Barrio Writers Summer Youth Program Returns to Santa Ana, Where It All Began
Updated: Sep 8, 2020
On an otherwise lazy summer day, about 25 Chicano youth are busy scribbling their thoughts in a journal exercise at Santa Ana's El Centro Cultural de México. They're aspiring Barrio Writers, guys and gals ranging in age between 13 and 21 who are dedicated to an intensive one-week program by the same name. All are motivated by a desire to find their voice in an essay, poem or story to be published in a future anthology. Barrio Writers first began under author Sarah Rafael García in 2009 at El Centro Cultural de México with 30 students. After spreading to different states and college campuses, the program returned to its roots this summer with a solid group sure to produce the next Gary Soto or Ana Castillo!
"Unfortunately, this past year we lost our space at Cal State Fullerton," García says. "It's back where it started, with el Centro more than willing to help out."
Read more on my latest OC Weekly Navel Gazing Blog post:
http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2015/08/barrio_writers_summer_youth_program.php