Just read about the recent sad passing of nationally renown poet and educator Jeff Tagami. He died last week in Santa Cruz, California from pancreatic cancer. He was 57: Cabrillo instructor, poet Jeff Tagami dies: Poems brought Asian Americans out of the shadows.
Inspired by stories from Asian American history, Tagami's poetry often focused on the real-life plight of immigrants and laborers, and constantly sought to "make Asian Americans the focal point, rather than marginalized characters":
In 1977, Tagami transferred to what was then known as San Francisco State College and joined an Asian American artist and writers collaborative, publishing short stories and poems that focused on factory and field workers, while holding down a variety of odd jobs.A quick Google search turned up this online memorial for Jeff Tagami, where friends are welcome to post words and images in his honor. Rest in peace.
"He wanted to write about their backgrounds and things that weren’t in print then," said Ancheta, who met her husband in the fourth grade. "It was hard to find even one or two writers of color in an anthology, so he sought to break that mold" and make Asian Americans the focal point, rather than marginalized characters.
His writing eventually gained national attention, appearing in numerous magazines and anthologies, and in 1995, he appeared in the PBS documentary, "The US of Poetry." It featured his poem, "Song of Pajaro," which describes a day in the life of Pajaro Valley farmers.
Tagami also authored a collection of poetry, "October Light," and helped edit four anthologies, including "Without Names" and "Monterey Poets and Writers," and lectured at universities throughout the West Coast and in Hawaii.