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25 expat voices: Milou de Montferrier

In their own words

By Inside México Original Print Publication: February, 2009

For the "25 Mexicans You Should Know" edition of Inside México (November 2007) our editorial team sat in a room for hours, proposing and debating names of candidates, eventually whittling the list to a mix of well and less-well-known figures, each illuminating some aspect of this country.

For "25 Expats," we decided to do something different. We put the word out. We invited you, our readers, to tell us who to highlight. E-mailed nominations poured in from around the country, and several of you even called. 

This inaugural group of 2009 finalists is a diverse bunch in terms of where they are from, where they live and what they do. You've helped us round up the expat equivalent of the "butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker." In this case, however, it is the activist, the developer and the expat filmmaker...and the dog rescuer, the theater founder, the birder, and the book store owner. The list goes on.

The common thread running through each selection is the effort these people make to build community between expats and Mexicans.  We think that by doing so, they are helping to expand the definition of Mexico. That is what immigrants do. 

Expat: Milou de Montferrier

Organization: Hospice San Miguel

Website: hospicesma.org

Image:Holly Wilmeth

Hospice founders Lee Carter, Milou de Montferrier, and Joanie Barcal.

Related Multimedia

Ana Prado

We asked our 25 featured expats if they have a specific Mexico “moment” or memory—something that always makes them think, “Yep, this is home,” or “That’s what I love about this place.” View Slideshow >>

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Originally from: I was born in Paris, France, to a French father and an American mother.

Lives in: San Miguel Allende, Guanajuato.

Living in Mexico: 50 years plus.

Why did you move to Mexico?

In 1954 I came for the summer from Paris to visit my mother... and the rest is history!

Tell us about Hospice San Miguel. How did you get it get started, and how is it serving the people of San Miguel?

It is probably the most exciting project I have been involved with in my lifetime. Giving back to the community and helping people in need is always the best!

Are you involved in other organizations, activities, or hobbies here?

I have an antique business, which I started when I moved to San Miguel in 1991: Colección 4 Vientos, coleccion4vientos.com.

I have been on several boards over the years. We started Save the Children in my house in 1991. It is now doing very well here in the state of Guanajuato.

Do you have a specific Mexico "moment" that makes you think, "That's what I love about this place"?

Since I moved to Mexico City in the mid-50s, I have immediately felt at home and made some wonderful lifelong friends.

What are both the best and the hardest things about being an expat in Mexico?

I can't really say that I feel like an expat after 50 years plus, five Mexican children, and eleven Mexican grandchildren. I am, I guess, the only member of the family that has dual nationality, Franco-American.

 

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