Empowering narratives: Reyna Grande’s vision on uplifting immigrant voices
Reyna Grande sat down with Mount Saint Mary’s University after a recent Authors Unbound event.
Take a look:
“For the 2024-2026 academic years, Mount Saint Mary’s University has selected “Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings” as its common campus read. Co-edited by bestselling author Reyna Grande, the anthology brings together 41 essays, poems and artworks from migrants, refugees and Dreamers to offer deeply personal insights into the undocumented experience in the United States. Grande, a former undocumented immigrant from Mexico, visited campus on October 29 to engage with students, faculty and staff and discuss her work.
Grande’s literary journey includes acclaimed memoirs like “The Distance Between Us” and “A Dream Called Home,” where she shares her own immigration story. Her works have received numerous awards, been widely adopted as common reads by schools, colleges and cities across the country, and inspired audiences with themes of family, identity and resilience. “Somewhere We Are Human” amplifies the voices of others navigating similar paths, illuminating the humanity at the heart of immigration.
We sat down with Grande to discuss the inspiration and vision behind “Somewhere We Are Human,” and the process of uplifting diverse voices often left out of mainstream narratives.
1. What was the initial vision for “Somewhere We Are Human”? What inspired you to curate this collection of stories and art?
The publishing industry is not very diverse. Writers of color, especially immigrant writers, are underrepresented and under published. I have been very fortunate in my writing career and I have had a lot of wonderful opportunities. With this book, I wanted to give back and help other writers, especially writers who have never published before, to have that opportunity to have their stories published and for their voices to be heard. So that was one of the motivations for me to collaborate on this anthology: to uplift our immigrant voices in the community.”
Read the full interview here.
