El Caracol, the Story of Alfonso

Book excerpt: Alfonso Cruz Espinosa's life was not an easy one but one supported by the rich cultural values of his Mexican ancestry. 'Fonso was born into the loving arms of his parents in 1927, in El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora, La Reina de Los Cielos y Los Angeles - Los Angeles, California - where his parents had settled after immigrating from Mexico. Following their own American dream, he and his family migrated from Los Angeles to the San Joaquin Valley of California. There they moved from labor camp to labor camp, following the crops and opportunities for work. Alfonso and his family faced the hardships many Depression-era workers encountered, multiplied by the fact that discrimination against non-white workers was blatant and widespread. Faced with leaving school at an early age to help support his family, Alfonso found it more and more difficult to work alongside his father in the sulfur-laden agricultural fields of the "Great Valley." Not only would he face a crisis that would mean the end to all his dreams, he would be in a battle for his very survival. A tale lovingly told by Espinosa's daughter, El Caracol is a beautiful testament to the strength and tenacity of the human spirit. A story of both tragedy and triumph, Alfonso's story is that of an everyday hero, simply standing up to be heard in the world. Full of the rich details of a loving family in harsh times, the result is both as simple, and as complex, as the spiral shell which shares its name."