Lisa Fuentes

Lisa Fuentes is a Mexican writer and activist.  She received a Ph.D. in sociology from Stanford University; an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a B.A. in philosophy from the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (Mexico). Her research compares the role of the middle class in politics in modern Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.  She was active in the 1988 campaign of Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas for president of Mexico as the candidate of the newly formed Partido de la Revolución Democrática.  She participated in the Zapatista Movement of National Liberation, attending the Convención Nacional Democrática in the community of Guadalupe-Tepeyac, in the Chiapas highlands in support of Sub-Comandante Marcos and the Asamblea de los Pueblos.  Between 1990 and 2005 Professor Fuentes made frequent appearances on PBS, CNN Español, Univision and other media outlets as a commentator on Latin American politics and culture.

Professor Fuentes has served on the boards of a variety of human rights and social service organizations, including the Washington Office on Latin American; Global Exchange (San Francisco); the District of Columbia Jewish Community Center; The Family Place (Washington), the Institute for Policy Studies (Washington); and the Latino Student Fund (Washington).