I know I haven't been home for a while.

親愛的阿嬤：

You are in our lovely home in Mexico,

我知道我有一段時間沒回家了。

and I'm here in the US,

你在我深愛的墨西哥的家裡，

fighting for our future.

而我在美國這裡，

You're probably watering the roses,

為我們的未來打拼。

taking care of the peaches

你可能正在給玫瑰花澆水、

and making sure your turtles are well-fed.

照顧我們的桃子、

That's one of the things I miss the most about home --

確定你每一隻烏龜都有吃飽。

spending time with the flowers

那些都是我最想念家的地方——

while you tell me stories about your childhood.

一邊玩花花草草、

As you know, we have been living in New York City since 2015.

一邊聽你說你童年的故事。

But life has completely changed over the past year.

就像你知道的，我們從 2015 年 就住在紐約市了。

At first, New York City was about museums

但去年，生活徹底地改變。

and parks

原本的紐約市對我來說 就是參觀博物館、

and school and friends.

逛逛公園、

Now it serves as a web

上學和交朋友。

that connects me with all the other people

現在的紐約市對我來說是一個網絡，

who are organizing to save the planet.

連結了我和其他組織 起來拯救地球的人。

You know how it started for me?

你知道我是怎麼開始的嗎？

It was Dad and his wisdom.

是爸和他的智慧。

Everything you taught him, he went and taught the world.

你教他的東西，他繼續教給了全世界。

All of his words about the responsibility that we have as humans

他也傳承給我身為人類，

to live in balance with nature

我們應與大自然達成一種平衡的責任。

were passed down to me.

我發現我們大家正在與地球脫節，

I noticed the universal disconnect to our planet

想起你曾經跟我說的話：

and remembered what you once told me:

「你碰過的東西要比原先的還要好。」

"Leave everything better than you found it."

我知道你那時候指的是碗盤，

I know you were talking about the dishes,

但這句話當然也適用於我們的星球。

but of course, that applies to the planet as well.

一開始，我不知道該怎麼辦。

I didn't know what to do at first.

這個世界這麼大、

The world is so big,

壞習慣這麼多，

and it has so many bad habits.

我不知道一個 15 歲的人 能改變什麼，

I didn't know how a 15-year-old was supposed to change anything,

但我得去嘗試。

but I had to try.

為了實踐這項理念，

To put this philosophy into practice,

我加入了高中的環境社。

I joined the environmental club at my high school.

但我發現我的同學只是談談回收、

However, I noticed that my classmates were talking about recycling

看看海洋影片。

and watching movies about the ocean.

這樣的環境保護觀點 不過是對氣候行動主義的交差了事，

It was a view of environmentalism

就像將氣候危機的責任 轉嫁到消費者身上，

that was so catered towards an ineffective way of climate activism,

宣稱氣溫會上升 是因為我們忘了帶購物袋。

one that blames the consumer for the climate crisis

你教過我，我們所屬群體 所做的每一個決定，

and preaches that temperatures are going up

都和照顧我們的地球息息相關。

because we forgot to bring a reusable bag to the store.

阿嬤，我能很高興地跟你說，

You taught me that taking care of Mother Earth

我說服了我們社團的所有人。

is about every decision that we make as a collective.

我們不再談論回收，

I am happy to tell you, Abuelita,

而開始向政治家寫信，

that I changed everybody's mind in that club.

敦促他們全面禁止使用軟質塑料。

Instead of talking about recycling,

然後，想不到的事發生了：

we started to write letters to our politicians

我們開始罷課。

to ban soft plastic altogether.

我猜你可能已經在新聞上看過，

And then, the unexpected happened:

可能這也已經不是什麼新鮮事，

we started striking from school.

但阿嬤，這在當時可是大事一件啊！

I know you've probably seen it on the news,

想想看孩子們不去上學， 是為了要呼籲大家拯救世界。

and maybe it's not that special anymore.

（影片）群眾：新世界是有可能的！ 沒有什麼能阻止我們！

But at the time, it was a huge deal, Abuelita.

西野．巴斯蒂達： 在第一次由格雷塔·通貝里

Imagine kids not going to school, because we want people to save the world.

號召的全球性氣候抗爭中，

(Video) Crowd: Another world is possible! We are unstoppable!

我找了 600 位同學跟我一起走上街頭。

Xiye Bastida: For the first global climate strike,

格雷塔·通貝里是第一位 為氣候抗爭的青少年，

which was called on by Greta Thunberg,

她的大膽激勵了我。

I got 600 of my classmates to walk out with me.

看到青少年也能翻轉 大眾對於社會議題的看法，

Greta Thunberg is a teenager who first started striking for climate.

著實震撼了我。

Her boldness inspired me,

這場運動有爆炸性。

and I was shocked by the realization

（影片）群眾：停止運作！

that youth could turn public opinion on social issues.

西：我也成了紐約、

The movement exploded.

美國及全球的主要籌畫者之一。

(Video) Crowd: Shut it down!

（影片）西：我們要什麼？ 群眾：氣候正義！

XB: And I became one of the main organizers

西：我們什麼時候要？ 群眾：現在就要！

for New York, the US and the world.

西：我開始氣候正義發聲、

(Video) XB: What do we want? Crowd: Climate justice!

原住民權益及跨世代之間的合作，

XB: When do we want it? Crowd: Now!

但這一切都只是剛開始。

XB: I started speaking up about climate justice and Indigenous rights

我這一生最忙碌的一個禮拜 絕對是 2019 年 9 月 20 號那週。

and intergenerational cooperation.

我和朋友策動了三十萬人 上紐約街頭，為氣候抗爭。

That was only the beginning, though.

真希望你也在場。

The busiest week of my life

我們走過華爾街，要求氣候正義。

will forever be the week of September 20, 2019.

（影片）群眾：不要煤碳、 不要石油，讓碳回歸土壤！

Me and my friends got 300,000 people to strike for climate in New York.

西：同一個月， 我也去了聯合國氣候峰會，

I wish you could have been there.

和艾爾．高爾在同一組演講，

We walked through Wall Street, demanding climate justice.

還遇見了傑伊．英斯利、 娜歐米．克萊因、

(Video) Crowd: No more coal, no more oil, keep the carbon in the soil!

比爾．麥奇本以及聯合國主席。

XB: That same month, I went to the United Nations Climate Summit.

那是我人生中最美好的一週，

I spoke on a panel with Al Gore.

因為所有我認識的人都團結起來——

I met Jay Inslee and Naomi Klein and Bill McKibben

我所有的老師、同學，

and the president of the United Nations.

甚至一些我喜歡的店家 也為了氣候抗爭而休息不做生意。

It was the most amazing week of my life,

如果你問我為什麼要做這些，

because everyone I knew came together --

我唯一的答案就是：

all my teachers, all my classmates ...

「我怎麼能不做？」

And even some of my favorite stores closed down to strike for climate.

從開始到現在已經過了一年，

If you had asked me why I did all of that,

有的時候我會覺得有點累，

my only answer would be,

但你教會我韌性。

"How could I not?"

我記得你三十年如一日，

It's been one year since it all started for me,

每天都去墨西哥城幫家裡掙錢；

and it gets a little tiring at times.

我也知道阿嬤你二十年來，

But if there is one thing that you taught me, it's resilience.

都在保護聖地不要被財團奪取。

I remember that you went to Mexico City every day for 30 years

跟我們家經歷過的那些苦難相比，

to get money for the family.

這一年不算什麼。

And I know that Abuelito has been going out for 20 years

而且如果我們的拼搏 能讓這個世界更好，

to protect sacred land from big companies that want to take it.

我們同時也能成為更好的人。

A year is nothing

阿嬤，這過程中還是有一些困難的。

compared to the struggles that our family has been through.

在外面的世界，

And if our struggles make the world a better place,

人們期待我們這些小孩懂所有事情，

they will make us better people.

或至少期待我們這樣做。

There have been some hardships, Abuelita.

他們問我問題、我回答他們，

Out there in the world,

就好像我真的知道 這世界怎麼運作一樣；

people expect us kids to know everything,

他們想要希望，我們也給了。

or at least they want us to.

過去一年裡，幾乎每一天我都在組織、

They ask questions and I give answers,

撰寫、演講、閱讀氣候及相關政策。

as if I really knew how the world works.

可是我有點煩惱，阿嬤，

They want hope, and we give it.

擔心我做得不夠。

I have organized, written, spoken and read about climate and policy

對我來說，要在 18 歲的 年紀拯救世界，

almost every day for the past year.

就意謂著要成為氣候行動份子。

And I'm just a little worried

以前，那可能代表要讀書成為醫師、

that I won't be able to do enough, Abuelita.

政治家或研究學者，

For me, being 18 years old and trying to save the world

但我等不了長大成為那些人。

means being a climate activist.

這個星球正在受苦，

Before, maybe it meant studying to be a doctor

我們不再有充裕的時間。

or a politician or a researcher.

以青少年姿態拯救世界 代表要擅長語言表達、

But I can't wait to grow up and become one of those things.

了解氣候危機背後的科學機制、

The planet is suffering,

為議題帶入獨特的觀點來令人關注，

and we don't have the luxury of time anymore.

然後捨棄剩下的所有事情。

Saving the world as a teenager means being good with words,

只是有的時候， 我也想再次關心別的事情；

understanding the science behind the climate crisis,

我也想唱歌、跳舞、做做體操。

bringing a unique perspective into the issue to stand out

我真心的認為，

and forgetting about almost everything else.

如果我們大家都能將照護地球 當作日常生活的一部分，

But sometimes, I want to care about other things again.

並視其為文化的一部份，

I want to be able to sing and dance and do gymnastics.

就不會有人需要當全職氣候抗爭者了。

I truly feel that if all of us took care of the Earth

當企業轉為永續、

as a practice,

當電網使用可再生能源、

as a culture,

當學校課表教我們 照顧地球是人文的一種表現，

none of us would have to be full-time climate activists.

或許我就可以再次做我的體操。

When businesses turn sustainable,

你難道不這樣覺得嗎，阿嬤？

when the power grid runs on renewable energy,

我們是可以做到的。

when the school curriculum teaches us

我的工作就是 傳遞這些正向思維給人們。

that taking care of the Earth is part of our humanity,

但最近感到有些艱難。

maybe I can do gymnastics once again.

貪婪、

Don't you think so, Abuelita?

驕傲、

We can do this.

錢還有物質主義。

All I'm trying to do with my work

人們輕易地與我對話，

is give that optimistic mindset to other people.

卻不輕易給我教導他們的機會。

But it's been a little hard.

如同你教我的一樣，

There is greed,

我希望他們有自信 來永遠盡自己最大努力，

there's pride,

希望他們有心和有勇氣去愛這個世界。

there's money,

我寫這封信是為了謝謝你。

and there's materialism.

謝謝你從我出生那刻起，

People make it so easy for me to talk to them,

就邀請我一起愛這個世界；

but they make it so hard for me to teach them.

謝謝你對每件事都微笑以對；

I want them to have the confidence to always do their best.

謝謝你教會我，

I want them to have the heart and the courage

希望與樂觀是解決任何問題 最強大的工具。

to love the world,

我做這件事，

just like you taught me.

是因為你讓我知道韌性、 愛和知識足以做出貢獻。

I wrote this letter to thank you.

我想回墨西哥找你、

Thank you for inviting me to love the world

想給你看我活動的相片、

since the moment I was born.

想給你看因為我們而通過的氣候法案、

Thank you for laughing at everything.

想聞聞花香、

Thank you for teaching me

想跟你站在一起，為氣候正義打拼。

that hope and optimism are the most powerful tools we have

我好愛你。

to tackle any problem.

我愛你。

I do this work because you showed me

西野。

that resilience, love and knowledge

【我好愛你。西野。】

are enough to make a difference.

I want to go back to Mexico and visit you.

I want to show you the pictures of the things that I have done.

I want to show you the climate legislation

that we've been able to pass.

I want to smell the flowers

and fight for climate justice alongside you.

Te quiero mucho.

I love you.

Xiye.

[Te quiero mucho. Xiye.]