This is a guest blog post from our student social media ambassador, Ariadna. Currently studying abroad on the semester program, “Liberal Arts, Migration and Social Change in Mexico.”
We’re a little over halfway through the semester abroad here in Cuernavaca, and it has been nothing short of welcoming and warm. We’ve already visited so many places like Mexico City, Amatlán, and Tepoztlán, which have all been incredibly insightful. Each place has shown how different communities are united by the same goals of resistance, preserving their identities and those of their ancestors, and fighting for social justice.
Many of the topics we’ve explored include immigration, hearing people’s migration stories, learning about immigration in Mexico from other Latin American countries, and understanding what U.S. immigration policies look like, as well as LGBTTTQ+ visibility and feminicides in Mexico. It’s very powerful to hear these stories directly from the people who lived them because there is nothing more impactful than hearing their emotions, their memories, and how these experiences continue to shape their lives.
The stories about immigration especially resonate with me, coming from a Mexican household where both of my parents migrated to the U.S. at a very young age. It reminds me of the sacrifices they made so that I could have opportunities they didn’t, and hearing other people’s experiences gives me a deeper understanding of what that journey truly means. It’s easy to get caught in mindsets that limit how we see the world, but listening to the struggles, reasoning, and resilience of others and seeing how often they are treated as less than human really changes one’s perspective. These experiences have made me reflect more on my own family’s history and the challenges faced by many migrants who continue to seek better lives. Overall, this experience has made me feel even more proud of my intersecting identities and has helped me reconnect with my roots in a much deeper and more personal way.
