Bio of Donato Martinez

Donato Martinez was born in a small pueblo, Garcia de la Cadena, Zacatecas, Mexico and immigrated to the USA at six years old. He teaches English Composition, Literature, and Creative Writing at Santa Ana College. He has also taught classes in Chicano Studies. He has been a co-coordinator of the Puente Program for 24 years. In 2022, he was awarded the Creative Expression Faculty Award and the Transfer Advocate of the Year. In 2024-2025, he was recognized as the Distinguished Faculty of the Year, the highest honor bestowed on a faculty member. He is nominated for the Orange County Teacher of the Year, for the year 2026. He is also a cast member of Papah!, a YouTube show that features Mexican dads sharing their unique perspectives through candid conversations, food reviews, and reactions.

Martinez also hosts and curates many artistic events that feature poetry and music at his campus or in the community. He writes about his family, his barrio experience, his community, his Chicano culture, his love of language and hip hop, and the complexity of relationships. He is influenced by the sounds and pulse of the streets, people, music, and the magic of language. 

​He has a self-published collection with three other Inland Empire poets, Tacos de Lengua. His work has been published by City Works, Eastside Rose, Acentos Review, The San Diego Poetry Annual, Ofrenda Magazine, Mixtape Literary Journal, Latin@Literatures, The Ear, ILL Anthology, Journal X, Places We Call Home, La Raiz Magazine, the anthologies, With Dim Lights & Obsidian Tongues: A Pomona Poetry Anthology, and Anger is a Gift. His first full collection of poetry, Touch the Sky, was published by El Martillo Press in 2023. His second collection, Ten Toes in the Earth, was released in April 2026. He loves the outdoors and is inspired by books, music, and his children, Gabriel and Abigail.