Arturo Sarukhán facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arturo Sarukhan
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| Ambassador of Mexico to the United States | |
| In office 27 February 2007 – 10 January 2013 |
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| President | Felipe Calderón |
| Preceded by | Carlos de Icaza González |
| Succeeded by | Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 September 1963 Mexico City, Mexico |
| Spouse | Verónica Valencia-Sarukhan |
| Relations | José Sarukhán Kermez (father) |
| Residences | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Alma mater | El Colegio de México (BA) Johns Hopkins University (MA) |
Arturo Sarukhán Casamitjana (born 14 September 1963) is a former Ambassador from Mexico to the United States. An ambassador is a country's top diplomat, representing their nation in another country.
Mr. Sarukhán worked as a diplomat for 22 years. From 2007 to 2013, he was Mexico's ambassador to the United States. He was the first ambassador in Washington, D.C., to use Twitter for official communication. He used it to share information and connect with people.
Today, he is a consultant and public speaker. He also works with important research groups like The Brookings Institution. He teaches at universities and writes articles for newspapers.
Contents
Family History
Arturo Sarukhán's family has an interesting history. His grandfather, Artur Sarukhanian, was Armenian. He helped a leader in Russia named Alexander Kerensky. After Kerensky's government was overthrown, his grandfather moved to Venice, Italy.
Sarukhán's grandmother fled to Greece during the Armenian genocide. This was a terrible time when many Armenians were harmed. She later moved to Venice, where she met and married his grandfather. They left Italy for Mexico when a leader named Benito Mussolini came to power.
On his mother's side, Sarukhán's family were Spanish refugees. They were called the Casamitjanas and came from Catalonia. They had to leave Spain during the Spanish Civil War. They found safety in Mexico, where President Lázaro Cárdenas welcomed many Spanish people.
Education and Career Path
Arturo Sarukhán studied International Relations at El Colegio de México. He also earned a master's degree in U.S. Foreign Policy from Johns Hopkins University. He received scholarships to help him with his studies.
Before becoming a diplomat, he worked on a project to improve relations between Mexico and the U.S. This project was supported by the Ford Foundation.
Working as a Diplomat
Mr. Sarukhán held many important jobs in Mexico's Foreign Service.
- In 1991, he helped manage relations with countries in North and South America.
- He also represented Mexico at an agency that works to prevent nuclear weapons in Latin America.
- In 1993, he worked at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, D.C. He was a chief assistant to the Ambassador during important trade talks.
- Later, he was in charge of anti-drug efforts at the same embassy.
- From 2000 to 2003, he helped plan policies for the Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
- He then served as the Consul General in New York City from 2003 to 2006. A Consul General helps citizens of their country who are living or traveling abroad.
In 2006, he took a break from his diplomatic work. He joined Felipe Calderón's campaign for president of Mexico. He was the spokesperson for international affairs.
Ambassador to the United States
On 27 January 2007, Arturo Sarukhán was chosen to be Mexico's Ambassador to the United States. He served in this important role until January 2013. As ambassador, he worked to strengthen the relationship between Mexico and the U.S.
After his time as ambassador, Mr. Sarukhán started his own business in 2014. His company, Sarukhan + Associates LLC, advises clients on government relations. They also help with public affairs and understanding political risks.
See also
In Spanish: Arturo Sarukhán para niños
