An Albuquerque-born Mexican-American scholar who is celebrated across the country but until recently was virtually unknown in New Mexico is scheduled to be honored by state bilingual educators.
The New Mexico Association for Bilingual Education is slated Friday to honor the late George I. Sanchez with the "Joseph M. Montoya Award" to his grandchildren, Santa Fe teacher Cynthia Kennedy and Texas resident Mark Sprague.
The group is presenting the award at the Embassy Suite in Albuquerque.
A son of an Arizona miner, Sanchez worked his way out of poverty as a rural public school teacher in New Mexico to become a pioneer scholar and education activist.
Dozen or so schools in Texas and California are named in honor of Sanchez.
No school in New Mexico bears his name.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.