A Eulogy for a Delano Farmworker
For 50 Years, Esteban Nuño Took Great Pride in Helping to Harvest the Food That Fed Our Nation
When they lowered the coffin into the ground, it wasn’t yet 11 a.m., but already the hot sun had forced many mourners to seek refuge. Some stood in the shade of nearby trees dotting the Delano cemetery. A few protected themselves under umbrellas. Others didn’t bother, saying silent goodbyes as they stoically withstood the heat, just like the man being laid to rest had done for decades.
Esteban Nuño was a farmworker. He was born in Tepantla, Jalisco, 70 years ago, the youngest of nine siblings. He left Mexico for the …