Sunday, September 02, 2012

El Corrido de Norma Cantú! Felicidades!



Dra. Norma Cantú and Scientist Dra. Elvia Niebla
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? 
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.
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
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
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!

Felicidades, Dra. Norma Cantú!

3 comments:

Rita Urquijo-Ruiz said...

Love this. Thanks, Amelia for your work!

Linda Rodriguez said...

Thanks, Amelia, for this excellent post! We are so excited here in Kansas City to have Norma coming to UMKC.

Elissa L. said...

Canicula has always been one of my favorite book!