Dra. Norma Cantú and Scientist Dra. Elvia Niebla
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| Dra. Norma Cantú y Dra. Norma Alarcón |
Saludos La Bloga
Readers, reporting from San Antonio: How do you celebrate the
work of a profesora who has done so much for Chicanas and Chicanos/Latinas and
Latinos in academia?
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| Dra. Cantú |
Dra. Norma
Cantú has spent her life writing, teaching, helping young students enter the
world of academia, mentoring them along the way. The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) acknowledged
Dra. Cantú’s tireless work by celebrating her Friday, August 24th
with a mini-symposium. There were
a number of panels discussing her work and contributions in the area of
Cultural Studies, Contemporary Literary Theory, Border Studies, Chicana and
Chicano/Latina and Latino Literature and Film, Folklore and Women’s
Studies.
And of course, a
day of academic and memoir discussion needed to be followed by a night of
further honoring with a pachanga at The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center with
music by Son Jarocho.
Where is Dra.
Cantú’s next journey taking her?
She is headed to University of
Missouri at Kansas City where a new Latina and Latino Studies Program
(LLS) has just started (as of the 2011/2012 year). As of January 2013, Dra. Cantú will be expanding the program
by creating courses in the Humanities:
Chicana/Chicano and Latina/Latino literature, film, cultural studies,
contemporary literary theory, and border studies.
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| The poetry and song panel with Dra. Norma Cantú (center) |
One of the
highlights of the day was a performance for Dra. Cantú. Rita Urquijo-Ruiz (Profesora of Spanish
and Transnational Mexican Popular Cultures at Trinity University in San
Antonio, TX) and David Garcia, (a musician/composer of Chicano/Mexican music
from northern New Mexico) wrote and sang a Corrido in Dra. Cantu’s honor and
here it is, entitled “Destino al Andar.”
"DESTINO AL ANDAR"
"DESTINY AS WE WALK"
Al empezar a cantar
As we begin singing
Pedimos permiso ahora
We now ask for your permission
Para rendir homenaje
To pay tribute
A una ilustre doctora.
To an illustrious doctor
Ella es de la frontera
She is from the border
En los dos Laredos criada
Raised in the two Laredos
Chicana de tal carrera A
Chicana with such a career
Por todos muy apreciada
Respected by everyone
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| Associate Profesora Rita Urquijo Ruiz y Dra. Norma Cantú |
Norma Cantú es su nombre Norma Cantú is
her name
Y le vengo a saludar
And I come here to salute her
Le brindo mi canto alegre I
offer her my happy song
Un regalo musical
A musical gift
Es persona de renombre
She is a renowned person
Con buen don de la palabra Gifted with words
Maestra en todo sentido
Knowledgeable in every sense
En cualquier lengua que habla. In any language she speaks
Esta doctora sí cura
This doctor does cure
Con esa pluma en la mano With her pen
in her hand
Escribe de la cultura
She writes about
De chicanas y chicanos
Chicana and Chicano cultures
Para ayudar a estudiantes At
working with students
Nunca nadie la mejora
No one can be better
Todos ellos son brillantes
They are all brilliant
Es la ideal profesora
Because she’s the ideal professor
Escribe nuevas historias
She writes about new (hi)stories
Que hablan del feminismo. That speak of
feminisms
Y con una pluma zurda
And with the left-handed plume
De un pájaro fronterizo
From a borderlands bird
Brindamos a la maestro
We toast our teacher
En el lindo San Antonio
In our beautiful San Antonio
Por la cultura tejana
She continues to give testimony
Sigue dando testimonio
On Chicana/o culture
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| Son Jarocho at the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center singing in honor of Dra. Norma Cantú |
Al andar se hace el destino
Destiny is created as we walk
Por donde no hubo ni huella Where there wasn’t a
footprint
Peregrina de caminos
Pilgrim of the roads
Yo le saludo, ¡Ultreya!
I salute you, “-Go forth!
Vuela, vuela golondrina
Fly, fly away, swallow
Por el cielo tan azul
Throughout the deep blue sky
Protege a nuestra madrina Protect
our godmother
La profesora Cantú
Professor Cantú
¡Viva la Dra. Norma Cantú!
¡Viva la Dra. Norma Cantú!
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| Felicidades, Dra. Norma Cantú! |
3 comments:
Love this. Thanks, Amelia for your work!
Thanks, Amelia, for this excellent post! We are so excited here in Kansas City to have Norma coming to UMKC.
Canicula has always been one of my favorite book!
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