Congratulations to Fulbright alumnus Daniel Alcarón for his selection as a 2021 MacArthur Fellow and recipient of a prestigious MacArthur "Genius Grant!” This title is awarded annually to talented individuals who have shown exceptional originality in and dedication to their creative pursuits. Daniel joins the ranks of several exchange alumni who have been honored as recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship.
As a writer and radio producer, Daniel’s work explores the social and cultural ties that connect Spanish-speaking communities across the Americas. He chronicles individual stories and often underreported topics that are set against a backdrop of broader sociocultural and geopolitical issues. Daniel is also the host of NPR’s Radio Ambulante podcast as well as a Spanish weekly news podcast El hilo.
Daniel’s writing spans a range of ideas and themes – including gang violence in El Salvador, book piracy in Peru, criminal justice in California, and civil unrest in Chile. Daniel believes that while geographical boundaries are real, cultural and linguistic boundaries are completely fluid, and he hopes that by bringing these stories to life he can bridge the gap between people and places.
Daniel went to Peru for his Fulbright Fellowship, creating demographic maps of impoverished neighborhoods, in 2001.