The Miners' Lament: A Story of Latina Activists in the Empire Zinc Mine Strike

The Miners' Lament: A Story of Latina Activists in the Empire Zinc Mine Strike — page 3
a time when the world is bright with possibility But the town was the color of horse dung The hills were brown The brick church was brown The shacks on the Mexican American side of town were brown Except for one spot of color Ana Maria’s eyes landed on the house Papá had built on land they rented from the Empire Zinc Company The Garcia house was small Two bedrooms a tiny living room an even tinier kitchen a screened in porch on the back of the house and an outhouse in the backyard The wooden fence that enclosed the yard was broken in a few spots and the house’s pine plank siding was rough and weather beaten But the walls stood firm and straight The Garcias front door was bright red Mamá’s favorite favorite color Every spring she’d slapped on a new coat of paint so the door shone Today was May 27 1951 Spring was practically over Who would paint the door this year Ana Maria’s gaze skipped over the railroad tracks to the other side of town The Empire Zinc Company had built decent houses for its Anglo workers Each house had three bedrooms a large living room and a kitchen with a gas 6