The family labored with many other migrant workers in various parts of the Midwest: they lived and worked in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Dakota.
[4] Rivera worked as a field labourer until 1956; at this point he was enrolled in Southwest Texas Junior College and the school would not permit him to miss class.
The first-hand experience Rivera had from growing up as a migrant worker provided him with writing material for his literary works.
[6] In an article commemorating Rivera's life, Rolando Hinojosa remembers Tomás and Concepción (Concha) as party hosts, writing that although they were both extremely hard workers, they knew how to enjoy themselves and their door was always open to whoever wanted.
Despite the fact that his Chicano culture was rooted in migratory field work, Rivera not only graduated from secondary school but moved quickly through his post-secondary education.
Rivera worked as corporate officer of the Times Mirror Company before leaving to become chancellor of the University of California, Riverside in 1979, a position he held until his death in 1984.
While working in his various administrative roles, Rivera insisted that he continue teaching, despite it no longer being required: highlighting his dedication to higher education.
Rivera chose to include migrant labor in his Curriculum Vita, a sign that he never forgot his beginnings, history or true identity.
[4] In addition to his other achievements, Rivera contributed greatly to the literary world with his short stories, poetry and scholarly works.
Quinto Sol was a publishing house founded in 1967 by UC Berkeley students and faculty to disseminate Chicano/a literature and culture.
[8] In 2012, the first Latin American edition of …y no se lo tragó la tierra was published with an extensive introduction by Julio Ramos and Gustavo Buenrostro.
[14] The book opens with a section called "El año perdido" (The Lost Year) told from the perspective of an anonymous Chicano child, the son of two migrant workers.
[14] The varying perspectives form a collective narrative that piece together the events occurring over the past year of the child's life, prefaced in the first chapter.
A memorial letter from the University of California, on behalf of the Regents, states that he had "a strong voice in both the nation and the community in recognizing that our youth is a resource beyond measure".
[15] In addition, Rivera sat on the board of committees or was a member of the following public service groups: American Association for the Advancement of Science (1983-4), Council on Foreign Relations (1983-4), Carnegie Commission on the Future of Public Broadcasting (1977-9), the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund (1979–84), the Human Resources Management and Development Program (1979–84), the Citizens' Goals for Greater Riverside Area (1981–84), the Riverside Community Hospital Corporation (1981-2), the Greater Riverside Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (1981–84) and the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (1977–79) amongst many others.
[citation needed] In 1995, the College of Education at Texas State established the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award (Tomás Rivera Award) "to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience";[19] winners have included such notable authors as Rudolfo Anaya, Pat Mora, and Gary Soto.
Not only did Rivera leave this world with buildings, plazas and learning centers in his name, he left an imprint on future generations of Chicanos.
Above all, Rivera had a vision for the world: that generations of migrant workers following his own would have equitable access to post-secondary education and opportunities to succeed.
[4] Annually, the Tomás Rivera Conference, founded in 1988, is held at the University of California, Riverside, which provides a venue for reflecting on the contributions of Chicanos/Latinos in the arts, culture, literature, creative writing, business, medicine and education.