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A distinguished professor along with the relatives of victims of the violence in Juarez, expressed their emotions through poetry and stories Friday at the Music Recital Hall on the campus of New Mexico State University.
Professor Alicia Gaspar de Alba from the University of California at Los Angeles, along with Eva Arce and Malu Andrade read stories and poems based on the ongoing violence against women in Ciudad Juarez.
Alba’s novel entitled “Desert Blood,” is a fictional story about a young woman, fresh out of college, returning home to El Paso to adopt a child from a young, pregnant maquila worker who lives in Juarez. The novel tells the story of the young woman’s personal conflict with the crime and corruption south of the border.
Alba wrote the novel to show people in the United States the problems that are happening so close to home.
“About 95 percent of Americans are completely unaware of what is happening in the border area. These are not just Juarez or Chihuahua crimes, but border crimes. They affect everyone on both sides of the Rio Grande,” Alba said.
Alba’s book was fiction, but the work Arce and Andrade presented was based on real-life experiences with the struggle they fight everyday searching for justice on the behalf of their lost loved ones.
Andrade, who lost her sister to murder, expressed her thoughts about the violence and what the Mexican government is doing, in her own way. Andrade presented a speech about the way her people live, and how people in both the U.S. and Mexico should get involved in the cause.
“We demand the right to live."
-Malu Andrade
"Women from all classes of society are being raped, tortured and murdered. We must put Mexico on a path to justice, for our daughters, your daughters now and for the future, Ni Una Mas.” Andrade said to the audience.
Arce read poems she had written since her daughter went missing. The writings are about her journey to find the truth about the fate of her daughter. One poem she read was entitled “Palomita,” or little dove in Spanish.
“These feet are very tired, but they never say no. I’m tired of walking, but I will always keep looking for my palomita,” said Arce as she tearfully recited her poem.
Arce and Andrade also told stories about their encounters with Mexican officials, stories that weren’t an expression of anything, just stories of real life stories.
“They would follow me at night, everywhere I go. Even on my way here, I know I was followed. But I keep working, I’m not afraid,” Arce said.
The readings were part of the J. Paul Taylor Symposium of Social Justice at NMSU. The symposium concludes on Friday.
