We have all been completely captivated with Pam Munoz Ryan's story Esperanza Rising. Not only is the writing beautiful, but the story is one that we can connect with in our lives and in our inequality studies.
At one point in the story, Esperanza and her family move to the labor camps in Bakersfield, California. The conditions in which they live and work are much more difficult than their lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
I decided to investigate these working conditions. The photo to the left is one of the houses that the workers lived in. It looks very similar to the description Esperanza provided us of a small house for their whole family, with newspaper covering the walls to keep the cold out.
I also found information on the striking that Marta has been fighting for in her labor camp. In many camps, conditions and wages were so poor that workers all agreed to strike. At one point, just before the strike, the daily wage of workers in the fields went from $3.50 to $1.90! That is a HUGE difference.
This had me wondering: Would I strike if I were in this same position? On one hand, I would need to make money to support my family. On the other hand, the wealthy land owners are not paying me enough and contributing to the enormous wealth inequalities. After reading that the strikes actually worked, I think I would make the sacrifice to fight for a good cause.
What would you do? What do you think Esperanza will do? We'll have to keep reading to find out.
At one point in the story, Esperanza and her family move to the labor camps in Bakersfield, California. The conditions in which they live and work are much more difficult than their lives in Aguascalientes, Mexico.
I decided to investigate these working conditions. The photo to the left is one of the houses that the workers lived in. It looks very similar to the description Esperanza provided us of a small house for their whole family, with newspaper covering the walls to keep the cold out.
I also found information on the striking that Marta has been fighting for in her labor camp. In many camps, conditions and wages were so poor that workers all agreed to strike. At one point, just before the strike, the daily wage of workers in the fields went from $3.50 to $1.90! That is a HUGE difference.
This had me wondering: Would I strike if I were in this same position? On one hand, I would need to make money to support my family. On the other hand, the wealthy land owners are not paying me enough and contributing to the enormous wealth inequalities. After reading that the strikes actually worked, I think I would make the sacrifice to fight for a good cause.
What would you do? What do you think Esperanza will do? We'll have to keep reading to find out.