Woman named poet laureate for Santa Clara County in California

Santa Clara County's new poet laureate, Janice Lobo Sapigao.

Asian Americans make up the largest ethnic group in Santa Clara County in California so its fitting that it finally names an Asian American as its poet laureate.
Janice Lobo Sapigao of San Jose, Calif. was named as Santa Clara County's poet laureate on Feb. 10. She will hold the post Dec. 31, 2021.

“The poet laureate’s role is to elevate Santa Clara County residents’ awareness of the arts and help inspire all readers and fans of poetry, including the next generation of poets,” said County Librarian Nancy Howe.

“Janice brings a unique voice that speaks to the experience of many residents of Silicon Valley,” said Supervisor Cindy Chavez. “Her identity as a U.S.-born daughter of immigrants from the Philippines, and her ability to write about the intersection of these two identities, is a rich confluence of artistic influences.”

"I am honored to be appointed as the next Santa Clara County Poet Laureate and develop my project to start a youth poet laureate program," Sapigao said in a news release. "I hope to visit elementary, middle, and high schools in the county to promote the power of poetry as a source for connection, community, and critical conversations."

Born and raised in San José, California, she is the author of two books of poetry, "Like a Solid to a Shadow" and "microchips for millions," which documents her mother’s experience of being an assembly line worker in the Silicon Valley. She is currently the editor of TAYO Literary Magazine, 

Sapigao, an assistant professor of English at Skyline College in nearby San Bruno, was named one of the Bay Area’s “2017 Women to Watch” by KQED Arts.

The Filipina American has watched Santa Clara County transform from sleepy part of the Bay Area with San Francisco as the hub of culture and finance, to the powerhouse economic engine and the center of innovation known as Silicon Valley.

"Growing up in San José, I went to a lot of schools that were mostly Latino," recalls Sapigao. "I felt like I was constantly searching for things that were Filipino, whether it be friends, teachers, books or even songs. Thankfully, during that time, there was a lot of Filipino R&B on the radio.

"I was looking for things to belong to, and I didn’t know where to look because the only things that were Filipino were my music and my family. It was more observing and learning about how to be Filipino," she said in an interview with Valley of Heart's Resistance.

The massive changes to her hometown have not been ind to her memories. 

"It’s kind of uncomfortable to be in this place where I was able to live before, but now Big Tech has brought a lot of people here who don’t care about what was here before them. I think that’s a huge problem."