Roots of the Red River Valley | Esta Es Mi Casa

Learn about the lives of the farm laborers who worked the Red River Valley sugar beet fields. Starting in the 1930s, Hispanic migrant farm laborers began the journey from Texas and Mexico to the Red River Valley of Western Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota to work in the sugar beet fields. They came for the work and a better life. In the documentary, we learn about the history of this migration and see interviews with adults who, as children, worked with their parents in the beet fields, some starting as early as 8 or 9 years old. These people eventually stayed and made Minnesota their home and their lives have been bettered through education and the hard work of their parents. Esta es mi Casa, or “This is my home” is a collection of short videos that document the history of sugar beet farming and Hispanic immigration into the Red River Valley. Support materials for educators and students is also included.