Thanks so much for supporting my work—and more importantly, the work of the Center for New Americans. No donation is too small to show that you care.
This is the 10th year I'm participating in 30 poems in November. Not because it's easy. And not because I need another thing on my to-do list. I continue to pledge my time and efforts because I value the efforts of the Center for New Americans to assist immigrants in our community in learning English and navigating the complex web of bureaucratic and political obstacles that impede people from achieving their dreams. I do this because even though I am 4th generation American, I will never forget, that I, too, am here because my ancestors were brave enough to risk everything to start a new life, and if they hadn’t come to this country, they likely would have perished in the Holocaust.
And this year, more than ever, I do this to speak out against the horrendous unleashing of ICE in our communities, and their blatant disregard for all human life as they separate children from parents, arrest and detain American citizens, green card holders, and immigrants with legal status as well as those who lack documentation, and recklessly break into people's homes, shoot people in cars, and murder activists who protest their activities.
While activism at times feels like a necessary obligation to address the increassing wrongs in the world, writing has always been close to my heart. I'm so pleased to have this opportunity once again to tie together my dual identities as an author and activist, as I did in my most recent book of poems, Here in Sanctuary—Whirling (Querencia Press), which drew on my witnessing trips to the border and a child detention center as well as my work as a sanctuary volunteer. While I'm expecting that my November poems will be varied and not necessarily political, I'm still excited to have the opportunity to use my words to benefit those in need.
