El Teatro Campesino

Valley of the Heart

Arts EN ↓ 5 episodes

A sweeping wartime love story set in California’s Santa Clara Valley. When Thelma, a Japanese American farmer’s daughter, and Benjamin, the son of a Mexican American sharecropping family, fall in love, they are torn apart by Executive Order 9066 and World War II. Through forced incarceration, loss, and separation they fight to hold onto love, family, and hope.

Author

El Teatro Campesino

Episodes

Ep. 5 - Gaman 12.05.2026 29:26

As war takes a devastating toll, Benjamin withdraws from the family he fought to build. Decades later, love, loss, and resilience come full circle.

Ep. 4 - This Is Heart Mountain 12.05.2026 30:23

Incarcerated at Heart Mountain, Thelma raises her newborn amid harsh conditions and rising tensions. Benjamin struggles to hold the ranch together, but family conflict drives him away.

Ep. 3 - Mi Casa Es Su Casa 12.05.2026 20:40

Forced removal looms under Executive Order 9066. Thelma elopes with Benjamin as both families face violence, heartbreak, and an uncertain future.

Ep. 2 - Bodhi Day 12.05.2026 17:56

After Pearl Harbor, fear and suspicion turn on Japanese American families. Ichiro is arrested and tensions rise, Thelma and Benjamin cling to each other while their world begins to unravel.

Ep. 1 - A Good Nisei Daughter 12.05.2026 24:02

Old Benjamin recalls a time when immigrant families farmed the Santa Clara Valley. As the Montaños and Yamaguchis struggle through the Depression, Benjamin and Thelma’s secret love is torn apart when she chooses family duty over their future.