Maria Ester Salinas
Organizations
Environmental Activist
Location
Mission, Texas
Biography
Maria Ester Salinas has lived in Mission, Texas for much of her life and considers herself a Tejana. Inspired by her parents to pursue her education, Salinas became an art teacher and has been involved with the Texas Citrus Fiesta. She attended Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M-Kingsville) and Texas Woman's University, where she distinguished herself in athletics, playing volleyball and running track. Salinas became a passionate environmental justice advocate after learning of the decades-long history of contamination of their neighborhood by a pesticide chemical plant, leading to increased incidences of diseases and illness that affected her, her family, and her neighbors. She has also been involved with her church as well, using her spirituality as an opportunity to educate the community about health.
Audio Clips
Interviewed by Cristina Salinas on March 3, 2023 in Mission, Texas
Maria Ester Salinas talks about being sick a lot as a young girl, with breathing and eating problems, and how the Hayes-Sammons company sold pesticides to the community.
Salinas talks about witnessing men in hazmat suits at the abandoned Hayes-Sammons warehouse, getting ready to level the warehouse and how the community was left in the dark about what was happening.
Digital Archive
Handmade tri-fold display board with photos of community members visibly affected by toxic contamination.
Detail from tri-fold board with photographs of a baby and photographs of neighborhood flooded with contaminated water.
Detail from tri-fold board of political cartoon criticizing the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s delays in releasing data about toxic site.
Detail from tri-fold board of political cartoon of figure in hazmat suit holding a jar containing contaminated South Mission neighborhood.
Photograph of Maria Ester Salinas’s father, a semi-pro baseball pitcher, in his baseball uniform.