Luis Leal (1907-2010) was a pioneer in the field of Chicano studies. He was born shortly before the Mexican Revolution. After becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States, he was drafted to fight in World War II. He fought to take the Philippines back from Japan.Luis Leal made many literary contributions to the world of Chicano and Hispanic literature. Among other places, he taught at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. He also taught at the University of California at Santa Barbara, which is my connection to Dr. Leal.
During the three summers I spent at UCSB, I had the honor of meeting "don" Luis Leal. In August of 2007 we celebrated Dr. Leal's 100th birthday (which he celebrated in September of that year). This past summer, "don" Luis Leal was preparing to celebrate his 102nd birthday. He came to lunch with my classmates, professors and I. He entertained us with stories from his childhood and his career.
On January 25th of this year, Luis Leal passed away at the age of 102. He was a scholar who made many contributions to Chicano studies and literature. He will be remembered fondly and missed by those who knew him and have read his works.
