San Diego’s poet laureate Jason Magabo Perez invites you to think toward the future
Growing up, Jason Magabo Perez says he felt alienated from formal academic English, but hip-hop lyrics opened his eyes to how he can use language to explore political ideas around dignity and social justice.
That was his gateway to poetry.
The son of Filipino immigrants now teaches ethnic studies at California State University, San Marcos. And, he’s the new poet laureate of San Diego. The city appointed him to the two-year position in January. He’ll serve as an ambassador for the arts with a goal to work with communities to demystify poetry. And Perez has a book of poetry —’I ask about what falls away’ — coming out in March.
I’m open to holding space and co-creating space that’s safe and caring and that’s
