Alejandro is a spokenword/performance poet, writer, educator, and avid distance runner from Colima, Mexico, living in New Mexico. He is a two-time National Poetry Slam Semi-Finalist, multiple time TEDx Speaker/Performer, and Emmy-nominated poet, whose work centers around cultural identity, immigrant narratives, masculinity, memory, and the intersections of them all. His work has appeared in the Latino Book Review, Yellowscene, As/Us Journal, Rethinking Schools, and other publications. His work has also received support from workshops at Tin House and Lighthouse Writers, Inc. His self-published book, Moreno. Prieto. Brow., has sold over 1,500 copies and has been incorporated in curriculums across various school districts.
As a formerly undocumented immigrant to the US, Alejandro learned very quickly how easily people can be ignored and go unheard and unnoticed. Though not always the easiest of things to do, he learned that he needed to use his voice to let the fire in his chest burn free instead of burning him. He is a firm believer that words can transform, heal, and take you to places never thought imaginable. He is a firm believer that we hold so much collective power to be agents of change in our communities. #paisapoder |