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Communities across the country are naming youth poet laureates, and with their appointment comes the responsibility—and joy—of being a youth leader.
Raised in Sharjah, Al Suwaidi attended NYU Abu Dhabi, where she first found inspiration to share her poetry at an open-mic night.
Undaunted by the outpouring of ideas from the audience, these artists embraced the unpredictable, unpolished nature of the interactive format.
“Poetry is a political act because it involves telling the truth.” —June Jordan
“The first time I performed was when I was in college, and I totally blacked out. I mean, I was completely sober, but when I got off stage, I turned to my friend and I was like, ‘what happened up there?’”
Queer Filipino spoken word poet Jerrica Escoto grapples with self-identity and living in the shadows of their parents’ sacrifice in their poems. As children of immigrants, Jerrica and I have shared similar struggles.
Angel Island Immigration Station was built in 1910 in the San Francisco Bay mainly to process immigrants from China, Japan, and other countries on the Pacific Rim.