By Maria de Los Angeles Baez Rivera
I remember as if it were today, that day in my home country, Mexico. A building that looked strong and unbreakable, almost touching the sky, disappeared in front of my eyes.
There was only a huge cloud of smoke, and nothing seemed to exist anymore—only ashes flying in the air, like a notebook burning and its pages floating in space and time, with stories from many different ways of living.
For many people, life seemed to slip out of their hands that day. I felt sadness and deep pain.
Fifteen years later, without imagining it, here I am. Life challenges brought me here, and I feel surprised and excited to see this place in person and to see how it has been reborn… like a strong tree growing again after a big storm.
Just like my country stood up again after Hurricane Kenna, one of the strongest we lived through, and one that needed a big community effort to rebuild.
Today I look at this building and I see a symbol of new life, new opportunities, and new strength. The same strength we need as human beings in this time of climate change.
And also the strength we need as immigrants in this big city, to build awareness and to understand that our relationship with the planet can change, even starting with our own energy, toward a cleaner and more fair future.
A future where every step, even a small one, helps protect life and helps us take care of each other.
Maria is a woman of justice and resilience who fights for the rights of immigrant women and transforms every challenge into a life force. / María es una mujer de justicia y resiliencia que lucha por los derechos de las mujeres inmigrantes y convierte cada prueba en fuerza de vida.