- Tomás Rivera
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name = Tomás Rivera
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birthdate = birth date|mf=yes|1935|12|22
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deathdate = death date and age|mf=yes|1984|05|16|1935|12|22
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occupation = writer, poet, educator
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ethnicity =Chicano
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website =Tomás Rivera (December 22, 1935 – May 16, 1984) was a
Chicano author , poet, and educator. He was chancellor of theUniversity of California, Riverside , the firstMexican American to hold the position at any university of theUniversity of California . He is best remembered for his 1971 Faulknerian stream-of-consciousnessnovella "...y no se lo tragó la tierra ", translated into English as "...and the earth did not swallow him". [http://www.library.txstate.edu/swwc/misc/perez.html "...and the earth did not swallow him" A Film by Severo Perez ] ] This book won the first PremioQuinto Sol award. [harvnb|Patell|2004|p= 366]Youth and family
Rivera was born in
Crystal City, Texas to migrant farmworkers. In his youth, he accompanied his parents as they labored in various parts of the Midwest. These experiences had a discernible impact on his writing and his determination to succeed. He married Concepción Garza on November 27, 1958, and the couple had three children.Education and career
Rivera graduated from Crystal City High School and worked in the fields alongside his family before attending
Texas State University-San Marcos , where he earned a B.S. in English in 1958 and a MEd in education administration in 1964. He taught in public schools and atSouthwest Texas Junior College inUvalde, Texas . He then attended theUniversity of Oklahoma where he earned a Master's degree inSpanish literature and adoctorate inRomance languages and literature in 1969. He then taught atSam Houston State University and helped plan theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio , where he filled several positions before becoming the chief executive officer of theUniversity of Texas at El Paso in 1978. He left to become chancellor of UCR in 1979, a position he held until 1984.Civic activities
Besides writing, educating, and administering, Rivera traveled worldwide and was active in the professional community. Both
Jimmy Carter andRonald Reagan appointed him to commissions on higher education, and he headed theNational Council of Chicanos in Higher Education , which he helped to found. He was the driving force behind the establishment of theTomás Rivera Policy Institute then atPomona College (now at USC, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2005. He also served on the boards of theCarnegie Institute , theCorporation for Public Broadcasting , and theEducational Testing Service .List of works
;Novella
*"...y no se lo tragó la tierra". Tomás Rivera. Pinata Books ISBN 1558851518;Contributed
*"The Ties that Bind : Questioning Family Dynamics and Family Discourse in Hispanic Literature". Ed. Sara E. Cooper. Lanham, MD: UP of America, 2004. ISBN 0761826491;Poetry
*"The Searchers : Collected Poetry". Tomás Rivera. Ed. Julián Oliveres. Houston: Arte Público, 1990. ISBN 155885018X;Complete works
*"Tomás Rivera : the Complete Works". Tomás Rivera. Ed. Julián Olivares. Houston: Arte Público, 1991. ISBN 1558850392;In translation
*"This Migrant Earth; Rolando Hinojosa’s Rendition in English of Tomás Rivera’s ...y no se tragó la tierra". Houston: Arte Público, 1987. ISBN 0934770557 (pbk.)
*"...y no se lo tragó la tierra". Tomás Rivera. Trans. Evangelina Vigil-Piñón. Houston: Arte Público, 1987. ISBN 0934770727 (pbk.);Film
*"--and the earth did not swallow him". American Playhouse Theatrical Films presents a production of KPBS and Severo Perez Films; produced by Paul Espinosa; written and directed by Severo Perez. New York, NY : Kino International : Kino Video, c1997. [http://www.library.txstate.edu/swwc/misc/perez.html "...and the earth did not swallow him" A Film by Severo Perez ] ]Legacy
Dr. Rivera died in his Fontana home in 1984. The following are named in his honor: a
University of Texas at Austin professor ship, the primaryUniversity of California, Riverside library and a plaza, , aRiverside Unified School District elementary school, aVal Verde Unified School District middle school, a Crystal City (his hometown) elementary school, a Mexican American children's book award named in his honor, an honorary doctorate fromSanta Clara University and was named a distinguished alumnus byTexas State University-San Marcos . His work is studied in courses of American andChicano literature , and thePomona College institute bearing his name continues to publish studies on educational, immigration, economic, and other issues important to Hispanic Americans.At the
University of Texas at San Antonio , a tutoring center is named in his honor. AtTexas State University-San Marcos Student Center Drive was renamed Tomas Rivera Drive in his honor.External links
* [http://www.trpi.org/ The Tomás Rivera Policy Institute] at the
University of Southern California
* [http://www.ucr.edu/about/history.html reference regarding UCR dates]
* [http://www.utsa.edu/trcss/ The Tomás Rivera Center for Student Success] at theUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Notes
References
*citation|first= Cyrus R. K. |last= Patell |chapter= Emergent Ethnic Literatures: Native American, Hispanic, Asian American |title= A Concise Companion to Postwar American Literature and Culture |editor-first= Josephine G. |editor-last= Hendin |place= Malden, MA |publisher= Blackwell |year= 2004 |isbn= 978-1405121804 .
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