Award-Winning Latinx Latino Speaker
Inspiration,
motivation,
humor,
reflections on Brown Nation
keynotes,
speeches &
poetry readings
with energy
From:
No-English
To:
PhD in English
Born in El Salvador, grew up in housing projects, knew no English, now a professor with a Ph.D. in English
Featured in nationally syndicated show, American Latino TV, NPR, and Univision.
NEATE Poet of the Year
Author of the International Book Award Finalist, Toys Made of Rock, and When Love Was Reels
National Association of Multicultural Education CT Faculty of the Year
Featured in Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education
Fulbright Scholar
AAHHE Outstanding Latino Faculty of the Year
Experienced, popular keynote and motivational speaker for events at colleges, universities, and organizations throughout the U.S.
With Energy
& Humanity
"Thank you for your humanity, your warmth, ... everybody was buzzing about your presentation."
Professor Kevin McGarvey, Cumberland County College
"Your presentations aren't simply lectures--they're events!"
Julie Johnson, University of Nevada Las Vegas
"There was never a dull moment. I had nothing but great feedback from the people who attended this event."
David Collazo, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
"There have been sooooooo many great comments. Everyone loved you .... you really entertained people and engaged them."
Juanita Campbell-Heredia, Union Latina, Allegheny College
A Story of Immigration.
A Story of Determination.
Biographical Information: Jose B. Gonzalez is one of the most sought after speakers in the U.S today. He was born in San Salvador, El Salvador and immigrated to New London, Connecticut at the age of eight. He knew no English and now holds a Ph.D. in English. A nationally known speaker, Dr. Gonzalez has presented at various colleges such as Harvard, Rutgers, and Cornell University; countries including Mexico, Spain, and El Salvador; and institutions including the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. He has been a contributor to National Public Radio and has published poetry in such journals as Boston Review, Quercus Review, Callaloo, and Acentos Review, and anthologies including the Norton Introduction to Literature, Theatre Under My Skin: Contemporary Salvadoran Poetry, Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States, and Latino Boom: An Anthology of U.S. Latino Literature, which he also co-edited.
A Fulbright Scholar, he has received national and regional awards for his teaching, for his efforts to improve the conditions of Latinos pursuing a college degree or a career in higher education, and for his poetry. One of the major Salvadoran-American poets in the U.S., he is the author of the poetry collections, Toys Made of Rock (Bilingual Press), and When Love Was Reels (Arte Publico), and is the founder and editor of LatinoStories.Com.
Dr. Gonzalez infuses his presentations with a mix of poetry, humor and social commentary. He holds a Master's in Teaching English from Brown University and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Rhode Island and is an alumnus of Sandra Cisneros' Macondo Writers Workshop.
For information on scheduling him for a speaking engagement, e-mail jgonzalez@latinostories.com.
He is available for the following keynote lectures, presentations, and workshops (as well as for poetry readings) and other talks, as requested:
Latinidad Means Perseverance: Why Pride Should be the Central Theme of Every Hispanic Heritage Month
Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, Latin American: And What Difference Does It Make Anyway? (Ideal for Hispanic Heritage Month and other culture-themed functions)
Latinx Cultures, Values, and the Impact on Career (Ideal for Companies)
From No-English to Professor of English: What Educators Should Know About a Former ESOL Student's Journey
Poetry Readings & Customized Presentations
Notable Readings or Presentations:
Here is a sampling of presentations:
Keynote Speaker, Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program and ESL Conference. Harrisburg. PA
Keynote Speaker, Brown Brothers, Harriman Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration. New York
Featured Poet (with Hieu Minh Nguyen, Tarfia Faizullah, and Emmy Perez), Poetry & Migration Poetry Series, Poetry Foundation, Chicago, IL. Co-sponsored by Letras Latinas and Kundiman
Featured Poet, Busboys and Poets, co-sponsored by Letras Latinas and Split This Rock
Featured Poet, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. Smithsonian Latino Center Young Ambassadors Program. Washington D.C.
Latino Poets Panelist, Sunken Garden Poetry Festival (featuring U.S. Poet Laureate, Juan Felipe Herrera) Farmington, CT
Guest Poet, Notre Dame University
Featured Poet. Tarrant County College, TX
Featured Speaker. The Hotchkiss School, CT
Keynote Speaker, University of New Haven, Latin American Students Association (LASA), CT
Keynote Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Rutgers University, NJ
Featured Poet, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian, Washington D.C.
Featured Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Baker Botts International Law Firm, TX
Keynote Speaker, Fairfield University, CT
Proskauer Rose International Law Firm, NY
Keynote Speaker. CT Immigrant Day Ceremony
Featured Poet, Floricanto Poetry Festival, Barcelona, Spain
Featured Speaker, University of Florida (largest student-run U.S. Hispanic Heritage celebration)
Featured Speaker, Harvard University East Coast Chicano Student Forum Conference
Featured Speaker, 6th Annual Latino Ivy League Conference, Cornell University
Featured Poet Representing the U.S., El Salvador International Festival
Featured Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX
Featured Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Mountain View College, Dallas, TX
Featured Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Raritan Valley Community College, NJ
Featured Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Greenfield Community College, MA
Keynote Speaker, Plattsburgh State University Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, NY
Panelist, Connecticut Book Festival
Featured Poet, Riverwood Poetry Series
Featured Reader, A Multilingual Reading in New York City
Featured Reader, Connecticut Book Festival
Featured Poet, Expressiones Cultural Center, CT
Featured Poet, Julia de Burgos Park, CT
Keynote Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Pittsburg State University, KS
Reader, Poetry Center in PCCC, Paterson, NJ
Panelist, Modern Language Association Convention, PA
Keynote Speaker, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Washington DC
Presenter, Undocumented Hispanic Migration Conference, Connecticut College
Keynote Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Allegheny College, PA
Featured Poet. New York Bowery Poetry Club, NY. Acentos Review Anniversary
Featured Poet, University of Connecticut Avery Point
Featured Poet, KGB Bar Literary Series, New York City
Panelist, College Board Educating Latinos Preparate Conference, FL
Featured Poet, Gemini Ink, San Antonio, TX
Featured Poet, Three Rivers Community College, CT
Honoree, American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education Conference, TX
Co-Reader, AWP ACENTOS: A Gathering and Celebration of Latino and Latina Poets
Keynote Speaker, Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading. Mystic Arts Center
Poetry Reader Acentos Bronx Poetry Showcase. The Bruckner Bar and Grill
Poetry Reader and panelist. Newburyport Literary Festival
Poetry Celebration Keynote Speaker, Cumberland County College, New Jersey
Featured Poet, Hygienic Gallery, New London, CT
Keynote Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation, Connecticut
Keynote Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Wright State University
Featured Poet, Connecticut College
Keynote Speaker. Hispanic Heritage Month. Eastern Connecticut State University. “Latinos as Aliens
Presenter. FWPCA Conference: "But Why Those Five Latino Films?" Las Vegas, NV
Keynote Speaker, Hispanic Heritage Month, Capitol Community College. “The Evolution of the Term "Latino’”
Workshop Presenter. National Association of Multicultural Education. “From ESL Classroom to the Halls of Academia.” Farmington, CT
Workshop Presenter. Yale University Institute for Latin American Studies. "Latino Literature and Authors from the Caribbean"
Presenter. Boston College Diversity Challenge. "Teaching Intercultural Conflict: The Case of Latinos"
For more information on booking Jose B. Gonzalez, contact:
jgonzalez@latinostories.com