Eréndira Fabela Estrada (b. 1963) was born in San Pedro, Coahuila, Mexico. Her large family, school, and participation in the Catholic Church youth groups shaped her life. When she was twenty years old, she arrived for the first time to Johns Island, South Carolina to visit her sister and brother-in-law. There, she met her future husband and father of her daughter who worked as a contractor for a local farmer. Soon, Fabela Estrada was working with him in the fields and helping to manage the administrative side of contracting seasonal agricultural workers. The couple divided their time between Johns Island and San Pedro but decided to settle down definitively when their daughter started school. Motivated to improve her English to help her girl with the school homework, Fabela Estrada began taking classes at the College of Charleston. She continued studying until she graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Spanish and Education. For twelve years, she has worked as a Spanish teacher at the Military Magnet Academy in the City of North Charleston. In the interview, Fabela Estrada reflects on her experiences working in the agricultural fields, her love for studying and teaching, and the difficulties and satisfactions she experienced by challenging her community traditional roles. Eréndira Fabela Estrada (1963) nació en San Pedro Coahuila, México y creció sin carencias ni lujos en el seno de una familia numerosa. Su familia, la escuela y la participación en los grupos juveniles de la iglesia católica dejaron una marca importante en su vida. A los veinte años llegó a Johns Island, Carolina del Sur para pasar un tiempo con su hermana y su cuñado que se habían radicado en la isla. Fue ahí donde conoció a su futuro esposo y padre de su hija que trabajaba como contratista para un ranchero local. Con él trabajó en todas las labores implicadas en el cuidado de los campos y la organización de los trabajadores. La pareja repartía su tiempo entre Johns Island y San Pedro, pero decidieron establecerse definitivamente cuando la hija de ambos comenzó la escuela. Motivada a capacitarse y mejorar su inglés para poder ayudar a la niña con las tareas escolares, Fabela Estrada comenzó a tomar clases en el College of Charleston. Poco a poco, continúo estudiando y se graduó con un Bachelor en español y educación. Por doce años se ha desempeñado como profesora de español en la escuela Military Magnet Academy en la Ciudad de North Charleston. En la entrevista, Fabela Estrada reflexiona acerca de sus experiencias trabajando en el campo, su amor por el estudio y la enseñanza y los desafíos que enfrentó para salirse de los roles tradicionales de su comunidad.
Feidin del Rosario Santana was born in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic in 1991. He moved with his family to New Jersey, NY when he was twelve years old. After high school graduation at the age of nineteen, he returned to his country to train at a baseball academy in rural San Pedro. He explains that for him this was a "life-changing experience" but after a physical injury, he had to quit and return to the USA where he struggled to adjust. Later, he went back to Punta Cana to work in the tourist industry. There he met the mother of his child and trained as a barber. A job opportunity in a barbershop brought him to North Charleston in 2013. On his way to work on the morning of Saturday, April 4th, 2015 Santana recorded the killing Walter Scott by North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager. Realizing the magnitude of the event he had witnessed, he feared for his safety but decided to hand over the video to the Scott family prompting the arrest of Slager. Santana reflects about the following months, including dealing with the press and media outlets, being a witness in the trial, and becoming the target of hateful messages.
