Platica Y Poetics S3E5 w/ Rachel Aguirre

For this Women’s History Month episode of Plática y Poetics, we opened the show by honoring

the powerful SOMOS XICANAS anthology from Riot of Roses Press—an offering of lyrical

solidarity and a celebration of the Xicana woman in all her poder. Featuring voices like Dr.

Carmen Tafolla, Irene Lara-Silva, Ada Limón, Sandra Cisneros, Jen Yanez Alaniz, and publisher

Brenda Vaca, the anthology speaks to the sacredness of our intersectional identities, our lineages,

and our language. I began by sharing the foreword written by Jen Yanez Alaniz—her words a

poetic invocation of the Xicana voice, and a grounding for our conversation to come. Rachel

Aguirre, a poet whose work pulses with the beauty of San Antonio, shared how she feels rooted

in the city's rhythm. She spoke about how both the natural and urban worlds shape her poetic

voice, how she connects with nature through small rituals like sunset walks, and how that

presence makes its way into her writing. She emphasized how essential it is to uplift all voices,

from—the cooks, the servers, the unseen hands behind the culture—because they are San

Antonio’s heartbeat. Our conversation moved into themes of immigration and cultural

intersectionality sharing the importance of passing down cuentos de la familia to honor, and to

keep them alive for future generations. We concluded our plática speaking to the importance of

connecting to our cultural roots through poetry—a segway to reclamation, affirmation, and joy.