Today, Sandra Cisneros received the National Medal of Arts for her contributions to American literature in the 20th and 21st centuries. The Chicana author was bestowed with this great honor by President Barack Obama. Her books, which include The House on Mango Street, Caramelo, and Woman Hollering Creek and Other stories, are used across high school curriculums across the country.
Cisneros is one of four Latinos being honored for impacting society with their artistic contributions, including: Santiago Jimenez Jr., film director Luis Valdez, and playwright Moisés Kaufman.
“The arts and humanities, especially for our young people is because arts and humanities are in many ways reflective of our national soul, they are central to who we are as Americans, dreamers, storytellers, innovators and visionaries. It’s what helps us make sense of the past, the good and the bad and how we try to course for the future, while leaving something of ourselves for the next generation to learn from,” said President Obama.
See the medal ceremony below:
