Ana Fores Tamayo, the executive director of the Refugee Support Network, has published her latest poetry collection, “Peregrina/Pilgrim,” which she will read from on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Eat My Words Bookstore in Minneapolis. The collection features poems in both English and Spanish, reflecting her journey as a poet and as an immigrant.
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Fores Tamayo has a personal connection to her advocacy work; her father was a political refugee, and her family moved to the United States from Cuba when she was about five years old. After settling first in Miami, they later moved to Montana, and eventually to Minnesota, where Fores Tamayo recently returned to be closer to her children.
Having spent nearly 30 years living in Texas, where she began her involvement with the Refugee Support Network, her experiences as an immigrant and advocate have deeply influenced her writing. "I’ve always written poetry," she said, though she mentioned being initially shy about sharing her work. Her involvement in asylum assistance prompted her to turn to poetry as an emotional outlet.
“Peregrina/Pilgrim” is her third published collection, and Fores Tamayo describes the bilingual aspect as "a dream." She explains that her creative process involves writing many poems in Spanish first, then adapting them into English. "It’s a simultaneous translation," she said, emphasizing that her poems are crafted to ensure both languages stand as works of poetry in their own right.
Through her poetry, Fores Tamayo aims to celebrate the richness of languages and cultures, contributing to the beauty of communities. She envisions “Peregrina” as a representation of the pilgrim's quest for a home, hoping that readers appreciate the value of diversity in their localities.