Chicano Legend Rodolfo Anaya Dies
As an avid reader, I picked up whatever book I could get my hands on, and my sister-in-law often provided me reading material usually consisting of books and/or poems that supported and reflected the Chicano cause. She introduced me to Rodolfo Anaya, author of Bless Me Ultima. (Note, I use the term “Chicano” out of respect for Anaya who identified himself as such, and in the early days of his career, Chicano referred to (and continues to refer to) American born Mexican Americans.)
This now classic bildungsroman depicts the life of young Antonio in rural New Mexico. A curandera (a Mexican healer), Ultima, comes to live with Antonio’s family, and the book documents Antonio’s life as he adapts to life with Ultima as well as documents his own developing maturity.
I so loved the book that when my ninth grade English teacher assigned a book report, I immediately knew Bless Me, Ultima would be my choice. I eagerly gathered my poster board, construction paper, and glue. I still remember it. I created a large tree, and on one branch, I pasted a large owl representing Ultima, on another branch, I pasted three cotton balls representing a relevant spell, and on the third branch, I pasted a golden carp. I decorated it with falling leaves together with a gravestone (you’ll have to read the book to know whose). In the center of the tree, I created a door, and inside the door was my book report. My teacher used to call me in to re-adhere parts that would fall off. That poster hung in her classroom at least until I graduated high school.
After devouring the book, Bless Me, Ultima, I read everything I could find by Anaya. When Bless Me, Ultima was made into a movie, I cheered for my Chicano idol. And, imagine my delight when I met him at a book fair sponsored by UCLA! I managed to obtain his autograph on two of my own books — one an original edition of Bless Me, Ultima and the other on Rio Grande Falls!
However, Anaya was more than my idol. He was a trailblazer who paved the road for many other Chicano writers. In the 1970s, the country was still fighting for civil rights, and New Mexico itself was a “back of the bus state” that mandated Chicanos ride in the back of the bus. It was during this tumultuous time when Anaya managed to publish an authentic depiction of the Chicano life in rural New Mexico. Imagine what a huge accomplishment this was during those days!
The adage “if you don’t find the right book to read, write it” applies to Anaya. When Contemporary Authors interviewed him, he stated “it was frustrating for him to write ‘without models or mentors … I was imitating a style and mode not indigenous to the people and setting I knew best. … the process by which I formed it was long and arduous … [because] the thought was still prevalent in academia that [Chicanos] were better suited as janitors than scholars.’”
Anaya not only wrote prolifically, but his commitment to education also furthered the Chicano cause. After achieving success as an author, Anaya continued to educate both adults and children. He served as a school counselor. He never forgot his roots, and his books evidence this fact because most of Anaya’s books either take place in the llano (the plains) where he grew up or in Albuquerque where he lived after eighth grade.
Yesterday, I texted my nephew who graduated from the University of New Mexico with a double major in English and Spanish. We commiserated on our loss, and both profoundly regret the inability to have taken one of Anaya’s courses. No other Chicano writer can compare to the inroads made by Anaya. The community will feel his loss for a long time to come, me included.
