Cordelia Chávez Candelaria (born September 14, 1943) is an American educator and writer of
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
descent.
Early life and education
Candelaria was born in
Deming,
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
, to Ray J. Chávez and Eloida Trujillo. She received her
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree from
Fort Lewis College
Fort Lewis College is a public liberal arts college in Durango, Colorado. Because of its unique origins as a military fort turned Indian boarding school turned state public school, FLC follows a 1911 mandate to give qualified Native Americans a ...
, where she studied English and French. She then earned a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in English and a
PhD in
American literature
American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...
and
structural linguistics
Structural linguistics, or structuralism, in linguistics, denotes schools or theories in which language is conceived as a self-contained, self-regulating Semiotics, semiotic system whose elements are defined by their relationship to other element ...
from the
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin founded the school in 1842. The main campu ...
.
Career
From 1975 to 1978, Candelaria was an associate professor of
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and
Chicano literature
Mexican American literature is literature written by Mexican Americans in the United States. Although its origins can be traced back to the sixteenth century, the bulk of Mexican American literature dates from post-1848 and the United States ann ...
at
Idaho State University
, mottoeng = "The truth will set you free"
, established =
, former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927)University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho State ...
. She was also a program officer for the Division of Research at the
National Endowment for the Humanities
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency of the U.S. government, established by thNational Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965(), dedicated to supporting research, education, preserv ...
from 1976 to 1977. From 1978 to 1991, she was an
associate professor
Associate professor is an academic title with two principal meanings: in the North American system and that of the ''Commonwealth system''.
Overview
In the ''North American system'', used in the United States and many other countries, it is a ...
of English and head of the Chicano Studies Program at the
University of Colorado Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder, CU, or Colorado) is a public research university in Boulder, Colorado. Founded in 1876, five months before Colorado became a state, it is the flagship university of the University of Colorado syst ...
. During her time at the university, she also founded the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race in America. In 1991, she became an
American literature
American literature is literature written or produced in the United States of America and in the colonies that preceded it. The American literary tradition thus is part of the broader tradition of English-language literature, but also inc ...
professor and research associate at the Hispanic Research Center of
Arizona State University
Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...
. From 2001 to 2005, she served as chair of the Department of
Chicana and Chicano Studies.
In 2008, Candelaria was named
dean
Dean may refer to:
People
* Dean (given name)
* Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin
* Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk
* Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean
Titles
* ...
of the
Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences
Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences is the school of liberal arts at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth- ...
at
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = "The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, prov ...
, but she resigned from the position the following year for personal reasons.
Personal life
Candelaria married José Fidel Candelaria in 1961, and later Ronald Beveridge.
Works
Candelaria published her first collection of poetry, ''Ojo de la Cueva'' (Cave Springs), in 1984. She also served as the executive editor for the ''Encyclopedia of Latino Popular Culture'' and has published
literary criticism
Literary criticism (or literary studies) is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of literature's goals and methods. Th ...
in various
literary journals
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry, and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letter ...
.
Other works include:
*''Chicano Poetry: A Critical Introduction'' (1986)
* ''Seeking the Perfect Game: Baseball in American literature'' (1989)
* ''Arroyo to the Heart'', poetry (1993)
Awards and honors
Candelaria has received several awards and honors throughout her career, including the Thomas Jefferson Award in 1983, the Colorado University Equity and Excellence Faculty Award in 1989, and a 15-year Higher Education Replication Study award in 1991 from the National Sponsoring Committee in
Boulder
In geology, a boulder (or rarely bowlder) is a rock fragment with size greater than in diameter. Smaller pieces are called cobbles and pebbles. While a boulder may be small enough to move or roll manually, others are extremely massive.
In c ...
.
In 2005, she received the
Outstanding Latino/a Cultural Award in Literary Arts or Publications.
Film
Candelaria worked on the script for the 1982 film ''
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
''The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez'' is a 1982 American Western film directed by Robert M. Young and starring Edward James Olmos as Gregorio Cortez. It is based on the book ''With His Pistol in His Hand'' by Americo Paredes.
In 2022, the film ...
'' as a script co-editor and consultant. She also served as a script consultant for ''
The Milagro Beanfield War
''The Milagro Beanfield War'' is a 1988 American comedy-drama film directed by Robert Redford from a screenplay written by John Nichols and David S. Ward based on Nichols's novel of the same name. The ensemble cast includes Ruben Blades, Richar ...
''.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Candelaria, Cordelia
1943 births
Living people
American women poets
American academics of English literature
Hispanic and Latino American poets
Fort Lewis College alumni
Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters alumni
University of Colorado Boulder faculty
Arizona State University faculty
Idaho State University faculty
People from Deming, New Mexico
American women non-fiction writers
American women academics
21st-century American women