) ▁was ▁the ▁pen ▁name ▁for ▁Miguel ▁Mé nd ez ▁Mor ales , ▁a ▁Mexican ▁American ▁author ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁novel ▁Per egr inos ▁de ▁A zt lán ▁( P il gr ims ▁in ▁A zt lán ). ▁ ▁Biography ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Mé nd ez ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁border ▁town ▁of ▁Bis be e , ▁Arizona ▁on ▁ 1 5 ▁June ▁ 1 9 3 0 . ▁His ▁father , ▁Francisco ▁Mé nd ez ▁C ár den as , ▁was ▁from ▁a ▁town ▁called ▁B aco achi , ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Son ora , ▁Mexico ; ▁his ▁mother , ▁María ▁Mor ales ▁S ique iros , ▁was ▁from ▁A riz pe , ▁Son ora . ▁During ▁the ▁nin ete en ▁th irt ies , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁government ▁ur ged ▁Mex icans ▁and ▁Mexican - Amer icans ▁to ▁leave ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁go ▁to ▁Mexico , ▁even ▁if ▁they ▁were ▁American ▁citizens , ▁largely ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁this ▁policy , ▁Mé nd ez ' ▁parents ▁moved ▁to ▁El ▁Cl aro , ▁Son ora , ▁where ▁he ▁grew ▁up . ▁Mé nd ez ▁attended ▁elementary ▁school ▁in ▁el ▁Cl aro ▁and ▁A riz pe , ▁but ▁left ▁school ▁after ▁the ▁fifth ▁grade ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁his ▁father ' s ▁small ▁corn ▁and ▁cot ton ▁plot . ▁Even ▁though ▁El ▁Cl aro ▁was ▁a ▁small , ▁isolated ▁town , ▁his ▁parents ▁had ▁boxes ▁full ▁of ▁books ▁and ▁newsp apers