
By Bryan Mendez
Editor’s Note: This collection of photos features three local farmworkers from three different communities in the ECV. Hands are are at the center of our farmworker community. Our community uses their hands to grow, to pick and to package. But we wanted to see what else hands could do, so we asked community members to tell us what they do when they get home, what do they dream about and what makes them happy. Our community’s hands tell stories. View the photos below:
Alejandro, 22, Thermal
“Right now, I’m changing the shock absorbers on my mother’s car. I’m teaching myself how to work on mechanics apart from working in the palm trees.”
Jose, 59, Mecca
“I work as a tractor driver on a ranch. Since I was a child, I always had the dream of playing music, but my parents could never buy me an accordion. Now that I work a lot I bought an accordion for myself. For me, it is a way to give joy to my soul.”
Maria, 75, Desert Shores
Maria has worked in the grapes for decades. She says this is one of her favorite recipes to cook for her family.
Maria’s Recipe for Prickly Pear Cactus with Shrimp

About the author:
Bryan Mendez has worked as a Coachella Unincorporated youth reporter since January 2015. He enjoys creating videos and multimedia stories from the eastern Coachella Valley and enjoys helping other young people learn how to strengthen their video and audio skills. View Bryan’s author page here.