Rudolfo Anaya: The Trailblazer of Mexican-American Literature
Considered to be a huge force behind Chicano literature and a trader of magical realism, author Rudolfo Anaya passed away at 82.
Anaya’s niece, Belinda Henry, said that he died Sunday at his Albuquerque, New Mexico home after suffering from a long term illness.
Anaya, born Oct. 30, 1937, in the Guadalupe County village of Pastura, near Santa Rosa, was among the state's most honoured and revered authors.
He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico and obtained two master's degrees there as well. But he also taught in Albuquerque's public schools. One was named in his honour.
Dr. Melina Vizcaíno Alemán, an associate professor in UNM's English Department, said Anaya founded the creative writing program at the university and established a biannual literary journal that supports student writing.
"It is no understatement to say that Mr. Anaya will always hold a place in Southwestern and Chicana/o literature and culture," she wrote in an email. "And his legacy endures here at home, across the nation, and overseas in the body of writings, manuscripts and programs he leaves behind."
Bless Me Ultima:
While teaching at a public school, Anaya spent seven years working on his debut novel Bless Me, Ultima – which earned him the prestigious Quinto Sol Literary Award. The book, published in 1972, was a revelation to many and is considered by some as the first Chicano novel to spark the imagination of a larger audience. It has sold nearly 2 million copies.
Written about a young boy and his mentor, the book spoke of an often forgotten land, the llano, and seemed to validate the experiences of many who had grown up in New Mexico - at once connecting people to their roots but also inviting enough to capture the imaginations of those who didn't grow up in the Southwest.
"One reason that I wrote Bless Me, Ultima was because, to me, the people I grew up with were so beautiful, I didn't want them to disappear," Anaya told. "I knew a book could be timeless. I knew the characters could be preserved."
The novel is both a favourite of the educational curricula and, according to the American Library Association, one of the most challenged titles because of its treatment of religion and spirituality.
In 2010 the book was selected for the NEA’s Big Read program, and in 2013 it was adapted for the screen. The character Ultima was portrayed by the legendary actress Míriam Colón.
The success of Bless Me, Ultima was an auspicious beginning to Anaya’s literary career.
The Chicano Movement/ The Chicano Literature
The rise of Chicana/o literature took place in the late 1960s, as part of the Chicano movement and the upsurge in awareness of the presence and cultural contributions of people of Mexican descent in the U.S. The word “Chicano,” as Raymund Paredes explains refers to “people of Mexican ancestry who have resided permanently in the United States for an extended period.
Originally a derogatory name for Mexican-Americans, “Chicano” was reappropriated by young civil rights advocates in the 1960s and 1970s as a way to reclaim both the power of self-definition and the pride in a rich, bilingual, cross-cultural heritage. Because of the implicated limitations of the Spanish masculine form, an emerging recognition of gender equality has insisted on modifying the term so that it includes the feminine form. Hence, art, literature, theatre, film, and other cultural productions are currently referred to as- Chicana/o.
“I had read absolutely no Chicano prose during all my school years,” says Rudolfo Anaya in an interview with Juan Bruce-Novoa, a prominent scholar of Chicana/o literature.
“There were a few novels out there, and I suppose if you were into research you could have found diaries and newspapers, or in folklore you could have read the cuentos, but contemporary Chicano prose wasn’t born until the mid-sixties during the Chicano movement, and so I think in a sense what we did in the sixties was to create the model itself… we set about to build a house and in the sixties we built the foundation”
His Body of Work
His next two novels, Heart of Aztlán (1976) and Tortuga (1979), complete the trilogy of narratives about young people at the crossroads of childhood innocence and the heart-breaking reality of adulthood.
The four Sonny Baca murder mysteries (Zia Summer, Rio Grande Fall, Shaman Winter, and Jemez Spring) highlight the New Mexican landscape and culture, giving particular detail to New Mexico’s unique festivities, foods, and folk beliefs, educating and entertaining readers about how this state became known as “The Land of Enchantment.” Anaya’s distinctive use of magical realism underscores the region’s rich imagery and mythology, honouring the legacy of its Native American, Spanish, and Mexican heritages.
His most recent title is the novel- The Sorrows of Young Alfonso, released earlier this year. “My imagination keeps sparking,” he explains. “Just when I think I’m done, another idea takes hold.” His body of work also includes six plays and no less than a dozen children’s books, including the perennial favourite - the Farolitos of Christmas, which spins a touching tale around the New Mexican holiday essential, the paper lantern.
Through his poetry, plays, essays and widely anthologized and reprinted prose, Anaya’s legacy reflects the exuberant and rich storytelling style that has defined Chicano literature in the last two centuries.
His Literary Accolades
Among the many awards Anaya has received are two Governor’s Public Service Awards from the state of New Mexico, the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation, a Kellogg Foundation fellowship, two NEA literature fellowships, and the NEA National Medal of Arts Lifetime Honour in 2001.
On 22nd September 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Rudolfo Anaya the National Humanities Medal, a long overdue commendation for the prolific author.
Speaking to the honour of receiving the National Humanities Medal, Anaya said: “I’ve been thinking a lot about what this recognition means, and I’ve decided it’s not just about me, it’s about New Mexico. We may be one of the poorest states in the union but have a wealth of beauty and culture. This award is about the people of New Mexico.”
Anaya's death and life reflected through the state's arts community, where he was considered a sage, a friend and a mentor. Many called his work the inspiration, the jumping-off point, for their own careers!
In a statement issued less than two hours after Anaya's death became known, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham described the author as a hero to many in the state who'd grown up with his books.
"Through his indelible stories, Rudolfo Anaya, perhaps better than any other author, truly captured what it means to be a New Mexican, what it means to be born here, grow up here and live here," Lujan Grisham said. "His life's work amounts to an incredible contribution to the great culture and fabric of our state - not only through his prodigious literary contributions but through his decades as an educator at the University of New Mexico."
Anaya's ties to New Mexico - its landscape, people, history and intricacies were ever present in his works. It was this commitment to his origins and his gift as a writer that allowed him to present a significant picture of New Mexico to the world.
Rest in Peace Rudolfo Anaya!
