Manuela A. Gomez is a professor of philosophy at El Paso Group School. She has over 17 years of educating expertise on each side of the US-Mexico border. She focuses on philosophical pedagogy, ethics, feminism, and Latin American philosophy. She was just lately appointed to the American Philosophical Affiliation Committee on Hispanics/Latinx.
What are you most pleased with in your skilled life?
I really feel very grateful as a result of my work has acquired nationwide and international recognition. I used to be just lately named 2022 Piper Professor for the state of Texas, which is without doubt one of the most prestigious, state-wide awards for educating excellence on the school stage. The Texas Home of Representatives additionally honored me with HR 754, a congratulatory invoice for my educational achievements and civic engagement, and my college students and I had been named 2020 Community Champions for our philanthropic contributions on the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Moreover, I’m proud to have been part of El Paso County’s working group that created the Healing Garden, a spot that commemorates the victims of the August 3rd taking pictures, the deadliest bloodbath towards Mexican People in fashionable historical past. Final 12 months, I used to be a visitor lecturer at Harvard College for my philosophical work on the US-Mexico border, and this Could, I participated in a panel with Dolores Huerta at DePaul College, the place we mentioned the legacy of Cesar Chavez.
What excites you about philosophy?
I really like that it’s a highly effective device for us to remodel actuality and a key to liberation. It’s helpful, concrete, and current all over the place. It has given me a number of views about life and due to this fact, deepened my understanding of who I’m and what I do. Philosophy has additionally made my students enthusiastic about creating significant adjustments in our US-Mexico border neighborhood.
What are you engaged on proper now?
I’m growing the notion of Desenterrando Conocimientos (Unearthing Information) as a strategy of inquiry and praxis that reveals and produces information of the US-Mexico border. It’s grounded in pragmatism and is a qualitative imaginative and prescient of philosophy in motion. It’s a technique for information acquisition and manufacturing that may be linked to social activism. It’s a metaphilosophical and epistemological proposition to increase the parameters of what philosophy is anticipated to do. I current Desenterrando Conocimientos as an instrument to query, problem, and heal a number of the structural racism, violence, and injustices many have skilled on the US-Mexico border. Once we consider Mexican American labor, many instantly consider bodily agricultural work within the fields, like selecting fruit and veggies from the bottom (la tierra). My proposal reimagines Mexican American labor to incorporate much-needed mental work. Desenterrando Conocimientos is the lively unearthing of information in communities stuffed with wealthy epistemological crops. It occurs once we have interaction with la tierra y desenterramos los conocimientos of it and of its individuals.
After 17 years of educating philosophy on each side of the US-Mexico border, I’m additionally writing my dissertation. It’s a phenomenological examine that explores the lived experiences of Mexican American college students of their journeys of turning into philosophers. I make the most of testimonios as legitimate sources of legit information and I consider this examine will present helpful information on the intersection of academic analysis and philosophy. I hope it will reveal concepts about make philosophy a extra welcoming self-discipline. General, my work goals to alter the notion of who a thinker is to be extra inclusive.
Identify a trait, talent, or attribute that you’ve that others could not find out about.
I used to be born in the USA however raised in Mexico till I used to be 18 years outdated. My mother and father by no means spoke a phrase of English so I discovered it as a second language. My father would drive my sister and I throughout the border on the weekends to take English courses on the identical institution the place I now train philosophy and the place I grew to become the primary lady to ever obtain tenure in my self-discipline.
Which books have modified your life? In what methods?
After I was 16 years outdated, my father gave me the primary philosophy guide I ever learn: El Hombre Mediocre (The Mediocre Man) by José Ingenieros. Due to this guide, I studied philosophy. After I attended Texas A&M College for graduate faculty, underneath the steerage of Dr. Gregory Pappas and Dr. John McDermott, I grew to become the primary scholar within the English-speaking world to discover the neglected historical and philosophical connection between José Ingenieros and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
What’s your favourite movie of all time? (Or prime 3). Why? To whom would you advocate them?
I’ve the cheesiest story, nevertheless it’s 100% true. I went on a date about 15 years in the past with a movie producer. He requested me the identical query. I mentioned it was very advanced to reply only one favourite film of all time. Beneath strain, I answered School of Rock with Jack Black as a result of it was humorous and didn’t require any pondering. As a thinker, you want this generally. His face was stuffed with disappointment, and he ended the date 4 minutes later. He pretended his good friend had a flat tire and he needed to go assist him. After I bought residence, my father requested why I bought again so early. I defined what had occurred and he instructed me, “You deserve somebody who appreciates your style it doesn’t matter what. Actually, whoever does, could find yourself being your soulmate.” So, fast-forward to some years later. Evan and I had been associates for seven years. In the future, we had been speaking till 2 a.m. I randomly requested what his favourite film was, and after a lot hesitation, he mentioned, “nicely I actually like Faculty of Rock.” It was so ridiculous. I began laughing uncontrollably and instructed him what that meant. We’ve been married for 5 years.
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