Leonardo Nin Poeta
(article originally published in Spanish at Lowell Corazon Latino)
Lowell – Last Sunday, December 15, 2025, the city of Lowell hosted a unique cultural event that inspired, educated, and connected the community. Let’s Share a Story: Voices of Immigrants Through the Arts brought together poets, dancers, artists, and writers in a celebration of cultural resilience and migratory experiences.
This event was organized by the Latinx Community Center for Empowerment (LCCE), under the leadership of Diego Leonardo, and the Poetry Festival, led by Willy Ramírez, with support from Middlesex Community College and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. The day highlighted immigrant stories and showcased various artistic expressions, creating a space to share experiences and reflect on identity, community, and cultural resilience.
Stories of Resilience
During a roundtable discussion, panelists shared moving stories about their arrival in the United States, the challenges they faced, and how they overcame them. Participants included: María Cuesta, Cuban-born and former Bailey School director; Diana Santana, Dominican and Manager of Specialized Services at the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities; Maiara Venier, Portuguese, licensed in Mental Health Counseling. Además, Yvonne Francisco, journalist and director of Lowell Corazón Latino.
Panel: María Cuesta, Yvonne Francisco, Maiara Venier, and Diana Santana
Although each story was unique, common themes emerged, such as language barriers, housing struggles, discrimination, and loneliness. Nostalgia filled the room as María Cuesta shared her departure from Cuba in 1962 during the missile crisis and her inability to return since. Others recounted migration due to violence, including domestic violence. Meanwhile, Maiara Venier shared a happier story of moving to the U.S. for love.
Despite facing difficulties upon arrival, such as discrimination and cultural misunderstandings, these individuals found support through organizations like Community Teamwork (CTI) and Middlesex Community College, even though resources in Spanish were scarce at the time.
During her conservation, María Cuesta called on the immigrant community: “Let’s unite as much as we can. Learn more about our roots; when your roots are taken away, your life is taken away.” She also emphasized preserving the Spanish language as an essential part of cultural identity.
Grupo Bomba Antillana
Art, Gastronomy, and Dance
The event featured a writing workshop led by renowned writers Leonardo Nin, Jean Dany Joachim, Salvador Madrid, and Kianny Antigua. Participants learned poetic writing techniques and created their own poems, which will be published in an anthology by the Poetry Festival.
The day concluded with a stunning performance of Bomba Antillana, a vibrant and ancestral Puerto Rican dance style performed by the group of the same name. This style combines powerful percussion rhythms with expressive movements that tell stories of struggle and resilience. Attendees also enjoyed a culinary showcase featuring an array of traditional Latin American dishes, enhancing the cultural experience.
Additionally, an art exhibition displayed works by Venezuelan painter Alberto Fernández, captivating the audience and reflecting the richness of cultural diversity present at the event.
Maria Aybar and Willy Ramirez
A Cultural Legacy
Let’s Share a Story served as a reminder of the value of immigrant voices in our society. The event not only celebrated the cultural richness of the community but also provided a platform to strengthen connections and understanding among attendees.
María Aybar, from the Latinx Center, explained that the center offers various services to empower and support the Latinx community in the city and surrounding areas. These include English and Spanish classes to improve language skills, citizenship courses for those seeking naturalization, and business workshops that promote entrepreneurship and economic development. Additionally, the Lowell Latinx Archive program aims to preserve the history of immigrants in Lowell.
Willy Ramírez shared insights about the Poetry Festival, an annual event featuring poets, translators, editors, and award recipients from around the world. It offers an opportunity for people to reflect on translation, immigration, and social justice through literature. He also highlighted La Guagua Grupo de Lectura, a group promoting Spanish literacy among Hispanic and Latinx students, currently in the process of relaunching after the COVID-19 pandemic.
