From 9/11 Terror to Mendoza: The Entrepreneur Who Found a New Life in Argentina

POLICY WIRE — New York, New York — David English was on the verge of signing a contract that he believed would define his professional career on the morning of September 11, 2001. As an entrepreneur operating in Lower Manhattan, the deal was intended to be a major turning point for his future.

Instead of a career breakthrough, English woke up to the terrorist attacks that fundamentally altered the city and the lives of thousands of residents. He witnessed fighter jets screaming over his New York apartment and lived through weeks of constant alerts and false alarms while inhaling the toxic fumes drifting from the site.

Exactly one year after the tragedy, English decided to abandon his life in America, escaping the pervasive atmosphere of fear that gripped the United States following the attacks. He moved to Argentina to start over from scratch and never looked back.

He eventually settled in the city of Mendoza. Today, he is a father to a son who was born in Argentina—a child who would not exist today had English not made the pivotal decision to leave New York in the wake of the attacks.

em>Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)