Victor de la Torre

This is my story.

I grew up in a "village" called La Villa de Guadalupe, just outside of Monterrey, Mexico. My home was built similarly to a cabin, but with lumber instead of logs. The streets in our neighborhood were dirt, with no asphalt for years.

My family came to Monterrey from the state of Durango, where my dad worked the land. In the 1930s, a key period of expansion and redistribution occurred under President Lázaro Cárdenas, and the 'Ejido' system continued to evolve over the following decades.

My dad, Don Miguel de la Torre, even became the leader of the ejidos near Regocijo, Durango. Here, he not only represented the ejidatarios as they fought for their rights, but he was also responsible for the books. I remember, as a kid, looking at the pages of a ledger book filled with rows of entries and numbers. It is worth noting that Don Miguel did not have formal schooling. He educated himself as many did, one day at a time, learning from his work and everyday experiences.