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The Father of Chicano Theatre
Recognized as "the Father of Chicano Theatre," Luis Valdez was a formative part of paving the way for Hispanic and Latin Americans in the world of theatre. Valdez discovered his love for theatre early but was concentrated on surviving during a difficult time for immigrants and their families. He eventually pursued his passions and began "El Teatro Campesino." Luis Valdez has written sensational plays and other media; representing and giving a voice to Hispanic and Latin stories. -
Early Life
Luis Valdez was born June 26, 1940, in Delano, California and was the second of 10 children. His parents were migrant farm workers from Mexico. -
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WWII
After the attack on Pearl harbor, all Japanese Americans were sent to concentration camps, along with his father's employer. His father was ended up gaining control of the ranch which was supported by the U.S. Army. -
Moving
Luis Valdez' family lived a peripatetic lifestyle in search for work. In 1953 he and his family moved to San Jose after residing in the San Joaquin for a majority of his childhood. -
Education
Luis Valdez attended San Jose State University and graduated in 1964. He began in 1958 with a scholarship for mathematics and physics but soon switched his major to English with an emphasis in play writing. -
Ritchie Valens
On February 3, 1959, Ritchie Valens a Mexican American rock star died in a plane crash in Iowa. He was the inspiration for Luis Valdez' movie "La Bamba" -
Introduction to Direction & Production
As Luis Valdez became more and more involved in his theatre community at college he eventually came to write and produce his own play "The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa" -
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Works
The Shrunken Head of Pancho Villa, 1964; La Virgen de Tepeyac, 1971; La Carpa de los Rasquachis, 1974; El Fin del Mundo, 1976; Zoot Suit, 1979; Tibercio Vasquez, 1980; Corridos: Tales of Passion and Revolution, 1983; I Don't Have to Show You No Stinking Badges, 1986; Ban-dido!, 1994; The Mummified Deer, 2000; Mundo Mata, 2001; screenwriter: Which Way Is Up?, 1977; Zoot Suit (also director),1982; La Bamba (also director), 1987; author: Actos: Produced Between 1965-70 -
El Teatro Campesino
Luis Valdez founded the legendary "farmworkers theatre" in 1965. It was dedicated to convincing his fellow field workers to join Caesar Chavez' United Farmworkers of America and educating his people about the issues faced by Mexican laborers. -
Ceasar Chavez
Ceasar Chavez was the founder of the National Farm Workers Association and was the leader of the 1965 Delano grape strike. He was a civil rights activist who fought to improve the wages, working conditions, and living conditions of farm workers in the United States -
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Actos
At 25 years old, Valdez began organizing performances to raise funds for the grape boycott and farmworkers strike. The performances were directed towards striking farm workers and were played by striking farm workers. -
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Awards
Obie Award 1969; Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle Award 1969, 1972, and 1978; Emmy Award 1973; Best Musical Picture Golden Globe nomination 1981; San Francisco Bay Critics Circle Award 1983; Governors Award of the California Arts Council 1990; Aquila Azteca Award, Government of Mexico 1994, National Medal of Arts in 2015. -
Marriage & Family
Luis Valdez married Guadalupe Trujillo-Valdez in the fall of 1969 and had three children, Anahuac, Kinan, and Lakin Valdez. -
Zoot Suit
Valdez wrote "Zoot Suit," inspired by a real event that occurred in his community. It tells the story of a young pachuco (a Chicano of the zoot suit community) Henry Reya. He and his friends were wrongfully accused and convicted of the Sleepy Lagoon murder. It is a groundbreaking film and performance that questions what it means to be Chicano. -
First Film
Valdez was the screenwriter and director of his first film, a movie adaptation of his stellar performance "Zoot Suit." -
La Bamba
He wrote and directed his second movie, La Bamba, a film about a Mexican American who became a rockstar. It depicts the life of Ritchie Valens, as well as his quick rise to fame and tragic demise. -
Career as an Educator
Valdez is a founding faculty member of CSU Monterey Bay‘s cinematic arts and technology department and has taught at Fresno State. He has been leading classes, workshops and directing at multiple colleges and universities. -
The Mummified Deer
Luis Valdez wrote "The Mummified Deer" and was inspired by the newspaper article that entailed the story of an elderly woman with a mummified fetus in her uterus. -
National Medal of Arts
In 2015 President Barrack Obama awarded him the National Medal of Arts at the White House. -
Tower Award
Valdez received San Jose State University's most prestigious award the Tower Award and recognized his service to the university, community, and society. -
Sources
https://www.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/student-success/Profiles/Pages/Luis-Valdez.aspx https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/historians-miscellaneous-biographies/luis-valdez https://blogs.sjsu.edu/humanities-arts/2015/02/16/profile-luis-valdez/ https://thefridacinema.org/featured-highlight/zoot-suit-interview-with-writer-director-luis-valdez/ https://www.scu.edu/diversity/cde-2016/featured-speakers/luis-valdez -
Interesting Facts
When he was a child at the local school in Stanford, he was going to be in a play but never got the chance. His teacher introduced him to the world of theatre by turning his paper lunch sack into a monkey mask for the play. He was going to be a monkey in his class play but never could as his family were evicted from their home. He states that missing his first debut left a whole in his heart and created his hunger for theatre and creating. -
Interesting Facts
Valdez initially intended and got a scholarship to become an engineer, following in his brother's footsteps; until he realized his love for theatre at San Jose State University.