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Dr. Nicolás Kanellos honored with City of Houston Hispanic Heritage Award
Hispanic Studies Professor among five Houstonians recognized Oct. 9 by Mayor Annise Parker
Nicolás Kanellos, a preeminent scholar of the Hispanic literary heritage in the United States, is being recognized for his academic achievements with a City of Houston Hispanic Heritage Award.
He was among five Houstonians to receive the honor in 2013 during the city’s annual observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 – October 15. The award recognizes citizens who have made significant contributions leading to quality of life improvements in Houston.
The honorees received their awards during a 5:30- 7 p.m. reception on Wednesday, October 9 at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston in its Caroline Weiss Law Building, 1001 Bissonnet, Houston 77005. The event was free and open to the public.
“These awards have become a time-honored tradition to highlight the achievements in Houston’s Hispanic community, which is growing more every year,” said Mayor Parker. “With the help of my Hispanic Advisory Board, we are proud of these Houstonians and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with pride."
Dr. Kanellos, the Brown Foundation Professor of Hispanic Studies, has been a professor at the University of Houston since 1980. He is the author of numerous books and articles, the founding publisher of the noted Hispanic literary journal The America Review and the founder of the nation’s oldest Hispanic publishing house, Arte Público Press.
Dr. Kanellos leads a major national research program recovering the Hispanic literary heritage of the United States. In 1994, President Bill Clinton appointed him to the National Council on the Humanities. Dr. Kanellos has been recognized with numerous awards for his scholarly achievements, including the Denali Press Award of the American Library Association, the American Book Award in the Publisher/Editor category and the Hispanic Heritage Award for Literature presented by the White House. He is an elected member of the Spanish American Royal Academy of Literature, Arts and Sciences in Spain.
The other recipients of the 2013 City of Houston Hispanic Heritage Awards are:
- Lifetime Achievement – Dolores “Lolita” Guerrero
- Art in the Community Award – Macario Ramirez
- Community Activist Award – Mario Martinez
- Youth Activist Award – Nohemi Chavez
For more information on Hispanic Heritage Month events at the Houston Public Library, visit: www.houstonlibrary.org/hhm