6 Matching Annotations
  1. Aug 2019
  2. www.voicesfromthevalley.org www.voicesfromthevalley.org
    voices
    6
    1. elizabethdiamond 04 Aug 2019
      Things here in the Valley are so gradual, you know? They’re everyday.  It’s so accepted and part of life, like it’s nothing. But if it would hit you all in one day - if all the pesticides you used in this area would just fall on you in one day, then you would think about the impact.

      This draws several connections to Estrella's family. Their situation didn't happen overnight - their father left, then they bounced from house to house, then moved to migrant farm-working. Life can move like that sometimes; too gradual for you to notice that these changes are paving a different pathway

    2. elizabethdiamond 04 Aug 2019
      I really like the environmental justice movement because it wasn't environmentalist, it was people that were pissed off and that were attacked and had been discriminated against finally standing up.

      This comment in particular struck a chord with me; it's easy for people to be complacent when the problem doesn't directly effect them. Seeing an entire community come together over an issue as large as this is a reminder that people are stronger together than we are separate.

    3. elizabethdiamond 04 Aug 2019
      They didn't know what to answer this ten-year-old kid.  They didn't know.  And  I turned and I looked at him, and I was so impressed with him because, you know, he gets it.  He just gets it.

      This excerpt in particular really reminds me of Estrella. In my discussion post I mentioned how Estrella and her siblings are far more aware of their struggle than adults realize sometimes, and this goes to show that kids aren't always naive to situations. Children are smarter than adults give them credit for sometimes.

    4. elizabethdiamond 04 Aug 2019
      I had no idea what an activist was.  Now I know there's a name to it, not just a “troublemaker.”

      This reminded me of Estrella at the clinic. While she demanded her money back, the people at the clinic looked at her as a "troublemaker". What they didn't see was the entire backstory, that she was trying to save a life and protect their funds in order to get Alejo to safety. All they saw was a young girl causing a scene, because they didn't take the time to learn her story.

    5. elizabethdiamond 04 Aug 2019
      How on earth are you going to drink water when they tell us that you risk getting cancer after years of drinking it? Who will want to drink it?

      This reminds me of something we've been discussing, which is the relationship between the powerful and the powerless. These people keep digging holes in a last-ditch effort to find clean water, rather than stopping use of the pesticide. To them, the outcome does not matter because it's not their health and livelihood at stake. This is a good example of those in power making minimal efforts to help the powerless.

    6. elizabethdiamond 04 Aug 2019
      And definitely, there were people that got together and worked hard and they were able to get water to the town. As the saying goes…“If you don’t succeed, try, try again,” and don’t let yourself say, “forget it, I am fed up.” Someday you will achieve something, if not for you, for those who will be here after you. And it’s very satisfying to think that if you didn’t get to see it, maybe your children or your grandchildren will benefit from what you started.

      A consistent theme thus far has been persistence being tied to your sense of home. Like Estrella, these people were persistent in the fight to improving their quality of life despite being set back again and again. I also feel like there can be parallels drawn between this example and Estrella taking on a leadership role at a young age. If they don't act, who will? If they don't save themselves, who will?

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