Philomeno "Phil" Sánchez is one of countless Hispanic writers waiting to be discovered for their literary contributions. If not, he, like other unknown writers, will be pushed further into oblivion as more and more younger writers come to the forefront.

Philomeno Sánchez was born on 20 November 1917 on Amargura Street in San Luis, Colorado, in a region known locally as the Valle de Lágrimas (Valley of Tears). Sánchez has fond memories of his childhood, but he also recalls his family's modest existence: "Juimos muy pobrecitos y batallábamos mucho para vivir, pero pasamos una vida muy alegre" (We were very poor and we struggled a lot to survive, but we enjoyed a happy life). Because of the financial situation, he joined the Civilian Conservation Corps camps in 1935 and worked for the government until 1937 in order to help improve the family's...