Appointed as Poet Laureate by the City of Pacifica in 2017, Camincha Benvenutto began her four-year term at age 83. Originally hailing from Miraflores, Lima, Peru, she calls the United States her second home. A single mother, grandmother, multi-genre artist, and advocate for the arts and for immigrant rights, she keeps close to her roots and believes that “it is much easier to get where you want to go when you are proud of where you come from.” She was selected by KDTV for their segment “One of Ours” to honor her contributions to the Latin American community. A self-taught visual artist, she has exhibited her works at SFSU and other venues around the Bay Area. She is also the author of three poetry chapbooks and the bilingual novel As Time Goes By (2013) / Con el Pasar del Tiempo (2015). A San Francisco Bay Guardian review notes that she “frames the ordinary in a way that makes it extraordinary, and that is real talent.” Her poems, short stories, and translated work in English and Spanish have been featured in various online and print media. She was a Litquake featured author from 2005 to 2008, and hosted a community writing group in her home in Pacifica for many years. Camincha earned her master’s degree in Spanish Literature and French from San Francisco State University in 1986. Her professional work as a translator and interpreter spanned a diverse range of roles. A prolific poet, she has been writing poems since she was 13 and has over 300 poems that are still unpublished.
Camincha passed away on May 1, 2025, at 3:33pm, in her home in Pacifica. San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller offered words of remembrance at the May 6, 2025 Board of Supervisors Meeting (02:20). In life, Camincha’s spirit shone brightly, and she will be remembered with love and gratitude forever.
Poem on Belonging
YOUNG GIRL
in San Francisco ¿qué pasa?
These days,
a lot man! and it’s heavy
You can visit an art show,
a park, a restaurant
in the Mission
and feel is a plot
to transport you to Latin América
and you come out wondering
Why didn’t I make this trip before?
With your pride surging knowing
what you want most is: to tell
the world that you are
A LATINA.
Copyright © 2019 by Camincha Benvenutto. This poem originally appeared in Speak Poetry Vol. 2. Used with permission of the author.
Poet Laureate Project
Camincha hosted regular poetry readings at Florey’s Bookshop and Pacifica Library, mentored younger poets, convened a writers group in her home, organized poetry and art events in collaboration with other creatives, and proudly represented the City of Pacifica in various art and civic events around the Bay Area.
Speak Poetry in San Mateo County 