Rudolfo Anaya is an Mexican-American author. Best known for his 1972 novel Bless Me, Ultima

Bless Me, Ultima

Bless Me, Ultima is a novel by Rudolfo Anaya, published in 1972. It is part of a trilogy along with Heart of Aztlan and Tortuga. It is included in the list of most commonly challenged books in the U.S...

, Anaya is considered one of the founders of the canon of contemporary Chicano literature.
Rudolfo Alfonso Anaya was born in the rural village of Pastura, New Mexico

Pastura, New Mexico

Pastura, New Mexico is a small, unincorporated community on New Mexico Highway 54, approximately equidistant between Santa Rosa and Vaughn in Guadalupe County. It was established in 1901 as a watering spot for steam trains on the Southern Pacific Railroad...

, to Martin and Rafaelita Anaya. His father came from a family of cattle workers and sheepherders, and his mother’s family were farmers. Anaya was the fifth of their seven children together; he also had three half-siblings from his parents’ previous marriages.