Pioneering Chicana writer Sandra Cisneros received the 2015 National Medal of Arts Award from President Barack Obama at the White House, Thursday morning (Sept. 22).
Dressed in vibrant, traditional Mexican garb, Cisneros was awarded the highest honor given to artists and art patrons by the U.S. government “for enriching the American narrative through her novels, short stories and poetry as she explores issues of race class and gender through the lives of ordinary people straddling multiple cultures,” stated the National Endowment of the Arts.
Cisneros’ debut novel The House on Mango Street, today, is required reading material in many middle and high school classes, and has been lauded for tackling issues of race, gender and class. All the congratulations in the world to Cisneros for her rightful honor.