| 2019 | Southwest Book Award by The Border Regional Library Association |
| 2019 | Luminary “Make” Award from the California Shakespeare Theatre |
| 2019 | Sam Shepard Legacy Award from the Magic Theatre |
| 2019 | Distinguished Achievement in the American Theater Award from the William Inge Center for the Arts |
| 2018 | Silver Indies Award for Book of the Year (Memoir and Autobiography) from Foreword Reviews for Retablos: Stories from a Life Lived Along the Border |
| 2018 | Imagen Award for Consultant on Disney-Pixar’s Coco |
| 2015 | Distinguished Achievement Award, Texas State University Black and Latino Playwrights Conference |
| 2014 | Pen Center Award for Drama (for Se Llama Cristina). |
| 2011 | United States Artists Fellowship |
| 2010 | Bay Area Critics Circle Mid-Career Achievement Award |
| 2008 | Henry Award, Outstanding New Play: Lydia |
| 2008 | Denver Post Ovation Award, Best Production: Lydia |
| 2008 | Thornton Wilder Fellow, MacDowell Colony |
| 2006 – 2007 | New Works Fund Grant, Theatre Bay Area |
| 2002 – 2003 | Creative Work Fund, Campo Santo, Intersection for the Arts |
| 2002 | National Latino Playwriting Award: Arizona Theatre Center |
| 2000 – 2001 | TCG/NEA Theatre Artists in Residence Grant, Shadowlight Productions |
| 2000 – 2002 | National Theatre Artists Residency Program, Pew Charitable Trusts |
| 1998 – 2000 | TCG/NEA Theatre Artists in Residence Grant, Dallas Theater Center |
| 1998 – 1999 | McKnight Fellowship: The Playwrights’ Center |
| 1995 – 1997 | Playwriting Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts |
| 1997 – 1998 | Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays (Dreamlandia) |
| 1994 | The Roger L. Stevens Award: Kennedy Center’s Fund for New American Plays (Santos & Santos) |
| 1993 | The Will Glickman Award for Best New Play in the Bay Area (Santos & Santos)
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| 1992 – 1993 | Lila Wallace/Reader’s Digest Fund: Writers for Young Audiences (La Posada Magica)
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| 1992 – 1993 | Barrie and BC Stavis Playwriting Award, National Theatre Conference |