Palabra at The Cheech is a new series that celebrates the wonderful tradition of floricanto, poesía, and the spoken word. Join us for our first open mic poetry series co-hosted by Donato Martinez, featuring poets Iuri M. Lara, James Coats, Oscar Velazquez, and David A. Romero. Doors open at 6pm.

Schedule of Events
6PM: Sign-Ups begin
7PM: Featured Poets
8PM: Open Mic

Hosted By

Donato Martinez was born in small pueblo, Garcia de la Cadena, Zacatecas, Mexico and immigrated to USA at six years old. He teaches English composition, Literature, and Creative Writing at Santa Ana College. He has also taught classes in Chicano Studies. He has also been a co-coordinator of the Puente Program for 25 years and has presented workshop sessions at both the regional and state level. He has also spoken at many motivational and educational conferences. He hosts and curates many artistic events that feature poetry and music at his campus or in the community. He is also a poet and writes about his barrio upbringing, his community, his culture, and his Chicano identity. He has a self-published collection with three other Inland Empire poets, Tacos de Lengua. His full length collection of poetry, Touch the Sky, was published in 2023 by El Martillo Press. He loves the outdoors and is inspired by music and books and other artistic expressions, and his children, Gabriel and Abigail. He was recently recognized as the Distinguished Faculty of the Year at Santa Ana College in 2024. Find Donato on Instagram.

James Coats is an author, poet, and educator born in Los Angeles and raised in the Inland Empire. He believes that poetry has the ability to bring diverse groups together, offering a way to connect through shared challenges, achievements and experiences. His newest poetry collection Midnight & Mad Dreams is published by World Stage Press. You can find him attending poetry readings throughout California. Find James on Instagram and Youtube.

David A. Romero is a Mexican-American spoken word artist from Diamond Bar, CA. He is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of El Martillo Press. Romero is the author of My Name Is Romero (FlowerSong Press, 2020), Diamond Bars 2 (Moon Tide Press, 2024) and Diamond Bars: The Street Version (Dimlights Publishing, 2010). Romero has received honorariums from nearly a hundred colleges and universities in thirty-four different states in the USA and has also performed live in Mexico, Italy, and France. Romero’s work has been published in literary magazines in the United States, Mexico, England, Scotland, Canada, and Hungary. Romero has opened for Latin Grammy winning bands Ozomatli and La Santa Cecilia. Romero’s work has been published in anthologies alongside poets laureate Joy Harjo, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Luis J. Rodriguez, Jack Hirschman, and Tongo Eisen-Martin. Romero has won the Uptown Slam at the historic Green Mill in Chicago; the birthplace of slam poetry. Find David on Instagram and Youtube.

Iuri M. Lara is a Xicana-Indigena mother, Mexica dancer, and Ethnic Studies-English Language Arts curriculum designer from Santa Ana, CA. She holds an M.F.A. in Poetry from the University of California in Riverside. Her poetry has appeared in various publications including The American Poetry Review, The Academic Journal for MALCS, Mujeres de Maize Zine, and Open Doors Poetry Anthology, among others. She has published two chapbooks including “Xicanx Affirmations” published by Libromobile in 2018. Find Iuri on Instagram.

Oscar Velazquez is an Anaheim-based poet whose work draws inspiration from his troubled past, his journey through addiction and into sobriety, his dreams of the future, and his keen eye on the world around him. He has performed at notable venues, including Boca De Oro Santa Ana’s Literary Fest and the MUZEO Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim. His poetry has been published by the city of Anaheim in the “Anaheim Poetry Review,” an anthology celebrating local voices. Through his unique performance style, he unveils a transformative journey from a world of adversity to one of artistic expression. He writes raw and uncensored, but always with mucho corazón. Find Oscar on Instagram.