▁teachers ▁and ▁profess ors ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Arizona ▁and ▁P ima ▁Community ▁College . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁he ▁was ▁subject ed ▁to ▁an ▁exam ination ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁university ▁profess ors , ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁teaching ▁position ▁in ▁P ima ▁Community ▁College . ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁he ▁started ▁teaching ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Arizona , ▁and ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁Doctor ▁of ▁Hum ane ▁Let ters ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 . ▁His ▁most ▁famous ▁novel , ▁Per egr inos ▁de ▁Az lt án , ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁he ▁retired ▁as ▁a ▁Full ▁Professor . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁Emer it us ▁Professor ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Arizona ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁ ▁A ▁Fest schrift ▁in ▁his ▁honor ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 , ▁Miguel ▁M ende z ▁in ▁A zt lan : ▁Two ▁Dec ades ▁of ▁Liter ary ▁Production . ▁ ▁Mé nd ez ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁“ one ▁of ▁the ▁principal ▁voices ▁of ▁soci ally ▁committed ▁Ch icano ▁fiction ” ▁by ▁the ▁edit ors ▁of ▁Ch icano ▁Liter ature : ▁A ▁Reference ▁Guide ▁and ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁[ Ch icano ▁literature ' s ] ▁fin est ▁and ▁most ▁sensitive ▁writers " ▁in ▁The ▁Dictionary ▁of ▁Liter ary ▁Biography ’ s ▁Ch icano ▁Writ ers ▁First ▁Series . ▁His ▁papers ▁are ▁now ▁arch ived ▁at ▁the ▁California