Leni Alvarez
Member, Youth Leadership Council (Mexico)
Leni is a returned migrant, a sexual assault survivor, and part of a mixed-status family separated by borders. She is also neurodivergent. At the age of 16, Leni found out that she was undocumented, and her family was forced to leave the place they called home in the one of the biggest historical waves of mass deportation and return between the US and Mexico. Leni has strived to channel her life story, experiences, education, and passions to advocate for and walk in solidarity alongside her communities. She has worked in both the private and civil society sectors. She was part of the founding team at Holacode, a social enterprise for deportees, returnees, and refugees in Mexico. She is currently part of the team at Otros Dreams en Acción, a grassroots organization dedicated to mutual support and political action for and by those who grew up in the US and now find themselves in Mexico. She is also the coordinator of Pochx House, a cultural space based in Mexico City that celebrates and reclaims a new hybrid and multifaceted culture in Mexico, and a co-creator of the podcast/platform Pochas So What.