One Nurse’s Campaign
On wind and dust. A weekly installment of a photo chronicle by Avi Stachenfeld about a congressional race in California’s Central Valley.
In the late afternoon, a sudden gust of wind kicks up a storm in the valley, sending plumes of dust swirling in the air, tumbleweeds rolling through the orchards, and metal gates rattling. The wind upsets the stalls and tears off canopies at El Rematito, the bustling Mexican market in Modesto.
On weekends, El Rematito is the hub for the local Latino community, which comprises nearly half of the district’s residents. Stalls are bursting with Mexican delicacies and fancy clothes; couples dance to a live band; families enjoy Sunday lunch; kids ride ponies. Everything is spiced with chiles and beer flows freely.
Jesus Ruiz-Leja is an 18-year old student at Modesto Junior College. Among friends he goes by “Jesse.” His Mexican immigrant parents never got beyond elementary education. On weekends, Jesse sells nuts and candied fruit at El Rematito. “I am lucky to have this job through a friend. It’s hard to get internships or break into the job market here. Everyone wants experience, but how do you get it?” Jesse is studying computer science because it’s the only way to get a job outside the Central Valley. “This is no place to make a living or start a family. I’ll probably move to a big city,” he says.
Dotty Nygard is a mother and a grandmother. Her youngest son is also a student at Modesto Junior College. She refuses to see the district overtaken by dust and tumbleweeds, becoming vacant of talented, ambitious young people. She wants the kids to stay here. She advocates for vocational training to give them opportunities in local industries right out of high school and college. She imagines them participating in research projects that harness the power of the valley winds to bring clean energy jobs to the area.
