1) Please explain what you do for living.
I teach basic skills writing to mostly student of color in Berkeley at Berkeley City College. I’m also a father of three, editor of two anthologies Rad Dad and Rad Families, as well as a writer and performer.
2) How important in your identity is being Latino?
It’s fraught and complex but a vital part of how I see myself. It influences every aspect of how I move through the world: my parenting, my teaching, my writing, my sense of self.
3) Is there something that you particularly value of your nationality or being Latino?
I value and celebrate and look for inspiration in the rich tradition of other Latinx attempting to reclaim and resist and redefine what it means to be a part of the United States. Writers like Cherrie Moraga and Gloria Anzaldua, I turn to consistently.
4) Have you been treated differently because of being Latino (in the workplace, in public settings…etc.)? If so, can you describe a situation?
It’s interesting because as both an artist and a teacher, I face people's expectations about what a Latinx should be: how well I speak Spanish, how I should relate to students of color, the stories I tell. Sadly, I face these from within my community and from without. That’s why I celebrate projects like this.