Summary

Adela is a Mexican-born 45-year-old homemaker and activist in Modesto, California. Her testimony is titled, “How Do You Have the Guts to Do This?” Adela’s testimony begins with her reflecting on the reasons why she liked her work as a fruit picker. The tomatoes were beautiful and there was time to think and sing. Adela comes from a large family in the state of Michoacan, and began working at a young age. She eventually crossed the border with her husband and their young baby. They walk across the desert and eventually make it to northern California.

Due to increased numbers of raids, Adela recently stopped working in the fields. She now has five daughters. She began taking English classes so that she could communicate with the girls’ teachers, and is now the head of the school’s Latino Parents’ Committee...