The Emmy Award-winning journalist and author discusses identity, language, belonging and the message behind his keynote, “Your English Is Great, But…: Turning Identity Into Impact.”
José Martínez has spent much of his life moving between languages, cultures and cities.
Born in Cartagena, Colombia, and shaped by experiences in Long Island, New York, California and Pennsylvania, Martínez has built a career around telling stories that help people feel seen. The bilingual Emmy Award-winning journalist, television reporter and anchor is also the author of Your English Is Great, But…: A Life Between Languages, Cities, and Grief.
Today, Friday, September 25, Martínez will bring those experiences to Alvernia University as the keynote speaker for the 2026 Latinos Unidos celebration.
Presented as part of the university’s community-centered cultural programming, Latinos Unidos celebrates Latino leaders, artists, performers and community champions from Reading and the greater Berks County region. This year’s celebration will take place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Francis Hall.
Ahead of the event, Martínez reflected on the meaning behind his keynote, the complicated relationship between language and identity, and why he wants the audience to become part of the conversation.
Your keynote is titled “Your English Is Great, But…: Turning Identity Into Impact.” What does that title mean to you?
The first part comes directly from the title of my book. “Your English is great, but…” sounds like a compliment, but that word but changes everything. It suggests that no matter how hard you work, how much you learn or how well you communicate, someone may still find a reason to question whether you belong.
For years, I thought I had to overcome the parts of myself that made me different. Eventually, I realized those were the same parts that gave me my voice.
The keynote is really about that transformation. How do we take the things that once made us feel insecure, invisible or out of place and turn them into something meaningful? How do we move from simply carrying our identity to using it to create an impact?
How have language and identity shaped your career?
They have shaped every part of it.
I arrived in the United States with dreams, an accent and an understanding that I would have to work extremely hard to be heard. I have reported in English and Spanish, worked in local and national newsrooms, and told stories in communities across the country.
There were moments when being bilingual or being an immigrant felt like something I had to explain. Now, I understand that moving between languages and cultures allows me to see stories from more than one perspective.
It has made me a better journalist, but it has also made me more aware of the responsibility that comes with having a microphone. Being seen is important, but helping other people feel seen is even more powerful.
Why was it important for you to include students in tonight’s program?
I didn’t want this to feel like an hour of me simply talking at people.
Students are navigating questions about identity, ambition, family expectations and belonging in real time. Their voices deserve to be part of the main conversation, not treated as an afterthought.
During the second part of the program, I’ll be joined by three Alvernia students for an honest conversation about their experiences. I want to hear what identity means to them, what challenges they are facing and how they hope to use their own stories to make an impact.
I may be the keynote speaker, but I don’t want to be the only voice on the stage.
The audience will also participate. What can they expect?
We’re going to have some fun.
The students and I will invite audience volunteers to respond to three questions: What is the headline of your life right now? What song is currently on the soundtrack of your life? And what would you tell your younger self?
The questions are playful, but they can also reveal something meaningful. A headline asks you to think about the chapter you are living. A song can carry a memory, a hope or an emotion. And speaking to your younger self invites you to recognize how far you have come.
I want people to leave feeling that they did not simply attend an event. I want them to feel that they helped create it.
Your memoir includes stories about Cartagena, Queens, journalism, grief and belonging. How do those experiences come together in the keynote?
They are all connected by the search for home.
Sometimes home is a city. Sometimes it is a language, a person or a version of yourself that you are still learning to accept.
My journey from Cartagena to Queens and into American newsrooms was not a straight line. It included ambition and opportunity, but also rejection, grief, loneliness and moments when I questioned whether I was enough.
The book gave me a way to bring those experiences together. The keynote allows me to take the next step by asking: What do we do with everything we have survived and learned? How can our stories become a source of courage for someone else?
What do you hope people take away from tonight’s event?
I hope they understand that their story has value before anyone else validates it.
You do not have to erase your accent, simplify your identity or make yourself smaller to earn a place in the room. You also do not have to wait until your journey looks perfect before using it to help someone else.
Impact does not always begin with a large platform. Sometimes it begins by telling the truth about who you are. Sometimes it begins by asking another person about their story and genuinely listening.
If people leave tonight feeling a little more confident in their voice—and a little more curious about the voices around them—then we will have accomplished something important.
Event Information
Latinos Unidos 2026
Keynote: Your English Is Great, But…: Turning Identity Into Impact
Speaker: José Martínez
Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
Time: 5–8:30 p.m.
Location: Francis Hall, Alvernia University
To learn more about José Martínez, visit josemartineznews.com or follow @josemartineznews on social media.
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