Davis-Undiano recognized for contributions to Oklahoma Hispanic culture

Norman, Okla. – Robert Con Davis-Undiano, executive director of World Literature Today and a professor of English at the University of Oklahoma, will be recognized with the Hispanic Arts Council of Oklahoma’s 2017 award for “Most Outstanding Literature Artist” during an awards ceremony scheduled for Dec. 3 in Oklahoma City.

Davis-Undiano was selected based on his “dedication to the promotion of Hispanic culture through literature in our great state.” 

In September, his book, Mestizos Come Home! Making and Claiming Mexican American Identity (University of Oklahoma Press 2017) won the 2017 International Latino Book Award in Los Angeles. His book has been described by scholars as visionary, and esteemed American historian Neil Foley has referenced Mestizos Come Home! as “a must-read for those who wish to understand the future of the United States.”

Davis-Undiano said that he is proud to represent Oklahoma’s Latino/Latina community on a national stage. “I am so pleased with what Oklahoma Latinos and Latinas are accomplishing, and want to frame and promote their achievements in every way that I can,” he said.

Davis-Undiano also is the director of the newly inaugurated Latinx Studies program at the OU and is series editor for the Chicana & Chicano Visions of the Américas book series at the University of Oklahoma Press. 

In addition to serving as executive director for World Literature Today magazine since 1999 and on the Department of English faculty, Davis-Undiano holds a Presidential Professorship and the endowed Neustadt Professor chair at OU.

The Hispanic Arts Council of Oklahoma is an organization formed mainly by Oklahomans of Latin American descent. The organization’s mission extends to all Oklahoma residents interested in learning about and celebrating Hispanic-American culture, values and traditions.

More information about Mestizos Come Home! can be found online at worldliteraturetoday.org/order-mestizos-come-home.