“Abuela Gets a Fever”
“Abuela Gets a Fever” is a poignant poem that explores the intersection of illness, immigration status, and caretaking through the intimate lens of a grandson tending to his undocumented grandmother. With tenderness and urgency, the piece captures the quiet rituals of survival in a country where access to care is conditional, and love becomes an act of resistance.
“What About Us?”
“What About Us?” is a spoken word film produced during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to highlight how undocumented communities navigated crisis through mutual aid, resilience, and collective care. Blending poetry and visual storytelling, the piece serves as both a critique of systemic neglect and a tribute to the everyday acts of survival and solidarity that defined life in the margins. It asks, with urgency and tenderness, what happens to those left out of relief efforts—and reminds us that community is often the only safety net we have.
“Poet Yosimar Reyes on Art and Resilience”
In this interview, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist José Antonio Vargas sits down with Yosimar Reyes—artist-in-residence at MACLA and the first undocumented poet laureate of Santa Clara County—to discuss the role of art in navigating life without legal status. Reyes reflects on using poetry and performance as tools for resistance, self-expression, and survival in a country that often denies the humanity of immigrants.
“Undocujoy”
UndocuJoy is a video poem that reclaims the undocumented narrative through a lens of beauty, resilience, and celebration. In a world that often associates undocumented life with fear and invisibility, this piece centers joy as an act of resistance. Combining spoken word, movement, and vivid visual storytelling, UndocuJoy invites viewers into intimate moments of pleasure, pride, and connection—scenes rarely depicted in mainstream portrayals of immigrant life. This work is both a personal offering and a collective affirmation: we are more than our struggles; we deserve to be seen in our fullness.
“The Legalities of Being”
“The Legalities of Being” is a video poem that interrogates the absurdity and violence of immigration law through lyrical storytelling and visual metaphor. Blending sharp critique with emotional vulnerability, the piece explores how legality becomes a weapon against identity, dignity, and belonging. Reyes delivers a powerful meditation on what it means to exist in a body constantly surveilled, questioned, and politicized.