Aileen Cassinetto

Aileen Cassinetto is a Filipino American poet, cultural organizer, and community mentor. Born and raised in the Philippines, she draws on her roots and immigrant experience to amplify the role of poetry in the context of social justice movements. An Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, she served as poet laureate of San Mateo County from 2019–2022. She is also the author of two poetry collections, and the founder of the independent literary press Paloma Press. She is currently a Commissioner on the Status of Women for San Mateo County, and a member of KQED’s Community Advisory Panel. She launched The Mana Creative Futures Project in 2022 with the mission to imagine the world differently, and create spaces that honor our shared humanity.