Motto: In the Street and in the Academy Imagined Present in Common
In Granada Spain, July 2024
Last July I was invited to present on the results of research conducted at MUA with anthropological researchers Kathy Coll and Alison Cohen. A recent study of over 2000 MUA members done in collaboration with USF and UCSF, demonstrated that members develop resilience factors that support their mental health and well-being, and reduce the likelihood of domestic violence. It also develops leadership for social change in the women themselves and how it impacts their families, as children cut off DV and recognize their mothers who participate in MUA, seeing them as leaders in the community.
It was a very enriching experience for both me and the conference participants, as the MUA model is unique and special.
MUA was born from a research carried out in 1989 to find out how immigrant women lived. Our founders were the ones who worked on the surveys and from there they invited the interviewees to participate and form a group. MUA.
It was very exciting to receive feedback from participants on how in each MUA investigation, it is the immigrant staff who conduct the research and those who implement it, since each investigation ends with a project for change.
Normally, anthropologists develop questions, ask questions, develop the report. And at MUA, this is done by the staff who became members of MUA.
In all the presentations I participated in, the anthropologists did all the work and shared the work and research. MUA was the only one presenting an immigrant woman and an anthropologist.
As always, it remains a great honor to represent MUA in these spaces.
Thank you very much