A lesser-known Chicano hero is Juan Martínez. A carpenter from Santa Paula, California, Martínez was an activist and member of the United Farm Workers union.
In the 1960s and ‘70s, he helped organize Latino migrant workers to fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to unionize. He was a key member of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), which later merged with César Chávez’s National Farm Workers Association to form the United Farm Workers (UFW).
In 1972, Martínez led a pilgrimage from California to Washington D.C. to deliver a box filled with thousands of petition signatures demanding amnesty for undocumented farmworkers. The march took several weeks and covered hundreds of miles—a distance that nearly cost Martínez his life.
During the march, he developed severe stomach pains. At first he thought it was just hunger pangs from not having enough food on the journey, but after several days it got worse and he went to a doctor who diagnosed him with appendicitis.
¿Qué pasó? (What happened?) 3) ¿Es ella la que yo conozco? (Is she the one that I know?) 4) Sí, es ella! (Yes, it is her!) 5) Voy a buscarla de inmediato! (I will find her immediately!) 6) Qué bueno que estás aquí para ayudarme! (It is good that you are here to help me!) 7) Necesito su dirección y su número de teléfono. Le escribiré después. Ahora debo irme! Adiós y gracias por tu ayuda. (“I need your address and phone number. I will write to you later. Now I must leave! Goodbye and thanks for your help.”) 8) El Sr. Martínez sigue caminando hacia donde estaba su esposa… 9) Él ve un lugar familiar… 10) La tienda de comestibles… 11) Este lugar parece ser viejo pero reconocible… 12) Justo ahora él recuerda donde estaban sus amigos… 13] Un bar al final de la calle… 14] La memoria vuelve lentamente al Sr. Martínez… 15] Él se acuerda de su esposa cuando estaban hablando anoche… 16] Él vuelve lentamente sobre sus pasos y mira el marco familiar del árbol bajo el cual lo empujó en frente del hotel… 17] Se da cuenta que está parado exactamente allí donde encontró a su esposa por primera vez otra vez 18] El Sr. Martínez siente un sentimiento muy extraño en este momento 19] Su corazón late rápido 20} Entonces él mira a las personas alrededor 21} No parecen reconocerlo 22} Algunos ni siquiera le
This short story is a perfect example of the way memory can fail us.
The author describes how the main character, Mr. Martínez, slowly loses his memory of his past and therefore himself. As he walks back to where he once lived with his wife, he sees many familiar landmarks, which help him remember parts of his past.
It is interesting to see how slowly his memory comes back to him, but also how easily it can be lost again. By the end of the story, he has almost completely forgotten who he is and what happened to him in the past.
This story shows that even the simplest things like remembering where you used to live can make a huge difference in our lives. It also reminds us that we should appreciate every little thing about our daily lives because they could be gone in an instant.
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