilding, also opens the door to new solidarities and a revelation of a society endlessly fighting for justice and freedom. Moments of such fundamental change are not just about being louder and bolder, and responding with urgency, but also about the need to pause and reflect about where we are, how we got here, what we learned, and how we want to reimagine and rebuild a future that truly lives up to our ideals. (cont.)
“Step Up, Rise Up, and Reimagine a Radically Just World”, A Commencement Address to the Graduates of Eugene Lang College, May 18, 2017.
Crecí en la ciudad de México. La primera sacudida que tuve, a los 6 años, fue el temblor de 1985. El estado de alerta y los simulacros constantes marcaron mis miedos, la sensibilidad que aún llevo en el cuerpo ante cualquier movimiento de la tierra, y la certeza de que lo peor aparece sin anunciarse. Así llegaron muchas cosas. (cont.)
"Tenacidad hacia el futuro", Nexos, 1 de enero de 2018
My full academic profile is available on The New School's website:
https://www.newschool.edu/lang/faculty/alexandra-delano/
And you can contact me at delanoa at newschool dot edu
