Memoirs of a Lechuguero

The autobiography depicts the life of a Mexican migrant farm worker who overcomes his disadvantages to be the first college graduate in his family. The veteran lettuce harvester suffers a crippling, job related injury that leaves him unable to work. During the painful recovery, he goes through a series of flashbacks of key events leading to the injury. Inspired by a blind man and a former teacher, he finds the turning point of his life. Lucio Padilla came to the United States at age nine with his family to work the fields of central and southern California. As a teenager he endured the hardships and abuses that farm workers experience. He dropped out of school at age fifteen to become a lechuguero (lettuce harvester). He married at age sixteen with his sweetheart Mara Elena. Together they faced their disadvantages to raise a family and give them better opportunities. The story portrays the farm workers way of life; it illustrates the harsh living conditions and the enslaving routines. Particular phrases in Spanish are used to illustrate the language, culture, and values of the farm workers families.