Cordelia Chávez Candelaria (born September 14, 1943) is an American educator and writer of

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

descent.

Early life and education

Candelaria was born in Deming,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

, 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 yea ...

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 ...

, 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 PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...

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 semiotic system whose elements are defined by their relationship to other elements within t ...

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 c ...

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 ...

and Chicano literature 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 Sta ...

. 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 ...

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 sy ...

. 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

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 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. The college was named in 1981 in honor of its benefactors, Robert H. Dedman, Sr. and his wife, Nancy McMillan Dedman, both ...

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 , p ...

, 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. ...

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 l ...

. 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 ...

. In 2005, she received the

Outstanding Latino/a Cultural Award in Literary Arts or Publications The Outstanding Latino/a Cultural Award in Literary Arts or Publications is one of several awards presented by the American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education, Inc. (AAHHE); it also sponsored by AT&T. The award is presented to Latinas/os w ...

Film

Candelaria worked on the script for the 1982 film '' The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez'' as a script co-editor and consultant. She also served as a script consultant for '' The Milagro Beanfield War''.

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