Shippensburg University kicked off Diversity Week on Monday through an evening of storytelling and poetry with “The Trouble with My Name” with Javier Ávila, a Puerto Rican author, poet and English professor. Ávila’s talk with students focused on his journey navigating race, cultural identity and trouble with speaking another language in America.
Ávila recounted the cultural shift and different racial dynamics he faced moving from Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania. One main theme during the event was how minorities are stereotyped and misunderstood, and how he dealt with that throughout his life. He also detailed how his name, accent and appearance were frequently misunderstood.
Several poems were read by Ávila throughout the event. The poem “The Trouble with My Name” reflects on the familiar experience of having your name mispronounced. Another poem, “Denied Service,” talks about Ávila’s family history, as both his father and uncle served in the military.
During the Q&A session of the event, many students were interested in Ávila’s writing process and what writing poems means to him. He explained that his poems come from personal experience and that poetry is his personal artistic outlet. One student noted that this portion of the evening was their favorite, as they were able to hear about the poetry writing process.
“I have a picture of my grandmother, and to me, she was always a brave person,” Ávila said. “I feel like I’m with her when I have her products here, and when I feel like that, I feel like I have the power.”
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