This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Anthony. Currently studying abroad on the semester program,聽
Our semester in Cuernavaca is about halfway done and I feel so grateful to be here. Whether it was witnessing the traditional Brincon at the annual Carnaval in Topostlan, hearing from traditional healers and community leaders of Amatlan, or sharing a meal with residents at the Casa Tochan migrant shelter in Mexico City, everywhere we鈥檝e gone shown us another example of dedication, community, and joy as a form of shared resistance.
This program has been comprehensive, to say the least. Not only in the range of topics we鈥檝e covered, but also the range of ways we explored them: We鈥檝e studied migration both through hearing from experts on the immigration system, as well as the lived migration experiences of community members who were willing to share them. We鈥檝e learned about women鈥檚 issues, LGBTQ+ issues, and the place of religion in Mexico from public officials, activists, and local progressive churches; we鈥檝e also learned by talking to our host families about their lives as we get to know them.
The more traditional avenues of learning we鈥檙e given are also important, don鈥檛 get me wrong. Texts, research, and empirical data are all great ways to get a really in-depth, technical understanding of the issues that impact us. But people鈥檚 stories, their dreams, struggles and emotions are why we learn about these issues in the first place. Reflecting on this has helped me better understand what I want to do with these stories, and what I want to contribute to my community back home in and outside of the classroom.
