Ylenia Aguilar shares her story from undocumented immigrant to tireless advocate for clean air and climate action. She shares important approaches to accepting our own imperfections, navigating important work while we are busy, and the joy we can all feel by adding our own “granito de arena” or grain of sand to tip the scale for a better climate future. 

I appreciated how real this conversation was. Air pollution affects all of our health- it was tragic to hear about that her never-smoking father has lung cancer- we know that PM2.5, a form of air pollution that has been present in high concentrations in Mexico City, can cause lung cancer. Many people grow up in environments that can cause health problems such as cancer, asthma, and more. That risk often falls heaviest on vulnerable communities, such as the immigrant communities from which Ylenia came. I often find the journeys of immigrants inspiring, and Ylenia’s story of drawing on her roots and working to build a better world for herself and her kids certainly resonates. I share her view that everyone putting in their own “granito de arena” or “grain of sand” can tip the scales in favor of a better future for all of us. 

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