-
Period: to
Cesar Chavez
He is the person that Luis went to and pitched the Teatro Campesino. Fun fact: Luis's cousin (Beto) was friends with a man named Cece, who was a pachuco and later became Cesar Chavez. Cesar influenced Luis in what they continue to fight for, farmworker's rights. Before he passed, Luis wanted to write a movie on Cesar's life however he denied the proposition to have control of his image. -
Birth
Luis Valdez was born in Delano, California. His parents were Francisco and Armida Valdez, who migrated from Mexico and became farm workers. His childhood was uprooted every season, they followed the harvest. Eventually, they settled in San Jose, California. Despite being born in California, he grew up with Hispanic traditions. He has 9 siblings, yet only 1 is known. His younger brother, Daniel Valdez, is an actor and has been by his side throughout his journey. -
Burnt
Because Luis is such a private man, there is no public information regarding any health issues. However, when visiting his extended family in a barn, his family was heating some water for their meal. His cousin who wasn't much older than him accidentally tipped the handle of the pot. The boiling water fell onto his back. His family rushed him to the hospital and his entire skin fell off. He was given treatment and this unfortunate event strengthened his bond with his mother. -
Elementary teacher
His elementary school teacher made a lasting impact on his career. Luis's family was struggling economically, kids made fun of his brown lunch bags. One day his teacher turned it into a monkey mask and offered him a role. This was when he was introduced to liberal arts, unfortunately, right when it was time for the performance, he had to move again. Despite that, he still found his way back to the stage. She turned him into an actor, and thereby a playwright and director. -
James Lick High School
Luis attended high school in San Jose, California. Throughout the years, he was always involved in the liberal arts in his school. There is no date for when he graduated however since he started college in 1958, he most likely graduated in 1957. -
Period: to
San Jose State University
Luis was a first-generation student and despite the obstacles of coming from immigrant parents he preserved. He started as a Math and Physics major but shortly realized that theater was his calling. It caught his attention because of "the human contact." He transferred to the English department with an emphasis in Playwriting. He wrote some of his most renowned pieces as a student and began his revolution on campus. He graduated in 1964. -
United Farm Workers Union
Luis joined this union because it encapsulated some of his core values. Luis first handily saw and had to live with the effects of unfair labor pay for farm workers. The union was founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Their goal was to spread fair wages and let farmworkers know that they were not alone. They also seek to educate people about politics. The union joined the AFL-CIO and later joined Changed to Win. -
Delano Grape Strike
This strike shaped Luis's work and the creation of El Teatro Campesino. It began with Filipinos of 10 grape vineyards starting the strike for a pay raise. They wanted their wage to go from $1.25 to $1.40. Before this, the AWOC had a strike and wanted to seize the opportunity while they had it. Many people relied on company housing and were kicked out without notice for striking. Unfortunately, they refused to negotiate with the farm workers. It ended with hiring other workers for the harvest. -
San Francisco Mime Troupe
Luis joined this group after graduating from San Jose State University. During his time there he learned about agitation and propaganda theater along with Italian comedy of art. Both of these influenced the Chicano theater, of which he is named the father of. This organization was created to create art that tells a story, represents the inequalities the working class faces, and is the people's voice. Today we recognize that they came from nothing and turned into this impactful group. -
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Before this act being signed by Congress, we saw segregation in every part of our world. People of color were forced to live as if they were second to Caucasians just because of their skin tone. They were unable to enter the same establishments, unable to take their kids to the same parks, and so much more. In 1964, the ban on segregation in these establishments was finally passed. -
El Teatro Campesino
It was founded in 1965 and created short skits/plays on the beds of their trucks, spreading the unfair wages. The theater won an Obie Award for “demonstrating the politics of survival." Today it continues to represent the Latin community and create art that made a change. Recently they have celebrated their 50th anniversary. -
Dr. Harold Crain - directing his 1st play
His mentor and teacher at San Jose State University pushed him to take risks, leading to a successful career. He advised Luis to direct his play and was by his side throughout the process. Luis was able to learn and create something that solidified his passion. It was titled "The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa" and opened on January 14th,1965. Throughout this process, he adapted his signature style of switching from Spanish to English dialogue to share his work with everyone. -
Las Dos Caras del Patroncito (The Two Faces of the little boss)
Luis had written this play to convince more farmworkers to leave the mistreatment and join the United Farmworkers Union. The boss begins complaining about his life, envying the farmworker's "easy" life and wishes to trade places. After they do so, the farmworker gives the boss a taste of his own medicine and claims all the things bringing him agony (expensive barns, his wife, and cars). Then we see the boss suffer in reversed roles and wish to trade back. -
Los Vedidos
This one-act play was an extraordinary piece that recognizes the issues faced during this era. It was first seen in 1967 in the Teatro Campesino as an "acto" and later adapted. It follows a shop that sells models of Hispanic robots. Miss Jimenez is in search of a "Mexican type" for the administration. Sancho shows multiple models yet she deems them all unacceptable as she wants a Mexican - American. When she is about to leave, they find a perfect match that she leaves with. -
I Am Joaquin
This short film was directed by Luis. It was inspired by the poem, published by Rodolfo Gonzales in 1967. follows Joaquin who speaks out on the struggles that Chicanos have endured in their quest for a cultural identity and equal rights. During his performance in Denver, Luis received a copy of it and felt a special connection to it. He brought it up to the members of the theater and from then it was a small slideshow. Later one of the audience members brought a camera and it became a film. -
Marriage
Luis married his wife, Lupe on the stage of "El Teatro Campesino." He met her three years prior while taking a pit stop in Cutler during his march to Sacramento with the United Farmworker Union. Luis was setting up in the town for the performance and a man came up to him saying "Go back to your country" and Luis responded. Later he learned that Lupe's mom was in the crowd. Two years later, Luis was teaching a class and Lupe was his student. She was cast in multiple plays with the theater. -
Zoot Suit
The play was inspired by Los Angeles history. This play tells the true story of the 1942 Sleepy Lagoon murder of a Los Angeles man which led to the arrest, trial, and imprisonment of a group of Mexican-American men without evidence for being “Mexican and dangerous.” This led to the Zoot Suit riots. Luis dedicated this play to his cousin, Billy, who was murdered in Phoenix. This was the first play on Broadway written by a Latino. -
Bandido (Theif)
Luis Valadez's first official play that he wrote was Bandido. He wrote this during college in 1979 for a contest. It was first performed with "El Teatro Campesino" in 1982. The play is about a man named Vasquez and his followers and their pursuit by lawmen. They travel from Los Pinos to Los Angeles, where they capture the bandit. Despite his wrongdoings, his charisma intrigued women until the end. Luis believed this melodrama was enough to represent Manifest Destiny while mocking it. -
Corridos! Tales of Passion and Revolution.
Luis directed this play which was produced with Teatro Campesino. This play was split into 2 acts, where we see five different corridos (Hispanic music that tells true stories through the lyrics). We see that the tales are told with Mexican immigration being the highlighted topic. The stage is simple yet the story and the instruments tell a story that is so much more than just lyrics. -
Peabody Award
Luis Valadez was given this award, which is used to honor the most influential and enlightening individuals, for "Corridos" in 1987. -
Golden Globe Nomination
Luis Valdez was nominated for Best Musical Picture twice. The first piece he was nominated for was for Zoot Suit, in which he explored the political issues of Los Angeles. The second one was La Bamba, this was inevitable after seeing how much positive feedback it received. Unfortunately, he did not win the award but just being there is an extreme accomplishment. -
La Bamba
La Bamba was created because of "Zoot Suit." They heard Mariachis playing the famous La Bamba song that was sent by the president of Mexico in support of the opening night. This film ended up being inspired by the song and created a revolutionary impact on society. While Luis wrote and directed it, his younger brother was by his side throughout the process. This film was about a rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper. -
Becoming an Educator
Luis's family believed any job outside of the sun was an accomplishment, whether being a janitor or becoming a doctor. He was able to break the stigmas of Latinos and higher education. In this journey, after founding El Teatro Campesino, he taught at the University of California, Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz, and Fresno State University and even helped develop a program at CSU. -
Kinan Valadez
He is Luis and Lupe's firstborn son. They kept their kids private and a date of birth was not found. He followed in his parent's footsteps and became an actor and director. He had been involved in the Teatro Campesino and directed plays in 2007. From then he became a freelance director and created his legacy. He left the theater because while he believed in the mission, he felt unfulfilled with managing rather than being hands-on. -
Lankin Valdez
His birth is unknown however we do know that like his older brother, he is also involved in the liberal arts. He was a playwright, director, and actor. He appeared in Zoot Suit and became an associate director in the Teatro Campesino. He has won multiple awards for his work such as the National Performance Network Creation Fund award. -
Voice Acting - Coco
Luis Valadez has done more than pave the path of Chicano theater. He voiced Tio Berto in Coco. This movie is a kid favorite, about Miguel who is passionate about music yet is unable to play due to his family history. We follow him throughout his journey in the land of the dead as he attempts to find his family to get back home. This movie has multiple Hispanic references and in a way connects to how Luis was raised. -
Tower Award
Mary Papazian, the president of San Jose State University, presented Luis Valdez with the Tower Award. He was given this because of his contributions to not only the University but also society. There is no doubt that he has revolutionized theater and politics that surround an underrepresented community.