Andrés Henestrosa
Andrés Henestrosa Morales (November 25, 1906 – January 10, 2008) was a Mexican writer and politician. In addition to his prose and poetry, Henestrosa was elected to the federal legislature, serving three terms in the Chamber of Deputies, and as a senator for the state of Oaxaca from 1982 to 1988. He was born in Ixhuatán, Oaxaca.
Also recorded as Andres Henestrosa · Don Andrés Henestrosa · Henestrosa Morales Andres
Andrés Henestrosa
- Name
- Andrés Henestrosa
- Born
- 25 November 1906
- Birthplace
- Ixhuatán, Oaxaca
- Died
- 10 January 2008
- Occupation
- Writer
- Nationality
- Mexico.
- Education
- National Autonomous University of Mexico.
- Honours
- Guggenheim Fellowship, National Prize for Arts and Sciences, Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor and Alfonso Reyes International Prize.
- Languages
- Spanish and Zapotec.
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Documentary summary
Andrés Henestrosa Morales (November 25, 1906 – January 10, 2008) was a Mexican writer and politician. In addition to his prose and poetry, Henestrosa was elected to the federal legislature, serving three terms in the Chamber of Deputies, and as a senator for the state of Oaxaca from 1982 to 1988. He was born in Ixhuatán, Oaxaca.
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Authority files
wikidata · Q524296 · wikipedia · Andrés Henestrosa
In this article
Biography
Biography
Andrés Henestrosa studied at National Autonomous University of Mexico. The recorded working language is Spanish and Zapotec. Positions recorded include member of the Senate of Mexico and Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico. Work by Andrés Henestrosa is recorded in the collections of Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. Distinctions recorded are Guggenheim Fellowship, National Prize for Arts and Sciences, Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor and Alfonso Reyes International Prize.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Andrés Henestrosa • Office — Mexican Senator • Term Start — 1982 • Term End — 1988 • Constituency — Oaxaca • Born — 25 November 1906 • Birthplace — Ixhuatán, Oaxaca • Died — 10 January 2008 • Party — PRI • Occupation — Writer
Youth and studies
Youth and studies
Andrés Henestrosa started studying at Juchitán, Oaxaca. Until he was 15 he only could speak his native language, Zapotec. After finishing his basic education, Henestrosa moved to Mexico City and started studying at the National Teacher's School, where he learned Spanish excellently. Then, he studied at the National High School and after, at the Jurisprudence National School, where he started law studies but he did not graduate. At the same time, he studied at the Philosophy and Literature Faculty at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Around that time (1927) one of his teachers, Alfonso Caso, encouraged what would be the start of his career: he suggested Henestrosa write down Zapotec myths, legends and fables, which formed the basis of his first book, The Men Scattered by Dance, published in 1929. He befriended artist Frida Kahlo.
Academic work
Academic work
Henestrosa contributed in many ways to Zapotec culture, keeping a line of investigation and exaltation of it; he also was one of the Mexican exponents of the literary movement called Indianismo, since his first book. He also wrote essays and political documents during his long career. In 1936, Henestrosa was awarded the first of two fellowships he would receive from the Guggenheim Foundation to investigate Zapotec culture and linguistics. He worked on Zapotec language phonetization, its adaptation using the Latin alphabet, and a Zapotec–Spanish dictionary. During this trip, while in New Orleans in 1937, he wrote one of his most famous books: My Mother’s Portrait ("El retrato de mi madre"). He was a member of the Mexican Language Academy from October 23, 1964, to his death, as numerary member with chair 23. He was the treasurer of the Academy from 1965 to 2000. Andrés Henestrosa was one of the most prominent members of the Mexican intelligentsia.
1949 Mexicana DC-3 crash
1949 Mexicana DC-3 crash
Henestrosa was supposed to be on a DC-3 that crashed on September 26, 1949, killing all 23 onboard. He had a premonition and instead boarded a train from Tapachula, the city he was traveling from, to Mexico City.
Political career
Political career
In 1929, he supported (as did many UNAM students) the presidential campaign of José Vasconcelos, being an active part of the campaign acts and writing many essays and chronicles. But almost all of the original hand-written transcriptions were lost, being published in many magazines and newspapers. In 1946, he joined the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). In 1982 he was elected senator for his home state, Oaxaca, as a member of the PRI.
Identity
Identity
Andrés Henestrosa is recorded as having received Guggenheim Fellowship, National Prize for Arts and Sciences and Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1906
Andrés Henestrosa born at San Francisco Ixhuatán Municipality.
2008
Andrés Henestrosa died at Mexico City.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
San Francisco Ixhuatán Municipality.
Birth place
Mexico City.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q524296: Andrés Henestrosa
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Andrés Henestrosa”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
scholarly publication
Awards
• Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor, 1993. • National Prize for Arts and Sciences in the Linguistics and literature category, 1994.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Johnson, Reed. Writer promoted Zapotec culture. Los Angeles Times. 2008-01-14.
- 2.Homenaje a Henestrosa, en Bellas Artes. Proceso. January 12, 2008.
- 3.https://www.literarymatters.org/15-3-at-the-frida-kahlo-museo-playa-del-carmen/
- 4.Andrés Henestrosa. John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
- 5.Coordinación Nacional de Literatura. Henestrosa, Andrés (1906-2008). Catálogo Biobibliográfico de la Literatura en México. August 28, 2017.
- 6.Especial: Así murió Blanca Estela Pavón, entrañable compañera de Infante. 12 November 2019.
- 7.Claudia Gómez, Haro. Andrés Henestrosa: el hombre que dispersó sus sombras. Jornada. January 11, 2008.
- 8.Pública, Secretaría de Educación. Histórico Galardonados Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes. Gobierno de Mexico – SEP. 2025-01-09.
- 9.Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes ~ 70 Años. 2014.
References
Citations
References
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Further particulars
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Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
His recorded languages were Spanish and Zapotec. Recorded positions include member of the Senate of Mexico and Member of the Chamber of Deputies of Mexico. He belonged to Academia Mexicana de la Lengua and North American Academy of the Spanish Language. Henestrosa received Guggenheim Fellowship, National Prize for Arts and Sciences, Belisario Domínguez Medal of Honor and Alfonso Reyes International Prize. Connected to 1 other published record in the VALÉORINE Encyclopedia.
Identity and origins
Career and activity
Recognition and collections
Work by Andrés Henestrosa is
Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes
Within the Encyclopedia
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,960 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
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