Research Spotlight on Lorena Ojeda Dávila

I'm here thanks to the Fulbright-García Robles Mexican Studies Chair, to whom I am incredibly grateful for this wonderful opportunity for my personal and professional development and the wealth of experiences I'm gaining.

I saw the call posted on Comexus social media and felt it was the right time in my life to apply for this Chair in the United States. You don't choose, but only suggest the three institutions that offer the Mexican Studies Chair you would like to attend. I understand five or six top universities currently have this specific Chair. Of course, my first choice was always Yale, and I was thrilled when they informed me that they had selected me to fill this prestigious chair.

Since I'm here for the Mexican Studies Chair, my main commitment is to teach the seminar "Indigenous Movements and Resistance in Mexico" for undergraduate students. However, I continue to develop my historical research on Indigenous movements in the state of Michoacán and the territory that now comprises the state of Guerrero in the 19th Century.

I have other parallel research projects that, as you can imagine, I have not been able to make much progress in terms of writing the final results because my time is very limited. However, I have been finding valuable information resources in the extraordinary libraries of this university. One of them is about the cultural heritage of the Purépecha people and the processes of female empowerment that have emerged from the making and marketing of textile crafts, and another is about the Night of the Dead in the state of Michoacán.

Being here has allowed me to connect with other institutions in the region. I feel fortunate to have been invited to a roundtable discussion with colleagues from the University of Massachusetts at the end of April, to discuss the topic of Indigenous resistance from different perspectives and territorialities. This event has been organized by UNAM in Boston, as well as by the University of Massachusetts. There are other invitations to come back next semester to speak at other prestigious institutions in Boston. Thanks to the Mexican General Consulate in Boston, I'm in contact with Mexican organizations in the United States, with whom we can surely organize events for the academic community and the general public. We're working on those. So I'm happy to be able to strengthen ties not only with the Yale and New Haven communities but with the New England region in general.

Teaching at Yale is one of the most incredible and rewarding experiences I've had in my life as a professor. I already mentioned that my class is about indigenous movements and resistance in Mexico, and I had the challenge of creating a syllabus that, in only one semester, would give a broad idea of ​​the struggles and movements of indigenous peoples in Mexico from pre-Hispanic times to the present day. I think it was a very attractive proposal because several students from various fields enrolled because this course received a special designation that opened the door for students from different levels and majors.

The students are all magnificent, each and every one of them. Most are not only from families of Mexican origin but also from indigenous communities, and they have been very interested in learning more about their own history. At the same time, everyone in the class has been greatly enriched by the high-level comments and contributions of each of the students. We have done various activities, starting with reading and discussing texts, watching several old documentaries and short films, and even trying Mexican food!

In each class, time flies by. The semester is flying by, and this is an experience I wish could last much longer.

Needless to say, Yale's researchers are among the most renowned in the academic world. So, it has been tremendously enriching to meet them, listen to them, and learn from them. First, I have tried to attend the conferences, presentations, and seminars organized by the various councils of the Macmillan Center and other Centers. I have had the opportunity to hear extraordinary presentations.

In terms of personal conversations and meetings, I would like to mention and thank the time and kindness of Professors Stuart Schwartz, María Jordán, Marcela Echeverri, Ana de la O, Aníbal González, David Kenneth Jackson, Maite López, Santiago Acosta, Ned Blackhawk, and Dr. Ernesto Zedillo, among others. Everyone has been extraordinarily kind and has made my stay at this university and in this city unbeatable.

The staff at CLAIS, Tim, Paola, and Leda, have also made my experience even better with their kindness and efficiency. So, as all the MacMillan people.

I have also met with several graduate and undergraduate students conducting research on topics related to my area of ​​expertise, and I feel very fortunate to have made some recommendations that I hope will be useful in their professional careers.

I would like to make the most of every minute of my stay at Yale and in New Haven. I have planned to attend academic events in different departments across the university, visit all the art galleries and museums, and the cultural events that are constantly being held at the university. I've also visited the towns surrounding New Haven and found some wonderful surprises, especially fascinated by Essex. Since I live in Guildford, I try to take a walk on the green, go to the pier, or drive around on weekends and see the stunning landscapes in this region of Connecticut.