daughter, Ana Duran and her family were able to learn more about their father.”He had boxes and boxes and boxes in a storage unit for ten years, and when he passed away and we cleaned the storage unit, we noticed the treasures he left us. He died a poor man but he left us riches -- his work, what he saved, what his memories were,” she said.
“And going through my father’s last interview before he died, they asked him ‘Lalo what do you want to be remembered by’ and he said, ‘simple things, very simple things. To always look for the beauty within you and the strength within you, and to never lose the language, because if you lose the language then you lose the culture.’”
Duran added, “He will always live through his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They will always be a reflection of him.”
The Delgado family has continued their patriarch’s mantra of generosity and presented $500 scholarships to Jessica Van Dyke and Yasmin Cervantes. “I hope they will appreciate they are part of a legacy that Lalo left,” said Yolanda Ortega. “And it is a legacy of love, of commitment, of talent and of perseverance.”
Dr. Luis Torres, Deputy Provost Metropolitan State College of Denver noted in detail the qualities of Delgado, especially for being an ‘occasion’ poet and the importance of that in the Mexicano and Chicano culture.
“If Lalo were here, he would have written a poem about today,” laughed Dr. Torres. “The occasion of this day.”
The Provost addressed Lalo’s unique persona. “He addressed our cultural crisis on the city streets, and he did with such style and such warmth and humanism.
“If you look at this painting,” said Dr. Torres referring to an art piece of Lalo by Carlota EspinoZa, “you ...