Julieta Fuxi Alexandre Vaz

Julieta Fuxi Alexandre Vaz
06/06/1993
Cacuso, Malanje, Angola

My name was given to me by my father. The name “Fuxi”, in my mother tongue, means “source” or “power”, and when it is not used as a family name, it is given in Ambundu culture to children born after twins. I was born in Malanje, a province in north-central Angola. I have always lived a very itinerant life, not only because I was born in a context of war and displacement, but also because from an early age I believed that fulfilling my dreams lay beyond the place where I was born. My father was killed during the war. I do not really know where I am from; I have always seen myself as a citizen of the world.
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Porto gains a great deal from having people who, because they come from different contexts, are able to read reality beyond what most people know. I come from a marginalized background and work with marginalized communities, which allows me to act from my own standpoint and gives me a certain advantage in relation to the people I work with. If I am speaking to, with, or about immigrants, I can understand the needs and feelings they express because of my own condition as an immigrant. With African people, I have the cultural sensitivity to interact or intervene without the fear of prejudice or racism, but also without the colonial mindset that so often permeates social discourses and practices. This sensitivity extends to other ethnic and cultural groups, such as Roma communities. In other words, by being able to position myself within different lived experiences, I bring added value to community intervention, contributing to more appropriate, inclusive, and effective responses that foster greater justice and social cohesion.
(...)
I like the people of Porto because they talk a lot. In Porto, it feels as though I am at home because in my country everyone talks to everyone. When I get lost and approach someone for help or directions, if they can, they will walk with me to the place I need to go — my people are like that too.
Besides the people, I am also a great fan of the Francesinha, so much so that it is part of my monthly food ritual. If I go a month without eating one, it feels as though something is missing.
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I want to become Minister for Social Action, Family, and Gender Equality in my country. That is why I am part of a community intervention team and pursuing a PhD. I want to work in Social Action because I come from a very rich country, yet the levels of inequality and social vulnerability are extremely high.