Yosimar Reyes

Yosimar Reyes (born September 22, 1988) is a queer[1] undocumented immigrant poet and activist. He was born in Guerrero, Mexico and raised in East San Jose, California. Reyes has been described as "a voice that shines light on the issues affecting queer immigrants in the U.S. and throughout the world."[2]

Yosimar Reyes
Reyes in 2015
Born (1988-09-22) September 22, 1988
Guerrero, Mexico
OccupationPoet, Performer, Activist, Public Intellectual
LanguageEnglish, Spanish
Alma materSan Francisco State University
Notable worksFor Colored Boys Who Speak Softly, Prieto
Years active2004 - present
Website
yosimarreyes.com

Reyes centers queer, working class, and immigrant themes in his work. He has been a guest speaker at numerous universities, community organizations, and cultural institutions including Stanford University, UCLA,[3] Princeton University,[4] the San Francisco Public Library,[5] the Park Avenue Armory,[6] the Aspen Institute,[7] the University of Pennsylvania,[8] Harvard University,[9] and the North American Literary and Cultural Studies department at Saarland University in Germany.[10]

From 2016 to 2018, Reyes served as Arts Fellow at Define American,[11] a media and culture organization founded by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas which "uses the power of stories to [...] shift the conversation around immigrants, identity and citizenship in a changing America." He also previously served as Public Programs Coordinator at La Galería de la Raza[12] in San Francisco.

Early life and education

Reyes was born on September 22, 1988 in Atoyac de Álvarez, Guerrero, Mexico.[13] At age 3, he migrated to the United States with his family.[14] Raised in East San Jose,[15] he came out to his family and community at the age of 16.[16]

Reyes attended Latino College Preparatory Academy, where he was awarded his high school diploma in 2006. After briefly attending Evergreen Valley College, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University in 2015.

Career
Reyes performing in San Francisco, June 2016

Reyes began performing his poetry at 16 years old[17] upon realizing the power of language after being called “joto,” a derogatory Spanish term used to refer to gay men.

Reyes' first publication was the result of his winning first place in a writing competition in San Jose.[16] At age 17, he won the title for the 2005 South Bay Teen Grand SLAM Champion, repeating his win in 2006.[16] In 2007, he was featured in a Youth Speaks documentary titled 2nd Verse: the Rebirth of Poetry.[18]

In 2009, he self-published his first chapbook, For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly, which garnered national and international acclaim.[2] Musicians Carlos Santana and Harry Belafonte were early champions of Reyes' work.[19]

He has been anthologized in the collections Mariposas: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry (Floricanto Press); Queer in Aztlán: Chicano Male Recollections of Consciousness and Coming Out[20] (Cognella Press); and Joto: An Anthology of Queer Xicano & Chicano Poetry (Kórima Press).[21] He and his work have also been featured in The Atlantic,[22] the Huffington Post,[23] Medium,[24] Remezcla,[25] VICE,[26] and Teen Vogue.[27][28]

In June 2016, Reyes premiered a solo staged reading of Prieto, his first autobiographical play, in collaboration with Guerrilla Rep Theater, Galería de la Raza, and Define American.[29] In Prieto: Growing Up Queer and Undocumented, Reyes shared an account of his younger self understanding his dual queer and undocumented identity.[30]

Reyes was awarded an Undocupoets fellowship by Sibling Rivalry Press in 2017[31] and an Emerging Writers' fellowship in playwriting by Lambda Literary in 2018.[32] Reyes' poem "Paisa" was featured in the eponymous short film directed by Dorian Wood and Graham Kolbeins in 2019.[33]

During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Reyes launched his virtual #YosiBookClub and IG Live Writers' Series wherein he interviews prominent Latino authors in an effort to demystify the creative process. Among interviewees have been celebrated Mexican-American journalist Maria Hinojosa, playwright and USC professor Luis Alfaro, Vida TV series creator Tanya Saracho, National Book Award finalist Kali Fajardo-Anstine, BuzzFeed contributor Curly Velasquez, former Goldman Sachs executive Julissa Arce, and noted poets Yesika Salgado, Karla Cornejo Villavicencio, Walter Thompson-Hernández, and Javier Zamora.[34][35]

In addition to his literary practice, Reyes has curated or participated in multidisciplinary art exhibitions, including Homegirrlz: Demos and Remixes, Migrating Sexualities: Unspoken Stories of Land, Body and Sex,[36] We Never Needed Papers to Thrive,[37] #UndocuJoy,[38] In Plain Sight[39] and Creatives in Place.[40][41] In 2020, Reyes was awarded a $25,000 Catalyst for Change grant from the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures (NALAC) to undertake Writing Home, a collaboration with 15 undocumented artists and advocacy organizations that "seek[s] to shift the public, citizen imagination around undocumented individuals."[42]

As a co-founder of La Maricolectiva,[43][44] a grassroots performance community, Reyes has helped to support queer, undocumented poets and creatives. He is also associated with DreamersAdrift.[45]

In solidarity with the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, Reyes educated the US Latino and undocumented communities on anti-blackness and systematic racism in Spanish via Univision and radio programs.[46]

Reyes has been recognized as one of "13 LGBT Latinos Changing the World" by The Advocate[47] as well as a member of the OUT100[48] by Out Magazine.

Bibliography
  • [Anthologized in] Xavier, Emanuel. MARIPOSAS: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry. Floricanto Press. 2008. Print.[49]
  • Reyes, Yosimar. For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly, Self-Published, 2009. Print.[50]
  • [Anthologized in] Pinate, Marc David. La Lunada: An Anthology. CreateSpace Independent Publishing. 2010. Print.[51]
  • [Anthologized in] Del Castillo, Adelaida R, and Guido Gibran. Queer In Aztlan: Male Recollections of Consciousness and Coming Out, Cognella Academic Publishing, 2013. Print.[52]
  • [Anthologized in] King, Nia. Queer and Trans Artists of Color: Stories of Some of Our Lives. CreateSpace Independent Publishing. 2014. Print.[53]
  • [Anthologized in] HerrerayLozano, Lorenzo. Joto: An Anthology of Queer Xicano & Chicano Poetry. Korima Press. Forthcoming. Print.[54]
  • Prieto. By Yosimar Reyes. Dirs. Kat Evasco, Sarita Ocón. Galería de la Raza, San Francisco. 16–18 June 2016.[55]

References
  1. "Queer Undocumented Poet Yosimar Reyes Doesn't Care About Impressing Racists". Vice. 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  2. For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly Archived September 2, 2013, at the Wayback Machine by Yosimar Reyes (Evolutionary Productions, August 13, 2011)
  3. Yessica Frias “Guelaguetza” ‘’Student Event Finder’ June 2, 2013
  4. "Documenting Joy: Shifting Narratives in Undocumented Storytelling with Yosimar Reyes". LGBT Center — Princeton University. Retrieved 2017-09-13.
  5. San Francisco Public Library (2016-06-13), Yosimar Reyes at Radar Reading Series, retrieved 2017-12-07
  6. "2017 Conversation Series : Program & Events : Park Avenue Armory". Park Avenue Armory. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  7. "Yosimar Reyes | Aspen Ideas Festival". Aspen Ideas Festival. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  8. "Dolores Huerta Lecture in conversation with Yosimar Reyes | Latin American and Latinx Studies Program". lals.sas.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  9. "Yosimar Reyes". dacaseminar.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  10. "Amerikanistik: Events". www.amerikanistik.uni-saarland.de. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  11. "Our Team". www.defineamerican.com. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  12. "Galería de la Raza: Rentals". galeriadelaraza.org. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  13. Webostvalire (2011-05-17), Yosimar Reyes en entrevista para Rutas Creativas, retrieved 2016-04-01
  14. "The Immigration Ruling Is Another Hit Against Queer Latinos". 2016-06-27. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
  15. "A Barrio dreamer's poetry: S.J. man's verse has caught attention, but can it pay bills?". San Jose Mercury News. April 21, 2009. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  16. Yosimar Reyes entrevista para Rutas Creativas (YouTube, May 17, 2011)
  17. Savard, Molly (2018-07-10). "Finding Life's Poetry with Yosimar Reyes". Shondaland. Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  18. "2nd Verse, the rebirth of poetry". 2ndversefilm.com. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  19. "Rodriguez: Poor, brown and gay: Poetry makes Reyes' day, can it pay?". The Mercury News. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  20. Del Castillo, Adelaida R; Güido, Gibrán (2014-01-01). Queer in Aztlán: Chicano male recollections of consciousness and coming out. [San Diego, CA]: Cognella Academic. ISBN 9781621318057. OCLC 875186264.
  21. "Yosimar Reyes Bio". Things I'll Never Say. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  22. O'Donnell, B.R.J. "What Mentorship Can Mean to Undocumented Immigrants". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  23. Herreria, Carla (2017-09-03). "This Spoken Word Poem Is A Beautiful Love Letter To 'Undocumented People'". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  24. Reyes, Yosimar (2016-09-02). "Goodwill Trucks". Yosimar Reyes. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  25. "10 Up and Coming Latinx Poets You Need to Know". Remezcla. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  26. Nunez, Yazmin (2018-08-09). "Queer Undocumented Poet Yosimar Reyes Doesn't Care About Impressing Racists". Vice. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  27. Reyes, Yosimar. "Undocumented People Are MUCH More Than the Stories You're Told About Them". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  28. Reyes, Yosimar. "In a "Nation of Immigrants," Who Chooses Who Belongs?". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  29. "Galería de la Raza | globalgalleryguide.saatchigallery.com". www.saatchigallery.com. 2016-06-15. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  30. "INTO: A Digital Magazine for The Modern Queer World". www.intomore.com. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  31. "Undocupoets". Siblingrivalrypress. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  32. "Yosimar Reyes | Lambda Literary". Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  33. Paisa, retrieved 2020-06-16
  34. "Yosimar Reyes (@yosirey) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  35. "The Book Club Expanding the Latinx Literary Canon — One Conversation at a Time". KQED. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  36. "Galería de la Raza: Exhibition: Studio 24 - Migrating Sexuality: Unspoken Stories of Land, Body and Sex". www.galeriadelaraza.org. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  37. Saldivar, Steve (2017-03-05). "At Boyle Heights arts show 'We Never Needed Papers to Thrive,' immigrants are the focus — and the stars". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  38. "Flipping the Narrative of the Undocumented from Pain to Joy". KQED Arts. Retrieved 2018-02-16.
  39. "Yosimar Reyes - #XMAP: In Plain Sight". Yosimar Reyes - #XMAP: In Plain Sight. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  40. Crawford, Iris M. (2021-02-01). "Creatives in Place asks: What do artists need to survive and thrive in the Bay Area?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  41. "Yosimar Reyes". Creatives In Place. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  42. Program, Grants (2020-11-18). "Yosimar Reyes". NALAC. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  43. "La Maricolectiva | Student Of Color Conference 2010". Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  44. "Yosimar Reyes". dacaseminar.fas.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2018-12-02.
  45. ""The Ashes" by Yosimar Reyes | DreamersAdrift". dreamersadrift.com. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  46. Univision. ""Muchas veces se enfocan en lo negativo": escritor sobre el papel de los medios de comunicación en las protestas". Univision (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  47. "13 LGBT Latinos Changing the World". www.advocate.com. 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2020-06-16.
  48. "OUT100 2017". 2017-11-08. Retrieved 2017-12-07.
  49. "Mariposas". www.floricantopress.com. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  50. "For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly". Goodreads. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  51. Depository, Book. "La Lunada : Marc David Pinate : 9781451577310". www.bookdepository.com. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  52. "Queer in Aztlán". Cognella. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  53. King, Nia (2014-06-05). Mikalson, Terra; Glennon-Zukoff, Jessica (eds.). Queer and Trans Artists of Color: Stories of Some of Our Lives. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 9781492215646.
  54. "Amorcito Maricon Author - Kórima Press". korimapress.com. Retrieved 2016-03-31.
  55. ""Prieto", Autobiographical Solo Show by Yosimar Reyes". SF Weekly. Retrieved 2016-06-20.
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