Gentle cabrones:

I still remember my reaction when UC Santa Barbara Chicano Studies professor Mario T. Garcia told me I was to receive the Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature:

FUUUUUCK.

It’s a prize given to legends, whom I’ll note at the end (you’ll see why). And now, it was going to…me?

This is not false modesty on my part — I know my worth (another canto). I write a lot — books, even. But…literature?

It’s a big deal in my world, and an especially big deal that I would be in conversation with Profe Mario as part of my awards ceremony. He’s a Chicano Studies and American history legend, author of over a dozen books — and more in the works. Pioneer of the testimonio (oral history, kinda) as a way to document someone’s life. Someone who I’ve written about in my canto, whom I’ve interviewed many times over the years, and who nevertheless took the time to talk to one of my Chapman students for her final project on the late Los Angeles Times columnist Ruben Salazar.

Not only would he interview me, but I’d be able to hang out with him and his wife AND hang out in Santa Barbara for a couple of days. AND give a speech to offer my thoughts on what was essentially the fourth lifetime achievement award of my life.

WHOA…

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So I drove to Santa Barbara on a stormy Tuesday afternoon, finding a break from the rain in Oxnard just as I passed that big office tower off the 101. I checked in at the Upham Hotel, a quaint collection of cottages near downtown, then went off to explore said downtown before dinner at the recently opened Azul with Profe Mario and his wife, UC Santa Barbara literature professor Ellen McCracken. I carried a bag of California goodies from the next-door Book Den — Horace Bell’s sequel to his Reminisces of a Ranger, an Oscar Lewis (!) book on the Big Four, and I forgot the other two — but they were gets (the annotated Ullysses will have to wait for AbeBooks.com.

The food was great, the Old-Fashioned as well — but the convo? The best.

Wednesday morning, I had breakfast with my former managing editor/forever compa at the Infernal Rag — not just to catch up, but to scout for #tortillatournament. I scouted until the early afternoon, when Profes Mario and Ellen picked me up and took me to campus. I wasn’t sure who’d show up to see me get the Luis Leal award, so it was great to see a packed room — sure, it was mostly students who had to attend, but not everyone!

The ceremony itself was interesting. Profe Mario would present me with the award, and I was allowed to offer short thanks, which I offer here. As usual, these were my prepared remarks, and 98 percent of what I actually said:

This is going to be a speech broken up into two parts, because that’s how this event is going to roll this afternoon, which is awesome. I first and foremost want to thank Profe Mario for making this happen — for ustedes who are his students, you are learning from a true legend, so count yourself lucky. I want to thank Don Luis, of course, as well for establishing this award. I never had the chance to meet or talk with him, but Don Luis’ example of treating Chicano and Latino literature with the same academic and cultural rigor other storytelling traditions receive is something the book and journalism world still sadly needs to learn.

 A special thanks to the editors who helped me hone my words during my career: Will Swaim, Matt Welch, Robin Rauzi, Katherine Mangu-Ward. Hector Becerra, Cindy Chang, Osayi Endolyn. Brant Rumble, Sara Camp Milan, John T. Edge, Rob Eshman. They say every writer needs an editor, and I’m proof of it (laughter from the audience, because it’s true)

 Gracias to my brother and sisters for always tolerating this nerd. To my friends that I rarely hang out with because of my profession but know I’ll be there for them when needed. To my wife, Delilah Snell, the only person I know who works harder than me. To our dogs Hook and Cosmo, because they’re cute. And, most importantly, to my parents, Lorenzo and Maria de la Luz Arellano. My papi taught me a talachear; my late mami was the person who instilled the love of reading in me even though she had to drop out of school in ninth grade to pick strawberries.

 Sus sacrificios hicieron posible mi vida y carrera. Gracias.

Profe Mario then interviewed me for about 45 minutes about my career — we spanned almost all of it! He did what the best interviewers do: research, then ask questions I wasn’t expecting. Once our talk was done, I was allowed to offer short remarks on my thoughts on literature, which I offer now:

Now, my prepared comments for ustedes.

I’m still stunned that I’m receiving this award. To follow in the steps of a mentor like Ruben Martinez. Legends like Cherrie Moraga and Jimmy Santiago Baca. A novelist like Reyna Grande. A novelist and essayist like Hector Tobar. Short story wizards like Alejandro Morales and Helena Maria Viramontes. God, John Rechy and Rudolfo Anaya.

 So many legends…and me.

 I’m still not sure why I’m receiving this award. All previous winners wrote Literature with a capital L. Not me. I’m a reporter — long considered the lowest form of writing. Oh, I’ve written books — but the output of my writing life has appeared in magazines and especially newspapers.

But maybe that’s why I’m being honored. In an industry that has long not hired enough Latinos, or covered our communities with nuance, I’ve had opportunities too many of my contemporaries have not. I’ve been able to give voice to the voiceless, comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable, in places where there ain’t that many people who look like me or have my background.

I’ve never taken that for granted. That’s why the advice I’m going to offer ustedes isn’t about how to improve your writing skills or even get into the industry. You can take classes for that. Instead, I challenge you, writers and not, to help others.

 I’ve won awards, and I hope to win more. I’ve written great articles and books, and I hope to write more. But what I’ll forever most be proud of in my career is the people I’ve helped. Former students, interns, and writers of mine have gone on to work at the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Fresno Bee and other prestigious publications. They’re now helping young writers the same way I helped them in the past.

I owe that perspective to two writers in particular: Ruben Martinez and Sam Quinones. When I started in journalism, I sent out an email to every Hispanic-surnamed journalist I could find. There weren’t many I found — and Ruben and Sam were two of the very few that responded. They helped me without question, without expectations of pay — and here I am.

The writer who looks out only for themselves is a pendejo (laughter from the audience). The writer who helps others hone their craft and creates opportunities for them is a mensch.

Which will you be? Gracias, and God bless.

A question-and-answer session with the audience followed (shoutout to the young man who asked me what I thought about Thanksgiving dinner!), then I got to sign books for students, who were awesome, of course (shoutout to the young lady who’s double majoring in Chicano Studies AND zoology!). Then it was time for dinner with Profes Mario and Ellen, and two other UC Santa Barbara profes. But, wait! Also in the audience were two surprises: Cal State Channel Island Chicano Studies profes Frank Barajas and Jose Alamillo, two chingones whom I’m in regular communication with but whom I hadn’t hung out with in probably a decade, or whenever I spoke at their campus and who brought along one of their newer colleagues.

Could they come to dinner as well? Of course!

We were supposed to go to a restaurant near campus, but there was a HUGE power outage around Goleta. So off to the Upham Hotel we went, to their Louie’s California Bistro, where the food was supposed to be good.

It absolutely was: hearty, comforting flavors that nevertheless zinged. I had chicken piccata, which I NEVER order, and which I didn’t regret. When in Santa Barbara…so I also had filet mignon tips, champagne, a port AND mud pie (I shared the last one with everyone, of course, because the slice was HUGE). The conversation and amistad was wonderful, the honor of it all still resonating with me.

I cannot repay Profe Mario (who administers the Luis Leal Award, per Don Luis’ wishes) for the award, the ceremony, the company, the honor, the all. But I will try: I tried to Google who won the award when, but found no comprehensive list with dates — so here it is.

Winners of the Luis Leal Award for Distinction in Chicano/Latino Literature:

• 2003: Oscar Hijuelos

• 2004: Rudolfo Anaya

• 2005: Denise Chávez

• 2006: Helena María Viramontes

• 2007: Alejandro Morales

• 2008: Pat Mora

• 2009: Graciela Limón

• 2010: Jimmy Santiago Baca

• 2011: Demetria Martínez

• 2012: Hector Tobar

• 2014: John Rechy and Stella Pope Duarte

• 2015: Reyna Grande

• 2016: Francisco Jiménez

• 2017: Norma E. Cantu

• 2018: Tim Z. Hernández

• 2020: Francisco Cantú

• 2022: Rubén Martínez

• 2023: Cherríe Moraga

• 2024: Gustavo Arellano aka FUUUUUCK

**

Enough rambling. This was the semana that was:

IMAGE OF THE WEEK: Cut-off photo of my Lenten Friday lunch. DELICIOUS boysenberry pie washed down with a strawberry shake at Pie ‘n’ Burger in Pasadena.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “I was converted to the faith that a good deal of this Neighborliness was a fake; that villages could be as inquisitorial as an army barracks.” — Sinclair Lewis

LISTENING: “Huapango,” José Pablo Moncayo. Perhaps Mexico’s most famous piece of classical music that’s NOT a waltz. Such a stirring, joyous, sweeping score. Here conducted by Alondra de la Parra like the chingona that she is. I still need to do a Columna One about it…

READING:

"The Land of Musicians”: Every university has a PR team that pumps out stories highlighting what professors do. Few do it better than UC Riverside, as this wonderful writeup on Oaxacan bandas — and the profe doing work with them — illustrates.

BUY MY NEW CO-BOOK! People’s Guide to Orange County tells an alternative history of OC through the scholarship and reporting of myself, Elaine Lewinnek, and Thuy Vo Dang. There’ll be signings all year — in meanwhile, buy your copy TODAY. And, yes: I’ll autograph it!

Gustavo Events  

March 1, 6 p.m.: I’m going to be on a panel with a bunch of legends, as part of a lineup of legends, as part of “Unearthing the Legacy: Commemorating Thirty Years of Latino Activism and Civil Society since the Passing of Proposition 187,” at the Culver Center, 3834 Main St., Riverside. Attendance is FREE, but you have to RSVP here.

March 2, 3 p.m.: Join me and my compa Bill Esparza for yet another Alta Journal reading — but this one featuring wine from Baja California! It’ll be at my wifey’s Alta Baja Market, 201 E. 4th St., Ste. 101, SanTana. The lecture is FREE, but if you want to taste the vinos, that’ll be $15, which will get you you a copy of Alta’s latest issue. RSVP here.

March 21, 5:30 p.m.: I’ll be in conversation with folks from the Long Beach Public Library Foundation on why libraries have become the culture-war front that they’ve become at the Union Bank Building, 400 W. Oceangate, Long Beach. Tickets are $25, but it’s a fundraiser, so PAY UP.

Gustavo in the News

“Alta Baja Newsletter”: My honey’s newsletter — which you should sign up to — shouts out my Alta Journal wine tasting event. And congrats to my honey for landing on Eater LA’s latest 38 Essential Orange County restaurants list! #abcweregonnabefree

“LA Times Columnist Gustavo Arellano receives Luis Leal Award for his journalistic work”: UC Santa Barbara’s student newspaper, Daily Nexus, profiles me.

“Conference to explore surge in Latino activism after California’s Prop. 187”: Speaking of great UC Riverside self-press…

“Letters to the Editor: Appropriating Black music? Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ is beloved by all listeners”: Los Angeles Times readers like a columna of mine for once!

Gustavo Stories 

“Grítale a Guti”: Latest edition of my Tuesday night IG Live free-for-all.

“Israeli-Hamas war: Orange County urged to take a stand”: My latest KCRW “Orange County Line” talks on the war du jour.

“Episode 798: On the Road – Orange County, CA with Gustavo Arellano, Daniel & Brenda Castillo, Kenneth Nguyen & Patricia Huang”: The OC edition of The Splendid Table with Francis Lam was GREAT!

“‘This Fool’ got L.A. Latinos right. Who’s to blame for its cancellation?”: My latest L.A. Times columna talks about why Latinos don’t want nice things when it comes to TV shows. KEY QUOTE: “Yet the guiltiest parties always seem to get a pass: the people, especially Latinos, who aren’t watching.”

“L.A. forgot Times journalist Frank del Olmo. So did the school named after him”: My next-latest L.A. Times columna talks about my legendary predecessor. KEY QUOTE: “A concrete slab bore the name of Frank del Olmo Elementary’s founding principal and imprints of his hands.”

You made it this far down? Gracias! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram while you’re down here by clicking on their logos down below. Don’t forget to forward this newsletter to your compadres y comadres! You can’t get me tacos anymore, but you sure as hell can give them — and more — to the O.C. Catholic Worker!