Jeff Bingaman: “I speak briefly today to recognize one of my State's greatest citizens--an extraordinary author whose contributions to…”

“I speak briefly today to recognize one of my State's greatest citizens--an extraordinary author whose contributions to the arts have made him known as the father of modern Chicano literature. Today Dr. Rudolfo Anaya will be 1 of 14 distinguished artists to receive this year's National Medal of Arts. Dr. Anaya is a legend in New Mexico and throughout the Nation for writings that reflect the cultural crossings unique to the Southwest. Born in the small town of Pastura, NM, he grew up in a Spanish-speaking home rich with tradition. His family moved to Albuquerque when he was 15, where he attended high school. His first novel, ``Bless Me, Ultima,'' was published in 1972 and won him the prestigious Premio Quinto Sol national award for Chicagno literature. This widely-acclaimed novel brought many Hispanic traditions into the limelight, creating a colorful narrative spiced with Spanish vocabulary. ``Bless Me. Ultima'' continues to be a best-selling Chicano work, and is used in classrooms throughout the world as a standard text for Chicano studies and literature courses. Dr. Anaya's work combines history and tradition with the supernatural. Old Spain and New Spain, Mexico, and Mesoamerica, all come together in a style that Newsweek has referred to as ``the new American writing.'' his second novel, ``Heart of Aztlan,'' explores a Mexican-American family's struggle with discrimination and poverty and its determination to preserve a proud sense of cultural identity.”