Poet Juan Felipe Herrera Inspires Kean University Students with Message of Voice and Compassion at Common Read

Juan Felipe Herrera, the first Latino appointed U.S. Poet Laureate, on Monday urged Kean University students to embrace the power of their own voices during the University’s 5th annual Common Read event. 

“Without a voice, no existence. Without a voice, no freedom. Without a voice, we cannot bring about change,” Herrera told the audience.   

Over the past few months, more than 2,500 Kean students have read Herrera’s book, Every Day We Get More Illegal, a collection of poems addressing themes of migration, identity and resilience.   

Associate Provost Jonathan Mercantini, Ph.D., emphasized the book's timeliness. “Each book chosen for the Common Read is aimed at teaching empathy, something that is in far too short supply right now,” he said. “When Every Day We Get More Illegal was chosen, we did not know how important the message of this book would be. Now we do.”  

Herrera, the son of migrant farmworkers from California’s San Joaquín Valley, has built a career spanning poetry, prose, children’s literature and activism. His visit to Kean began with a book signing, followed by a panel discussion in which students posed questions to him.  

Alyssa Rivers, a senior English writing major and one of the panelists, was struck by his bilingual approach.  

“The way he goes back and forth, that’s when the language itself becomes the poetry... it makes language so powerful,” she said, adding that the inclusion of American Sign Language interpretation at the event deepened the experience.   

Herrera led a call-and-repeat of his poem Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way, with the crowd echoing back his words in both languages.   

“If we do not express it, if we do not stand up, if we do not present our voice and project it into society, we will not be heard. We will become invisible,” he said. “So, let’s do this with our voice. Let’s get visible. Say it out loud.”    

The Kean Common Read creates an annual touchpoint for first-year students to explore relevant and timely issues through discussion, interdisciplinary learning, and community building centered around one book.   

"Students are pulling lessons from his book on migration, identity, resilience and resistance.” said Lisa Sisler, lecturer of English. “They are writing weekly responses to his poems that will be turned into a booklet at the end of the semester.”   

Leila Mack, a freshman communication student, felt a personal connection to his poems.   

“Every poem I’ve read so far has had that revolutionary spoken language to it, where it’s speaking truth in a very poetic way,” she said. “I relate to that essence of fighting for justice, because it’s right in front of me.”  

“This year’s Common Read event was held during Hispanic Heritage Month, reflecting Kean’s culture of belonging and adding resonance to Herrera’s focus on identity, culture and community, as well as his challenge to students: ‘Let’s get visible.’”