From its first manifestations, Armando Vallejo's poetic voice has shown his love for life and political action. In spite of its technical or formal inexpertness, his early poetry was heard as an embodiment of an authentic new voice and not as a versified echo of ideological discourse, as is the case of much political poetry.

Born in Durango, Mexico, on 31 October 1949, Vallejo moved to the United States at an early age. With his mother and siblings he arrived in Santa Barbara, California, at the age of fourteen, and his schooling in his native language came to a quick halt. Although Vallejo completed his high-school and community-college studies in English, there remained alive in his sensitivity the memories of his birthplace (the streets of his childhood barrio and the essence and colors of his homeland) and of the Spanish language. Two factors brought about the poetic irruption of young...