Student Reflections: Jacobo Diego Martínez
The following is a Q&A with Jacobo Diego Martínez, who participated in the course ‘Global Risks: Biodiversity, Security and Governance in Latin America’ at Stanford’s Center for Latin American Studies during the summer of 2017. His comments have been translated from Spanish.
From: Capola, Cuetzalan del Progreso, Puebla, México
School: 6th semester of Bachelor’s in Cultural Language at Universidad Intercultural del Estado de Puebla (“Intercultural University of Puebla”)
Ethnicity: Náhuatl
I am from a family that is purely indigenous; my maternal language is náhuatl. My basic school development, that had a bilingual Spanish-Náhuatl focus, and the experiences lived in my community of origin sparked within me an interest in studying the indigenous language and culture. In the course of my professional development I have had the opportunity to work with my community through community engagement, as well to work with the National Institute of Indigenous Languages as a translator of texts on scientific dissemination.
How/why did you became involved in the Global Risk course?
Because this course tackles very particular topics relating to the problems my community of origin faces. At the same time, it’s a course that allows us as young college students from indigenous communities to share our own organization, ways of life, and worldview with classmates who belong to other social classes.
What was your final presentation about?
Our presentation’s title is “The Settlement of Indigenous Communities in the Outskirts of Mexico City.” This project has been worked since a few years back by one of our teammates. The problem arises from the migration that the majority of the indigenous populations face to urban zones to find better living conditions, which in many cases is difficult since in order to subsist it is necessary to have a well-paying job, which very few people obtain. For this reason, these individuals settle in the outskirts because rent is cheaper. Under these circumstances people become very susceptible to drugs and violence. Our project seeks to create a civil association that provides legal advice to those who already own land in that zone, but also to consolidate a savings bank that can benefit the population, and if successful, carry over and implement the same model in other towns.
What were some of your favorite parts of this experience?
The most enjoyable parts of this course are the topics that have been addressed, the discussions we had, and getting to know the culture and gastronomy of California.
How has this course deepened your understanding of these issues?
Without a doubt one of the best experiences thus far; I never imagined traveling to California, and even less, taking courses at Stanford.
How has this experience impacted you personally, or academically?
I had a very different view of life in the United States but after this experience, my own viewpoints have changed. It’s good that there are people who are working on relevant topics focused on their communities of origin, and in particular, I would like to be able to collaborate with them in the years ahead.
Next: Anesio Domínguez Juan →
The ‘Global Risks’ course is a joint effort between Stanford’s Center for Latin American Studies, Mexico’s Autonomous Institute of Technology (ITAM), Mexico’s National Association of Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES), and the U.S. Embassy to Mexico.
