‘Bless Me Ultima’ author receives medal from President Obama in White House ceremony
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Sept. 21, U.S. Senator Tom Udall congratulated celebrated New Mexico author Rudolfo Anaya, who was honored with the National Humanities Medal on Sept. 22. Udall attended the ceremony at the White House.
“This is a well-deserved honor for a treasured New Mexico storyteller. Great books captivate our attention and allow us to walk in the shoes of ordinary and extraordinary people, and Rudolfo Anaya’s stories have touched the hearts of New Mexicans — and Americans across the country — for decades,” Udall said in a statement.
“The son of a vaquero, Anaya has honored New Mexico’s Hispanic culture and traditions, especially through books like ‘Bless Me Ultima’ and stories like The Legend of La Llorona,” Udall said. “And through sharing our stories with the world, he has helped expand the understanding of our state’s unique American experience.”
Udall said Anaya’s work is both inspiring and entertaining to generations of readers, and added that Anaya has given back to the community in ways other than his words.
For instance, Udall said, Anaya has shared “his love of learning as a teacher in Albuquerque and a faculty member at the University of New Mexico, and through his commitment to the state, the Albuquerque community, and his native Santa Rosa.”
Udall called Anaya “our own father of modern Chicano literature.”
