The Library of Congress named Juan Felipe Herrera as the 2015 U.S. Poet Laureate. Herrera becomes the first Mexican-American and first Latino in the esteemed position since its birth in 1936.
Herrera was born Fowler, California in 1948. Herrera is the son of Mexican migrant farm workers. Herrera along with his family moved often, at times living in tents and trailers along roads.
The road to poetry was not always smooth. Herrera spoke Spanish in his early years and but became ashamed to speak at school, so he shut down, he said. However, he eventually found his voice through joining choirs in middle school and high school.
Herrera overcame many obstacles on the road to becoming a U.S. Poet Laureate. Herrera received his
bachelor’s degree in social anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He later went on and received his master’s degree from Stanford University and in 1990 received a Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Juan Felipe Herrera has authored of 28 books of poetry and novels.
Herrera was born Fowler, California in 1948. Herrera is the son of Mexican migrant farm workers. Herrera along with his family moved often, at times living in tents and trailers along roads.
The road to poetry was not always smooth. Herrera spoke Spanish in his early years and but became ashamed to speak at school, so he shut down, he said. However, he eventually found his voice through joining choirs in middle school and high school.
Herrera overcame many obstacles on the road to becoming a U.S. Poet Laureate. Herrera received his
bachelor’s degree in social anthropology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He later went on and received his master’s degree from Stanford University and in 1990 received a Masters of Fine Arts at the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Juan Felipe Herrera has authored of 28 books of poetry and novels.
"Yes, I am the first Latino poet laureate in the United States. But I'm also here for everyone and from everyone. My voice is made by everyone's voices," Herrera said.
At the same time, he said, he also wants to encourage more young Latino students to write and read and benefit from the Library of Congress' resources.
"You know, we speak about understanding each other, having those conversations nationwide — culturally, historically — and yet there's a lot of gaps," he said. "So I want to assist with closing the gap of knowing about and hearing about our Latino communities in terms of literature, in terms of writing.
"And I want our young Latinos and Latinas to write their hearts out and express their hearts out and let us all listen to each other."
He retired as professor at the University of California, Riverside, this year and is currently a visiting professor teaching ethnic studies at the University of Washington, Seattle.
Written By: Lauren B. I @laurenbeal
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