Xicana Voices: A Valuable Part of the American Literary Landscape

Luz Schweig is the editor of the historical Somos Xicanas anthology (Riot of Roses, 2024). Since 2012 her contributions have mainly focused on anthologizing marginalized voices, especially those of women. Her own poetry—previously published under a pen name—was selected by Juan Felipe Herrera as one of two runners-up for the 2024 Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize. Raised in Mexico-Tenochtitlan and Southern California, Luz is a former editor at Somos en escrito Literary Foundation, and a board member of MeXicanos 2070. Her first poetry collection will be released in March 2026 with Mouthfeel Press in Texas.

Brenda Vaca is a Xicana poet, author, and independent publisher from Sejatnga, Unceded Tongva Territory, known as South Whittier, CA. She earned her B.A. in English at U.C. Berkeley with a Minor in Creative Writing and later earned a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Biblical Languages at the Pacific School of Religion/Graduate Theological Union. Riot of Roses is her debut collection of poetry published by her indie house, Riot of Roses Publishing House. She founded Riot of Roses Publishing House to amplify historically silenced voices and narratives. Writing and publishing are her joyful rebellion.

Angie Trudell Vasquez is a 2nd and 3rd generation Mexican-American writer, editor, publisher, and the current poet laureate of Madison, Wisconsin (2020-2024). She holds an MFA in poetry from the Institute of American Indian Arts. Finishing Line Press published her collections, In Light, Always Light, in May 2019, and My People Redux, in January 2022. In 2021, she attended the Macondo Writers Workshop started by Sandra Cisneros, and became a fellow, also known as a Macondista. Her poems have appeared most recently in the Yellow Medecine Review, Sheltering with Poems, In Other Words, Hope is the Thing, and can be found online on Poem-A-Day, The Poetry Foundation's website, and the South Florida Poetry Journal among other places. In 2020 she published and co-edited a poetry anthology of Wisconsin poets, Through This Door, with then current poet laureate of Wisconsin, Margaret Rozga, through her press Art Night Books. In 2021 she was one of the recipients of a Creative Community Champion Award from Arts Wisconsin and the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. Today she is the Chair for the Campaign, and together with her husband will co-host WORT 89.90 FM's show Madison BookBeat once a month interviewing writers and their recent books in 2022. 

Diana Pando is a Mexican-American writer, poet, and storyteller with roots in Chicago, Chihuahua, MX, and Mexico City. Her work explores themes of identity, culture, and mythology, often drawing on her Mexican heritage. Recently, her poems "Hijas de Coyolxaqui," "Poema de Fuego," and "Antonio, Nombre de Santo Puesto de Cabeza" were published in the Somos Xicanas Anthology, edited by Luz Schweig. Her poem "Mythology of Flesh and Turquoise Serpents" was featured in the Mujeres de Maiz Anthology, published by the University of Arizona Press. Her poems are a blend of myth, memory, and resistance—where every line is a reclaiming, every verse a ceremony.

Amanda Rosas is a mother, educator and Pushcart Prize Nominated poet. She draws spirit, beauty, strength and creativity from the Latina women in her family and from her husband and three young daughters. Originally from San Antonio, TX, Amanda writes to preserve the memories and stories of her Mexican American ancestors. Her poems have been published by the Latino Book Review, CALYX, among others, and her personal narratives as an educator can be read online at Edsurge.

Isabella Santana is a 21-year-old poet from Los Angeles, Califomia. She has been writing and performing poetry since 2020 and has received accolades at the regional and state levels. In 2024, she published her debut chapbook, Abuela Lore, with Somos En Escrito Press. Her poetry is also found in Somos Xicanas (2024, Riot of Roses Press), a multigenre anthology of Xicana authors. Currently, she studies English and Latin American & Caribbean Studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Erika Vallejo, a native of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at The College of Wooster. She earned her PhD in Political Science from Michigan State University (MSU) in 2025, with specializations in Chicano/Latino Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies. She also holds an MA in Political Science from MSU (2021) and a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2016). Her research interests include class identity, inequality, race/ethnicity, gender, descriptive representation, and Chicano/Latino Studies.

Xánath Caraza is a traveler, educator, poet, short story writer, and translator. She writes for La Bloga and Revista Literaria Monolito. In 2023 Red Teardrop received Gold Medal for Best Fiction Book Translation—Spanish to English for the International Latino Book Awards. In 2024 Tejerás el destino / You Will Weave Destiny received Honorable Mention for Best Bilingual Poetry Book—one author for the Juan Felipe Herrera Award, International Latino Book Wards. In 2023 La mariposa de Jackeline / Jackeline’s Butterfly received Bronze Medal for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Poetry Award—One Author Bilingual for the International Latino Book Awards. In 2022 Perchada estás / Perching won honorable mention for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Poetry Book Award-One Author-Bilingual. In 2021 It Pierces the Skin received Bronze Medal for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Book of Poetry. In 2020 Balamkú received second place for the Juan Felipe Herrera Best Book of Poetry Award. In 2019 for the International Latino Book Awards she received Second Place for Hudson for “Best Book of Poetry in Spanish” and Second Place for Metztli for Best Short Story Collection. In 2018 for the International Latino Book Awards she received First Place for Lágrima roja for “Best Book of Poetry in Spanish by One Author” and First Place for Sin preámbulos / Without Preamble for “Best Book of Bilingual Poetry”. Her book of poetry Syllables of Wind / Sílabas de viento received the 2015 International Book Award for Poetry. She was Writer-in-Residence at Westchester Community College, NY, 2016-2019. In 2023 Caraza received a grant from the University of Missouri-Kansas City for writing her manuscript Sangre de vainilla / Vanilla’s Blood. Caraza was the recipient of the 2014 Beca Nebrija para Creadores, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares in Spain. She was named number one of the 2013 Top Ten Latino Authors by LatinoStories.com. Her books of verse Where the Light is Violet, Black Ink, Ocelocíhuatl, Conjuro and her book of short fiction What the Tide Brings have won national and international recognition. Her other books of poetry are Tejerás el destino / You Will Weave Destiny, Lips of Stone, Fără preambul, Μαύρη μελάνη, Le sillabe del vento, Noche de colibríes, and Corazón pintado. Caraza has been translated into English, Italian, Romanian, and Greek; and partially translated into Nahuatl, Portuguese, Hindi, and Turkish. Her book of poetry, Corazón de agua / Heart of Water  was published in the Spring of 2024.