FROM: VoyageLA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Juan Cardenas.

Juan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was originally born in Leon, Guanajuato Mexico and raised in the City of Van Nuys in San Fernando Valley, California. My story is about migration, displacement and belonging. Crossing the Tj border for the second time at 10, and not feeling welcomed by family or city left tremendous scar in my heart. It was when I discovered expression through art and writing that I was able to heal and discover who I am, and I always had been a Chicano.

Now, I am Poet, Flautist and Educator, the Vice President of a literary organization called Los Angeles Poet Society, a Teacher with California Poets in the Schools a husband and a father of two. I am about to release my first book of poetry called The Beat of an Immigrant Chicano, published by Swan World Press.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road. I just recently obtained a Social Security and permission to work here in the United States. Being an illegal immigrant implies you don’t have many rights and one of them is not being able to work. When you live in a capitalist country where money revolves around everything, you need to work, and you need to make money, being denied of that privilege makes your quality of life incredibly hard. There is no option but to make ends meet no matter what. And also the depression all of this brought me. It paralyzed me in rage for feeling so powerless. Poetry gave me the power to rise up above it all. Once I started sharing my poetry, I realized that I wasn’t alone, and the community that embraced me made me feel at home. Read Rest of Interview Here