Personal Information

I am originally from La Paz, Bolivia. La Paz, at  close to 11,000  feet of altitude, is the highest capital city in the world.  I come from a trilingual, multicultural family. My paternal grandparents were descendants of the Aymara people and my maternal grandparents’ ancestors were Quechua. They all spoke Quechua, Aymara and Spanish. Although I don’t speak my grandparents’ indigenous languages I grew up listening to them.

I left Bolivia in the 70’s when my country was under the dictatorship of Hugo Banzer. Under his regime, the state university, the most important university in Bolivia at the time, lost its autonomous status and was closed down for three years because the students were the biggest opposition to Banzer’s undemocratic regime.

Since the university I attended in Bolivia was closed I came to the United States to continue my university studies. After several universities in several states I obtained my doctoral degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey in 1986. I specialized in Contemporary Latin American Literature.

Parallel to my university studies I formed a family and had two wonderful sons, Sergio, who is 25 and lives in the city of New York, and Alexander, 19, who graduated from Friends School in June of this year.

I came to Virginia Wesleyan in 1987 and I have been teaching Spanish language courses and Latin American Literature, Civilization, and Latin American Music and Dance courses.

PERSONAL INTERESTS

 

I am very interested in world politics particularly Latin American politics. Students who have taken my courses know that the political and economic relationship between the United States and Latin America is of special concern to me: Rebelión, United States and Latin America, Common Dreams,

 

I am also interested in all types of music and dance. I come from a culture where you don’t have to be tall, young, and thin to dance well or to enjoy dancing. Therefore, you are bound to find me at the Latin Club on the weekends dancing the night away.

 

There are several other areas that interest me. If you go to Links-Enlaces, you will see what keeps me  busy besides teaching.

 

 

 

SHORT BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION