Tomás Rivera
(1935–1984)

Tomás Rivera said of his early life, "Up to the time I started teaching, I was part of the migrant labor stream that went from Texas to the Midwest. I lived and worked in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Dakota." Rivera was born in Crystal City, Texas to Florencio Rivera and Josefa Hernandez, who worked as migrant workers. Rivera attended barrio schools and learned to read and write in Spanish. He didn't begin learning English until he was nine. In 1956, Rivera entered Southwest Texas Junior College. He quit his agricultural work and went to school full time. Then, he transferred to Southwest Texas State College and earned a B.A. in 1958.

Rivera taught elementary school and earned his master's degree and his Ph.D. at the same time. Then, he became a college professor. In 1979, he was appointed the Chancellor of the University of California at Riverside, becoming the first Hispanic person to hold that position.

Rivera's work is considered to be a realistic portrayal of the lives and struggles of migrant workers. Rivera wrote two novels, short stories, and poems. His book … y no se lo trago la tierra (…and the Earth Did Not Part) (1971) won the Premio Quinto Sol award. The book is a collection of stories and anecdotes about a family of migrant workers and their son.

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