Yosimar Reyes

Yosimar Reyes

Nationally Acclaimed Queer Undocumented Poet, Storyteller, and Activist

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Yosimar Reyes is a nationally-acclaimed poet and public speaker renowned for his powerful performances and thought-provoking messages. Born in Guerrero, Mexico, and raised in Eastside San José, California, he draws inspiration from his experiences as an immigrant and a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Currently, Yosimar is the Performing Artist-in-Residence at MACLA/Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana, a community arts organization where he curates performing arts programs by uplifting the work of contemporary Chicanx/Latinx artists.

Yosimar’s work has been published in journals and books including Mariposas: An Anthology of Queer Modern Latino Poetry, Queer in Aztlán: Chicano Male Recollections of Consciousness and Coming Out, and Queer and Trans Artists of Color: Stories of Some of Our Lives. He authored the poetry collection, For Colored Boys Who Speak Softly...

Yosimar’s autobiographical one-man show, “Prieto,” premiered in San Francisco and has been touring nationwide, taking his audiences on a journey into his experience growing up queer in the ’hood of East San Jose. The unique magic behind “Prieto” is the authenticity of Yosimar’s voice -- the complex intersection of his young coming-of-age and coming-into-understanding of his queerness and his identity as an undocumented American. “Prieto” masterfully navigates topics that are often grave and entrenched in struggle, and Yosimar instead offers levity and celebration of becoming his full self against the backdrop of poverty, politics, and an unshakable spirit.

Yosimar has toured and presented at university campuses and conferences across the country, captivating audiences with his dynamic and engaging presentations. HE holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State University.

UndocuJoy: Shifting the Perspective in Undocumented Representation As the media focuses on gloom and doom narratives concerning undocumented immigrants in this country Yosimar offers an insightful look at the ways in which undocumented artists are resisting narratives of fear and creating works that give people hope. In this presentation Reyes explores the ideas of agency and allowing undocumented people to exist beyond narratives of deportations.

We Never Needed Papers to Thrive A poignant and insightful workshop aimed at looking ways in which immigrants can be masters of their own narratives. This creative writing workshop aims to explore stories of resilience.

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Share the UndocuJoy! | Define American

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1 (800) SAVE - DACA

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The Legalities of Being

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2017 - Brave New Voices - Queeriosity: Yosimar

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CECLC 2022 Keynote: Yosimar Reyes

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I've rarely seen students as thrilled to have a guest join us, as they were for Yosimar when he was the keynote speaker for the state-wide Queer & Trans People of Color Conference at UC Santa Cruz. Yosimar’s powerful, honest and vulnerable performance and storytelling gifts had everyone in the audience laughing, snapping, “yaaas”-ing, shedding tears of laughter, joy and of pain. As one student shared with me after Yosimar’s performance, “I needed those stories and his energy now more than ever, that was like therapy for my queer, undocumented soul!
Travis Becker Director of the Cantú Queer Center, University of California, Santa Cruz

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