Gracias

I am very grateful for this honor that the Victoria Foundation has given me today.  I have been teaching and writing for over 25 years, and to be completely honest, sometimes the classroom, and the pen, or computer now and days, becomes a very lonely place.

I want to thank all the members of the board, Dr. Loui Olivas, when you call me on the phone to let me know, at first I thought you were joking.  Are you sure? Did you get it right?

I want to thank el maestro, Dr. Alberto Ríos, whose name this award has, for choosing me to receive this honor.

I also want to thank Chandler-Gilbert Community College, my place of work, because they have always supported the cause of Hispanics, Latinos, Chicanos y demás. Its president, Dr. William Guerreiro, who is here with us, gracias Bill. Two of the best co-workers and friends I have on campus, Professor of Creative Writing, Miguel Fernandez, who encourage me to publish my first collection of short stories written directly in the English language. And my dear friend of many years, Division Chair of Modern Languages and Humanities, Professor Virginia Edwards, hispana también, with whom I have share many years of friendship and experiences.

Last but definitely not least, I want to thank my family, my beloved wife Mireya, my beautiful daughter Mirita, thank you because you have always believed in all the madness I do, like when I told you and I want to bring writers like, Luis Valdez, Sandra Cisneros, Rolando Hinojosa, Ana Castillo and this year Lucha Corpi. ¡Sí se pudo!  The two of you believed in me 10 years ago.  

I want to thank my parents, Rev. Alfonso Victor Muñoz, my Mom, mi madre linda, en paz descanse, and my brothers, Josue Alfonso, Pablo Armando and my sister Elma. Gracias por ser mi familia.

My goal has always been to promote and celebrate the artistic work of Hispanics living in the United States of America, through organizing cultural events, such as writers’ gatherings, painting exhibitions, theatrical performances, musical concerts etc., with the intention of projecting a genuine image of what being a Hispanic immigrant in the United States means at the beginning of the 21st century.   I want to present a real image of the Hispanic community living in this nation today. And after working for a lot of years, I need to share with you that today, it feels real good, a toda madre, when you see the recognition of your own community.

​We are unique individuals, los hispanos, los Chicanos, and we are living in very difficult times. However, this award, showed me, that all my work has not been in vain, because we continue forward, and we will never stop, until we can all be judged by the content of our character, and not whether we have papers, and accent or are brown.

​Muchísimas gracias de todo corazón. Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.
 
© David Alberto Muñoz