I sent the following e-mail message(the e-mail address below is no longer
valid) with a poem soon after learning of Ricardo's passing, Sunday,
September 3, 1995. The poem was printed in the El Paso Times the next day.
News of his death was picked up immediately by the nation's newspapers.
Date: Sun, 03 Sep 95 15:39:25 PDT
From: Phil/Felipe Duran <DURANP@WSUVM1>
Subject: Dr. Ricardo Sanchez has left us
**** P L E A S E D I S T R I B U T E W I D E L Y ****
"Canto mi canto a mi pueblo..."
A great poet and human being has left us. But his voice will continue to
ring in our memories and his poignant words are permanently engraved in
literary space.
Ricardo Sanchez, Ph.D., world-renowned literary figure and untiring Chicano
activist whose life reached out to all humanity, breathed his last breath
today, Sunday, September 3, 1995, between 7:00 am and 7:30 am. His wife
Teresa, a strong woman and faithful wife who was always at his side, said
that Ricardo had assured eveyone that "I'll go when I'm ready." That time
came today.
The rosary is planned for Tuesday. He will be buried on Wednesday,
September 6, and had requested music and poetry for the occasion.
Ricardo was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer in late January of
this year. At the time, he was teaching at Washington State University,
where he became tenured and was promoted to full professor. He moved to
El Paso in May. His 1971 book, "Canto y Grito Mi Liberacion (y lloro mis
desmadrazgos)," has been re-published by WSU Press and will be released
in the next few days.
Those of us who knew him well could see the inner beauty and extreme
compassion of a great warrior for justice.
por tus cantos a nuestro pueblo,
for believing we could cross borders with you
and experience the same Chicano realities
of pain and celebration,
te honramos y agradecemos, carnal.
ahora no pudimos cruzar contigo
a tus nuevas realidades
pero son como las temporadas del año:
después del invierno
siempre llega la primavera,
las flores retoñan, los pajaros cantan,
and the healing begins anew...
in your pain you told me
"que buena es la vida, verdad?"
sí, compa, y por eso
nuestra raza will survive
and your life helped make it possible.
- phd
9/3/95
pullman wa