LI YUN ALVARADO
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Li Yun Alvarado's Blog

Poet, Parent, Puerto Rican! ¡Wepa!
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Amplifying Puerto Rican and underrepresented voices while supporting aspiring & emerging writers through her writing, teaching, and advocacy.
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links; if you make a purchase using my links, I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way!
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Congratulations Deborah Archer!

2/1/2021

 

Deborah Archer Elected President of the ACLU

​I'm extremely proud of my board service for the ACLU, and am even prouder this week to have cast my vote for the organization's newest board President: Deborah Archer.

There is no one better to lead the ACLU into its second century!
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We are so excited for you and lucky to have you leading the way.

This news is so special to me...
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We got the WH; Now Let's Take the Senate!

11/17/2020

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​We survived election day, but there is still critical work to be done.

​There are two Senate runoffs in Georgia!
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Below you'll find information about the races and specific ways you can get involved to help the Democrats gain control of the Senate.

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5 Things I'm Doing Now Through Election Day & Beyond

9/29/2020

 
Sigh.

Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2020 is a little over a month away.

There's a lot going on. Deep breath.

One thing that helps me stay grounded when everything is going haywire is taking the many things I'm reading and processing, and turning them into concrete action plans. 
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There are the many things I cannot control, and then there are the concrete steps I can take today to do my part.
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The Not-So-Secret Path to My Publishing Success

9/14/2020

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New Publication Alert! 

"Welfare Baby" 
in the New York Daily News on Monday, September 14, 2020

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NY Daily News page:
I’ve written before about the ways in which I can often trace my publications to personal and community relationships I’ve developed along the way.

My most recent OpEd, "Welfare Baby," which ran in the NY Daily News is no different.

What does it take to get published?

The simplest answer? ​​


Write, Revise, Submit, Repeat
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That’s it. You keep doing those things until your work is accepted and published. 

The order might change, there might be some revise and resubmit thrown in there, but at the heart of it, that is the work.
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New Poem in L.A. Parent

7/1/2020

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"To The White Parenting 'Expert'"

​​Read the poem online here.

Access the full print version of the July 2020 issue here.
Li Yun's Poem

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Anti-Racist Parenting

6/3/2020

 

Resources for Raising Anti-Racist Kids


My partner and I believe that #BlackLivesMatter and that one of the most important contributions we can make to movements for social justice is raising our kids right.

We are committed to raising kids who are not afraid to take *action* in order to combat racism (in themselves, in their families, in their communities), and who believe in and will fight for equity, inclusion, and social justice.

For context: we are a multiethnic, multiracial, bilingual (Spanish/English), MexiRican family, living in one of the most diverse cities in the United States.

We know that combatting the anti-blackness that runs rampant within our Latinx communities will be central to the work we do as parents. We also know we must prepare our kids for the possibility that they might face discrimination or witness other loved ones facing discrimination.
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About these Resources

I've compiled the resource guides and reading lists below to help us with our own Anti-Racist parenting work, and I share them here in the hopes they may be useful to you as well.
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#BlackLivesMatter

6/1/2020

 

#BlackLivesMatter Poetry & Other Resources

Black Lives Matter
Below I offer a compilation of links to poetry and resources I’m turning to and sharing with others right now.

This list is by no means exhaustive.

Its contents have been helpful for me, and may, in turn, be helpful for you.

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Earthquakes in Puerto Rico

1/9/2020

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Puerto Rico Earthquakes: Relief & Rebuilding

​As 2019 came to a close, the earth started shaking and hasn't stopped shaking in Puerto Rico.

My family members are safe, though without power and sleeping outside for fear of their homes collapsing during ongoing aftershocks. 

Please spread awareness and reach out to your politicians in order to keep Puerto Rico front of mind.

Please also support organizations offering relief. Below I share three efforts that my family supports. If you’re able, please give and spread the word. 
Thank you in advance for your continued prayers and attention.

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Giving Tuesday 2018

11/20/2018

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Giving Tuesday 2018: Get Inspired & Give Generously


​"Giving Tuesday" is on November 27th!

​According to Wikipedia: 
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"Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season (Black Friday and Cyber Monday)."
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This relative newbie on the holiday scene is one of my favorites!
Giving Tuesday: Get Inspired & Give Generously (a hand open in giving)
November is the perfect time to take care of our family's year-end giving, and the timing really does help balance out the crazy consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Read on to find inspiration in my list of organizations we've supported this year or plan to support on Giving Tuesday.

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UPDATED: Picture Books for This (Difficult) Political Climate

6/27/2018

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I have collected picture books--with an emphasis on books that center the stories of underrepresented communities--since long before I became a mother.

In light of the treatment of immigrant families on our southern border, yesterday's Supreme Court decision to uphold the President's Muslim ban, and today's announcement about Justice Kennedy's retirement, I'm sharing a few picture books that speak to the issues of the day.

Yo Soy Muslim, My Diary from Here to There, Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx, I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes her Mark, A is for Activist, and A de Activista​ are some of the books I'm sharing with my son these days.

They are also the books helping me believe in hope.

Now, more than ever, We Need Diverse Books!

​I am eternally grateful for the ones below and I hope they will bring you and yours a glimmer of hope. Please share them with the little people in your life and anyone you love who needs a little light in these dark days.
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Full Disclosure:

As always, I encourage you to support your local bookstores and libraries! Be sure to ask them to stock these books if they don't already carry them. 

If, however, you plan to purchase any of these books online, please use my affiliate links below; as an affiliate, I may earn a small commission for qualifying purchases (at no cost to you) which supports my work.

You may also consider finding your favorites on these alternate booksellers' sites:
AbeBooks.com. Thousands of booksellers - millions of books.
Yo Soy Muslim: A Father's Letter to His Daughter
by Mark Gonzales
Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini
From Muslim and Latino poet Mark Gonzales comes a touching and lyrical picture book about a parent who encourages their child to find joy and pride in all aspects of their multicultural identity.

Dear little one,
…know you are wondrous.
A child of crescent moons,
a builder of mosques,
a descendant of brilliance,
an ancestor in training.

Written as a letter from a father to his daughter, Yo Soy Muslim is a celebration of social harmony and multicultural identities. The vivid and elegant verse, accompanied by magical and vibrant illustrations, highlights the diversity of the Muslim community as well as Indigenous identity. A literary journey of discovery and wonder, Yo Soy Muslim is sure to inspire adults and children alike.

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    Cover Image. Workbook for Writers & Creatives. Write Your Year: Reflect, Set Intentions, and Chart a Course for Your Writing Life.

    Write Your Year

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    Words or Water
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    Li Yun Alvarado

    Puerto Rican Poet, Scholar & Parent

    Amplifying Puerto Rican and underrepresented voices while supporting aspiring & emerging writers through her writing, teaching, and advocacy.

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Cover of the poetry collection, Words or Water. Features a black and white print of a woman with outlines of birds in her hair.
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