was born on this day in 1948. Herrera is the American poet, author, and activist of Mexican descent who became the first Latino poet laureate of the United States. He is known for his often-bilingual and autobiographical poems on immigration, Chicano identity, and life in California.
Herrera spent much of his first term as Laureate traveling across the country conducting readings, lectures, and workshops with students and members of the general public. He became the country’s first Latino Poet Laureate, from 2015–2017, after being a teacher and a poet for five decades. His as Poet Laureate occurred in the Library of Congress’s Coolidge Auditorium on Tuesday, September 15, 2015.
Read more about Juan Felipe Herrera’s journey and his activities in . Peer inside a classroom as Herrera shares his insights about poetry.
¥ member and past College Section Chair shares classroom applications and resources about “Our US Poet Laureate and Hispanic Heritage,” including ideas for writing original poetry.
Watch ¥ President Alfredo Celedón Luján as part of a ¥ Hispanic Heritage Month celebration with ¥ and the Library of Congress.
Poet Juan Felipe Herrera, artist Juana Medina, and readers across the world worked together on a collaborative, bilingual, illustrated poem called “.” What’s a collaborative piece of writing you have worked on?
Curious about the ¥ and Library of Congress connection? Through a grant announced recently by ¥ Executive Director Emily Kirkpatrick, ¥ is engaged in new ongoing work with the Library of Congress, and “will connect the ELA community with the Library of Congress to expand the use of primary sources in teaching.” Stay tuned for more throughout the year!
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