I Spent My Life in the Mines

Description

The Story of Juan Rojas, Bolivian Tin Miner

By June Nash
Columbia University Press

I Spent My Life in the Mines is the compelling autobiographical account of Juan Rojas, a Bolivian tin miner, his wife, Petrona Mamani, and their children, all of whom recounted their experiences to June Nash between 1969 and 1986. The story begins in the 1930s, when Rojas began working in the mines as a “parrot”–warning miners of landslides in the open pits–and continues through 1986, when the mine closed and the community disbanded. Presented in the Rojas family’s own words, the narrative chronicles the everyday events in their lives. I Spent My Life in the Mines offers a universal example of endurance in the face of abysmal working and living conditions, and illuminates how individuals persevere in the face of continuing social and cultural upheaval.