Photos!

Felix with four month old Camila

Makin tortillas everywhere I go

Zapatista Ofrenda

Ofrenda at UNAM

 Been in Mexico City for two weeks now, which means two weeks left until the program ends, and two weeks left before I start traveling on my own. This is, at moments is overwhelming and extremely relieving. What I am worried about most is leaving the program and while traveling to my hearts content, forgetting about all the communities in resistance that are working everyday to survive. When I figure out how to not get sucked into the easy college living and obscene amount of privilege I experience regularly I will let you know. 
That being said, D.F. has been intense. It is the third largest city in the world, with 21 million people. In 1910 the city's population was 1 million, and in 100 years it has grown to the size it is now. This means that there are huge housing issues, meaning people don't have homes and the government is having a hard time keeping up with the urban housing demands. There are 1 million people in D.F without houses, and in the past 6 years, the government has built only 10,000 homes. I am staying in a community with an organization called FPFVI (Frente Popular Francisco Villa Independiente) in the peripheries of the city. The Panchos, as they are also known, have been organizing for over 18 years, building communities throughout Iztapalapa, the largest and poorest district of Mexico City. The communities they build are sort of like cooperatives, in the sense that every person has a role in the community, the rent they pay (which is very minimal) goes to the collective, and they build their own houses. These pretty much autonomous spaces are created out of land reclaimations and other radical ways of securing space for people who need a home. The best part of these past few weeks, besides spending time with my host family has been getting to know the community organizers. These folks are smart, passionate, chain smoke, make crude jokes, and work to break the exploitative system non stop. It is inspiring doing my homework in the office, looking at pictures of Che, Marcos, and the infamous communist sickle.

What else? My host sister is 22 and has a 5 month baby. My host cousins are around the same age and also have young babies. This means people asking me why I don't have a baby yet. And then I wonder the same...around these parts, its all about babies!

Having Day of the Dead in Mexico City was insane. Ofrendas everywhere, bread all around, people dressed up as skeletons....What else do I have to say? Things are good, busy, finishing up final projects, trying my hardest to plan for the next couple weeks, thinking about what I want to do with my life, and if I can find a way to remember to resist the system and build a life in sync with long term political solidarity for those who are also resisting.

LOVE

Violeta