Privilege by Teresa Rodriguez

Created July 2008; Watsonville, CA

Teresa works on issues of bilingual education in Watsonville, California. She reflects on her own relative privilege as a Latina, by describing her early life as the daughter of the manager of field workers at a local farm.

Tell us a bit about yourself?
I am a Mexican immigrant brought to the U.S. at the age of 3. I lived in a migrant labor camp for 9 years of my life after my arrival.

Why did you choose this story to tell?
I decided to tell this story to "expose" the perceived abuse of my family by the rancher who employed my parents.

How do you think you have changed as a result of making or telling this story?
I have let go of the anger toward the rancher and instead found the true meaning of my life on that ranch. This has brought me a great deal of peace and joy.