Poetry Friday: Words of Protest

This week, I'd like to thank Margarita Engle for her activism and advocacy during her term as Young People's Poets Laureate and beyond.I recently read her sweeping history of Latin Americans in what is now the United States, Dreams from Many Rivers: A Hispanic History of the United States Told in Poems. I shared the ARC with my #BookExpedition group.  Dreams from Many Rivers reminds me of Silver People, Margarita's verse history about the building of the Panama Canal -- one of my favorite books by her. Like that novel, Margarita's new book is narrated in poems by a series of voices, some historical, some invented. But Dreams from Many Rivers is larger and more powerful in scope, covering several hundred years. Margarita turns a poet's eye on genocide, discrimination, and assimilation, while also giving voice to heroes and pioneers of Hispanic culture.Thanks to Margarita for giving me permission to share this poem from the book today.WORDS OF PROTESTIsabel GonzálezNew Jersey, 1935After the court casethat denied my citizenshipback at the turn of the century,I decided to fight for the rightsof puertorriqueñoswith heartfelt lettersto the New York Times,writing over and over,always defending justice,with words as my only weapons.Now, when I open the newspaper to readmy own protests, I see shocking articlesabout events in California, where childrenborn American are being deported to Mexico.What does it take to be fully accepted?We know the truth -- we belong here.We're citizens.By Margarita EngleShared with permission of the author.This poem speaks to me on many levels. It echoes my profound disappointment in the policies of our country's current leadership. It mirrors conversations and experiences I've had as co-author of a book about two families going through the citizenship process (A Place at the Table). And it reminds me to believe in the power of words -- of poetry -- to make a difference, to change people's minds and hearts.Thank you, Margarita.Read more about civil rights activist Isabel González at History Comes Alive.Margarita and I talked about Silver People at my old blog, Author Amok. You can read that post here.