Jennifer De Leon: After Immigration Comes Our Stories

Jennifer De Leon, born and raised in Massachusetts, is the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants who arrived at the US in the mid-70s. Her father was born in Tiquisate, Escuintla, and her mother in Guatemala City. A trip to Zimbabwe at 16 years old encouraged her later travels to Vietnam and Nigeria. Sometime afterwards she spent a few months at a language school in Quetzaltenango where she practiced spanish, learned about Guatemala’s history, and explored its’ diverse culture.

Today, De Leon is a published author. Her creative writing birthed the young adult novel, Don’t Ask Me Where I’m From and White Space, a collection of essays on culture, race, and writing. She’s also an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Framingham State University, a faculty member in the MFA program for Creative Nonfiction at Bay University, as well as a board member and instructor at the GrubStreet Creative Writing Center.

 To learn more about her work visit: www.jenniferdeleonauthor.com or follow her on Instagram @jdeleonwriter