Hailing from East San Jose by way of Guerrero, Mexico, Reyes quickly made a name for himself at the tender age of sixteen, exploding onto local Bay Area stages and captivating his audiences with deeply moving spoken word performances.
Reyes’ repertoire has since evolved to include nationally-acclaimed keynotes, writing workshops, and his one-man show, Prieto, a coming-of-age story that explores subjects like migration, sexuality, and socio-economic struggle—all while empowering his audiences to tap into their own creative potential.
His achievements don’t stop there. In addition to being the first-ever undocumented poet to achieve Santa Clara County Poet Laureate status, Reyes was chosen to be a 2024 Creative Ambassador by the City of San Jose, The Advocate named him one of "13 LGBT Latinos Changing the World," and Remezcla included him on their list of "10 Up And Coming Latinx Poets You Need To Know."
Amongst numerous accolades, Reyes has been awarded a NALAC Catalyst for Change Grant (2020), a Gerbode Foundation Grant and most recently, a Walter & Elise Haas Creative Work Fund Grant (2023), . His writing has appeared in publications such as MARIPOSAS: A Modern Anthology of Queer Latino Poetry, Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings and forthcoming UndocuPoetics.
UndocuJoy: Shifting the Perspective in Undocumented Representation
As the media focuses on gloom and doom narratives concerning undocumented immigrants in this country Yosimar offers an insightful look at the ways in which undocumented artists are resisting narratives of fear and creating works that give people hope. In this presentation Reyes explores the ideas of agency and allowing undocumented people to exist beyond narratives of deportations.
We Never Needed Papers to Thrive
A poignant and insightful workshop aimed at looking ways in which immigrants can be masters of their own narratives. This creative writing workshop aims to explore stories of resilience.
Venimos a Triunfar/ We Came to be Triumphant - Writing Worksop
An empowering and interactive writing workshop, where we delve into the experiences of undocumented students. Amidst prevailing narratives that often portray the struggles and challenges faced by undocumented immigrants, this workshop is a proactive step towards highlighting their resilience and brilliance. Our objective is to cultivate a narrative that celebrates the inherent strengths and successes within the undocumented community, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment among individuals who often feel isolated. Together, let's reshape the conversation and build stories written by us for us.
All are welcome but this space is intentional in centering the undocumented experience.
