Salt of the Earth
Esperanza Quintero narrates this film which is loosely based on a true story. When she became pregnant with her third child, her life was hard. She and her husband Ramon had not been getting along. Ra…
Salt of the Earth
Esperanza Quintero narrates this film which is loosely based on a true story. When she became pregnant with her third child, her life was hard. She and her husband Ramon had not been getting along. Ramon's union had been contemplating a strike for the zinc miners for better wages and safer working conditions. She was angered that better sanitation in the houses, which included indoor plumbing and hot water, had been dropped as a union demand. Romon forgot it was Esperanza's Saint's day, but his eldest son Luis reminded him and he threw a party for his wife. For the next few days, she had forgotten her misery. When a worker was injured, the man (both Anglos and Chicanos) went out on strike. The picked every day and their angry demeanor kept "scabs" from attempting to pass their picket line. A company representative, named Hardwell, came to plan a strategy. The local sheriff and company foreman Anderson informed him that Ramon was the ring leader of the strike. Deputies Vand and Kimbrough beat up Ramon. At that exact moment, Esperanza gave birth. They called out each other's names, although they were miles apart. Ramon was arrested and the day he got out of jail, his and Esperanza's baby, whom she named Juan, was christened. A Taft-Hartley injunction was served on the union, enjoining the men from picketing. It looked as if the strike was lost. The women at the labor union meeting, including Esperanza, insisted that they be allowed to take over the picketing. Some men laughed, other, including Ramon, were shocked. But there was a community (not a union) vote of men and woman, and the motion was approved. The women then took over the picketing. Only Ramon wouldn't allow Esperanza to join in, but Esperanza disobeyed him. The women suffered so much mental and physically abuse, but the picket line held fast and the strike continued. In desperation, the sheriff arrested several women including Esperanza. She took her baby Juan and her daughter Estelle with her to jail so Ramon wouldn't have to care for them. The sheriff and his deputies were driven crazy by the women screaming for "the formula! the formula!" for Esperanza's baby. Ramon came to the jail and took the children from her. While she served her jail sentence, Ramon did all the housework. Amazed by how difficult it was, Ramon vowed to his neighbor Antonio and sanitation would be included in the union demands. Eventually, Esperanza returned home. She looked happy from her experience. Ramon wanted her to stop picketing and resume her old role. She told Ramon that his telling her to stay in her place is like the racist bosses telling Mexican-Americans to stay in their place. She wants both of their lives to improve, and they are strong if united. The next morning while most of the men were away getting fuel, Ramon was supposed to watch the women, but in a moment of anger, he and a few men went out hunting. Esperanza's words sunk in. He told the men they must hurry back. He suspected the bosses would try something. Indeed, the sheriff and his men were evicting them, taking all the furniture from the Quintero home. Suddenly people arrived from all over the area; men, women, children, workers, union men, organizers, Ramon and his friends and they put everything back. Frightened by the large crowd, the sheriff and his men backed off. Hartell realized he must give in on the strike. The miners and their wives had won. Ramon thanked his brothers and sisters. With their victory, they have left hope for their children which they refer to as, "the salt of the Earth".
Salt of the Earth
Drama,History
Film Details
Esperanza Quintero narrates this film which is loosely based on a true story. When she became pregnant with her third child, her life was hard. She and her husband Ramon had not been getting along.
Ramon's union had been contemplating a strike for the zinc miners for better wages and safer working conditions. She was angered that better sanitation in the houses, which included indoor plumbing and hot water, had been dropped as a union demand. Romon forgot it was Esperanza's Saint's day, but his eldest son Luis reminded him and he threw a party for his wife.
For the next few days, she had forgotten her misery. When a worker was injured, the man (both Anglos and Chicanos) went out on strike. The picked every day and their angry demeanor kept "scabs" from attempting to pass their picket line.
A company representative, named Hardwell, came to plan a strategy. The local sheriff and company foreman Anderson informed him that Ramon was the ring leader of the strike. Deputies Vand and Kimbrough beat up Ramon.
At that exact moment, Esperanza gave birth. They called out each other's names, although they were miles apart. Ramon was arrested and the day he got out of jail, his and Esperanza's baby, whom she named Juan, was christened.
A Taft-Hartley injunction was served on the union, enjoining the men from picketing. It looked as if the strike was lost. The women at the labor union meeting, including Esperanza, insisted that they be allowed to take over the picketing.
Some men laughed, other, including Ramon, were shocked. But there was a community (not a union) vote of men and woman, and the motion was approved. The women then took over the picketing.
Only Ramon wouldn't allow Esperanza to join in, but Esperanza disobeyed him. The women suffered so much mental and physically abuse, but the picket line held fast and the strike continued. In desperation, the sheriff arrested several women including Esperanza.
She took her baby Juan and her daughter Estelle with her to jail so Ramon wouldn't have to care for them. The sheriff and his deputies were driven crazy by the women screaming for "the formula! the formula!" for Esperanza's baby. Ramon came to the jail and took the children from her.
While she served her jail sentence, Ramon did all the housework. Amazed by how difficult it was, Ramon vowed to his neighbor Antonio and sanitation would be included in the union demands. Eventually, Esperanza returned home.
She looked happy from her experience. Ramon wanted her to stop picketing and resume her old role. She told Ramon that his telling her to stay in her place is like the racist bosses telling Mexican-Americans to stay in their place.
She wants both of their lives to improve, and they are strong if united. The next morning while most of the men were away getting fuel, Ramon was supposed to watch the women, but in a moment of anger, he and a few men went out hunting. Esperanza's words sunk in.
He told the men they must hurry back. He suspected the bosses would try something. Indeed, the sheriff and his men were evicting them, taking all the furniture from the Quintero home.
Suddenly people arrived from all over the area; men, women, children, workers, union men, organizers, Ramon and his friends and they put everything back. Frightened by the large crowd, the sheriff and his men backed off. Hartell realized he must give in on the strike.
The miners and their wives had won. Ramon thanked his brothers and sisters. With their victory, they have left hope for their children which they refer to as, "the salt of the Earth"..