Poet Carlos Andres Gomez discusses love, Latino identity

College freshman Percia Verlin was first introduced to award-winning poet, actor and 2004 College graduate Carlos Andres Gomez when she watched a YouTube video of his spoken word performance a few weeks ago.

Verlin had seen Gomez — who spoke last night at Irvine Auditorium — on posters advertising Festival Latino and decided to attend his keynote presentation.

Festival Latino is an annual event at Penn that is organized by the Latino Coalition’s festival board to raise awareness of Latino culture. This year, Festival Latino began last Sunday and will last until this Sunday.

The festival’s theme this year is PENNsando, a pun on the Spanish word for “thinking.”

“Carlos founded the [spoken word club] Excelano Project at Penn and we think that is representative of our theme, thinking,” said College freshman Laura Ruiz Colon, an organizer of the event.

Last night, Gomez performed a number of spoken word poems and discussed several issues facing minorities in this country.

He began his reading of each poem with a brief introduction, striking a very personal note by choosing not to use the microphone provided for him.

“If you’re Latino or Latina, make some noise,” Gomez said. “If you’re somebody who doesn’t identify yourself as Latino or Latina, make some noise.”

Gomez asked one audience member what it felt to be a Latino, who responded that some people have asked if he had “jumped the border.”

In line with the student’s answer, Gomez performed a piece inspired by a personal encounter. A few years ago before a performance, a woman heard his first name, and told Gomez, “No offense, but I’ve never met a Mexican who looks like you!”

Gomez had written the poem off the cuff that very day, and then performed it with her sitting in the audience. Consequently, her face “turned a deep purple red,” he said.

While PENNsando’s primary goal is to raise awareness of Latino culture, Gomez also addressed other social issues, such as homophobia and the current precarious state of romantic love.

His poem “Hand-Stitch,” which he read last night, was drawn from an experience during his junior year at Penn. Gomez, a self-identified heterosexual, had held hands with his homosexual male friend, Gino, for an hour on Locust Walk, to “see what happens.”

“Everyone treated me differently, even though it was something as simple as holding a man’s hand,” Gomez said. “And Gino was wearing eyeliner like a middle finger.”

Besides LGBT issues, Gomez hashed out the universal theme of love, lamenting that in 2013, love has become outdated. When he asked the audience to “make some noise if you’re in love with someone in your life,” he was not surprised by the poor response. In an attempt to inspire love, Gomez proceeded to recite “Everything and the Only Thing,” a poem inspired by his first love.

Gomez’s final note to the audience was simple.

“Build coalitions, build coalitions. All the cultural houses around campus, go visit them. Go remember everyone’s first name,” he said. “It breaks through the formality and distance.”

Gomez’s book, “Man Up” — a modern take on manhood — is sold out in New York and Philadelphia, but is available for sale through his website.

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