Arts and Humanities Commons^™

"Onward!" For Orchestra, Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

A performance of my original composition by the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras, conducted by Benjamin Loeb. Piece was commission as part of activities as EPSYOs Composer-in-Residence.

"A Winter Pastorale" For Violin And Piano (Cambridge, Ma), Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

A performance of my original composition by Vanessa Cedillos (violin, Master's degree recital) and Naoko Sugiyama (piano)

Holiday Spectacular, Elisa Fraser Wilson

Elisa Fraser Wilson

The university choirs performed an evening of holiday choral music.

"Songs Of Sea And Life" For Tenor/Baritone Voice And Piano, Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

A performance of my original composition Jose Dominguez (tenor, student senior recital presenter) and Dominic Dousa (piano).

Faculty Recital, Elisa Fraser Wilson

Elisa Fraser Wilson

Dr. Wilson joined composer-in-residence Dr. Dominic Dousa in a recital of his music for voice and instruments.

Solo Composition Recital (November 9, 2006), Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

Faculty Compositon Recital, presented by Elisa Wilson (mezzo soprano, UTEP), Lesley Chen (violin), and Dominic Dousa (piano). Performances of the following original compositions:

"Winter in the Country"

"Dream Land"

"Views from the Hills and Valleys"

Interview No. 1185, Simón Acosta

Combined Interviews

Mr. Acosta remembers how he heard about the bracero program in Sinaloa, México, and how he traveled to Sonora to get contracted; he relates how he had to pick cotton to earn his card for contracting and how the process was conducted in Empalme, Sonora, México; moreover, he states how the processing center at El Centro, California worked, how he was fumigated with a spray, and that he had blood drawn when crossing the border into the United States; he recalls working in California picking beets, oranges and cutting lettuce; furthermore, he goes on to discuss how daily life was …

University Choirs Concert, Elisa Fraser Wilson

Elisa Fraser Wilson

The university choirs joined forces with the orchestra to perform Haydn's Paukenmesse. Other works performed included the music of Hindemith, Reger and Bennet.

Interview No. 1053, Alberto Mendoza Torres

Combined Interviews

Mr. Mendoza recalls his childhood in Tizapotla, Morelos, México, and memories of his father, a soldier in Emiliano Zapata’s army during the Mexican Revolution; he remembers the hardships he suffered while working the land his father left him, and the impact bad weather had on his farming; additionally, he details how he worked in factories, and his decision to join the Bracero Program; he enlisted in 1959, and relates the process he went through to get hired in Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, as well as the fumigation performed on him at the United States border; he describes working in Arizona, California, …

"Westward Journey" For Trombone Quartet (Original Composition), Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

A performance of my composition by the Continental Trombone Quartet. Presented at Concert I of Works by CMS Composers.

"The Winds Of A Summer Night" For Viola And Piano, Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

A performance of my original composition by Stephanie Schweigart (viola) and Dominic Dousa (piano).

'Iii. The Sky's The Limit' From "High Vistas" For Piano 4-Hands, Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

A performance of my original composition by Dena Kay Jones (piano) and Dominic Dousa (piano) at the annual beginning-of-year Faculty Departmental Recital.

"A Winter Pastorale" For Violin And Piano, Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

A performance of my original composition by Lesley Chen (violin) and Dominic Dousa (piano).

"New Day Dawning" For Orchestra, Dominic Dousa

Dominic Dousa

A performance of my original composition by the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras, conducted by Benjamin Loeb. Piece was commission as part of activities as EPSYOs Composer-in-Residence.

Commercial Music Faculty Recital, Elisa Fraser Wilson

Elisa Fraser Wilson

The Commercial Music Faculty combined forces to present an evening of jazz and commercial music for the Texas Bandmasters Association (TBA) Summer Regional Workshop on the UTEP campus. Music included pieces by Mercer, Koehler, Gershwin, Fagen and Castillo.

Interview No. 1067, Roberto García

Combined Interviews

Mr. García talks about going to school as a young boy and the different cities he traveled to in order to continue his education; eventually, he had to stop going to school, because the family did not have the money, and he began working instead; shortly after, he married, and in 1959, he enlisted in the bracero program; he explains that he signed up on the list of available workers in Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, which in turn allowed him to get to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; he waited there for over a month with thousands of other …

Interview No. 1151, Lorenzo González

Combined Interviews

Mr. González recalls writing letters to his mother while he was in the United States; he states there was always a lot of work to be done, which always led to a chance to make money; as a bracero, some of his duties included working with machines that picked lettuce and driving tractors and transportation buses; in addition, while he was in Fresno, California, he was a foreman, and he was responsible for picking up braceros at the processing centers; it was difficult, because oftentimes more men than they needed loaded themselves into the truck in the hope of getting …

Interview No. 1154, Alberto Miguel Marcial

Combined Interviews

Mr. Marcial briefly mentions his family and childhood; his father and grandfather died, leaving his mother alone, but she later remarried; Alberto’s step-father worked as a bracero, and when he returned from a contract, Alberto decided to leave as well; he walked for two days to get a contract in Oaxaca, México; from there he was transported by train to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, where he stayed for a few days; when leaving Oaxaca, people told him to buy cigarettes if he could, because they were scarce in the United States due to the war; he was able to sell them …

Interview No. 1069, Ignacio I. Álvarez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Álvarez briefly talks about his family; one of his uncles worked with the bracero program, which later led him to do the same when he was twenty-five years old; he describes getting on the list of available workers before going to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México, where his hands were examined for signs of manual labor; from there, he was sent by bus to Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, where he was given a thorough medical examination; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona and California, irrigating and picking cotton, cucumbers, lemons, oranges and tomatoes; …

Interview No. 1068, Higinio López

Combined Interviews

Mr. López talks about his family and what his life was like growing up on a ranch; in 1947, he came to work in the United States without proper documentation; after three years, immigration officials sent him back to México; during the early 1950s, he married and started raising a family; by the time he enlisted in the bracero program he had two children; he went through the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; oftentimes, he went with groups of other men so the process would not be as bad; even so, he describes crossing into the United States as …

Interview No. 1073, Pedro De Alba G.

Combined Interviews

Mr. de Alba recalls that people went into town to recruit for the bracero program; his parents encouraged him to join, and in 1955, he enlisted; one of his brothers was also a bracero, and they worked together twice; Pedro went through contracting centers in Monterrey, Nuevo León and Empalme, Sonora, México; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Texas, cleaning, pruning and picking carrots, cotton, lettuce and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, accommodations, amenities, provisions, duties, treatment, payments, deductions, remittances, correspondence and recreational activities, including trips into town …

Interview No. 1070, Luz Maria Ayala

Combined Interviews

Ms. Ayala talks about her father, and how prior to enlisting in the bracero program, he worked with mules and sold cheese in México; he went through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México, where he waited up to nine months for a contract; while waiting, he and a group of men put up an overhead covering where they could sleep and have shade; as a bracero, he labored in the fields and on the railroads when she was a young girl; while he was gone, the family suffered greatly, because there was often no food or money; he returned …

Interview No. 1074, J. Jesus Gomez L.

Combined Interviews

Mr. Gomez talks about coming to the United States without documents and working in Texas for a year and a half when he was sixteen years old; later, during the 1950s, he returned to the United States with the bracero program; he talks about what he endured in order to obtain a bracero contract, including physical exams and delousing procedures; the men who did not pass the exams were sent back; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, provisions, routines, treatment, payments, deductions, friendships, correspondence and …

Interview No. 1081, Margarita López

Combined Interviews

Ms. López talks about her hometown in Calvillo, Aguascalientes, México, and how much it has grown since she was a child; in 1950, when she was fifteen years old, she married Higinio López; he was twenty-four at the time; they grew up in the same town, but on different ranches; Higinio had begun working as a bracero prior to their marriage, before he and Margarita had even met; after they married, they lived on his ranch, and he continued working as a bracero; in 1952, they had their first daughter; by 1956, they had two children and moved to Mexicali, …

Interview No. 1083, Isaura Covarrubias

Combined Interviews

Ms. Covarrubias talks about her childhood and early adolescence; her father worked in agriculture, but it was not enough to support their family of twelve, which lead to his decision to enlist in the bracero program; at the time, she was thirteen years old; she weeps at the memories of how much she and her family suffered while her father was gone; he endured a great deal as well and often told her stories; it was very difficult while waiting to obtain a contract, but it was often worse when he began laboring in the fields of the United States; …

Interview No. 1147, Jesus Campos Ortiz

Combined Interviews

Mr. Campos describes his hometown, family, and childhood; in the early sixties, when he was roughly seventeen years old, he enlisted in the bracero program using false papers that his father had acquired for him; he explains various aspects of the contracting process in México, including organization by municipalities, necessary paperwork, exams, and travel methods; moreover, he notes that his uncle was injured as a result of the medical assessments he underwent; Jesús goes on to detail worksites, duties, hours, housing, provisions, treatment, payments, remittances, recreational activities, and working relationships; in addition, he describes being in the United States for …

Interview No. 1149, Herminio Estrada, Librada Estrada

Combined Interviews

Librada talks about how she and Herminio met and courted for a year before getting married in 1942; later that same year, he traveled to Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, to enlist in the bracero program; his first contract took him to Phoenix, Arizona, where he picked lettuce for eighteen months; while in Arizona, he also worked in Aguila, Somerton, and Yuma; his contracts in California took him to work in Salinas and Yuba City; a friend of his wrote letters to Librada for him, because he did not know how to write; he sent home what little money he could; sometimes, …

Interview No. 1152, Francisco Gutiérrez, María Guadalupe, Leticia Gutiérrez

Combined Interviews

Leticia, and her mother, María, offer a detailed description of Francisco’s family and parents; he and two of his brothers traveled to Empalme, Sonora, México, in order to pick two thousand kilograms of cotton and get the cards they needed to enlist in the bracero program; they then returned to Mexicali, Baja California, where they were medically examined and fumigated; one of his brother-in-laws chose to return to México rather than endure being stripped and deloused; Francisco worked as a bracero in California picking pecans, tomatoes, and other fruits; he describes treatment, provisions, and free time, including trips into town; …

Interview No. 1082, Alejo López

Combined Interviews

Mr. López briefly talks about his family; one of his older brothers enlisted in the bracero program, and in 1954, Alejo also joined; to begin the contracting process, he went through the center in Mexicali, Baja California, México, where he was stripped and examined; moreover, he offers a detailed description of the exams he endured; he later went through the center in Empalme, Sonora, México; from there he was transported by train to Mexicali, where he was deloused like an animal; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, cleaning, pruning and picking asparagus, lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes; …

Interview No. 1150, Roberto Garcia S.

Combined Interviews

Mr. Garcia gives a detailed description of his parents, siblings and children; he recalls his father becoming a bracero and the difficulties he and his family faced; they had to work the land and care for the animals on their own; in addition, he describes the various tasks his mother had to perform as well; he later began working illegally in Arizona against his father’s wishes; during the midfifties he went with a coyote in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, and later to Empalme, Sonora, México, to enlist as a bracero; on average, he had to wait there for at least fifteen …