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Interview No. 1240, Ezequiel R. Serrano, María Serrano
Interview No. 1240, Ezequiel R. Serrano, María Serrano
Combined Interviews
Mr. Serrano remembers his older brother convincing him that they should join the bracero program together; they went to Distrito Federal, México to obtain a contract, because they were looking for railroad workers; Ezequiel said he was twenty-two years old, when he was really only eighteen to meet the age requirement for enlisting; as part of the contracting process, he was stripped, medically examined and deloused; moreover, he mentions that when some men had hemorrhoids, they would go to the bathroom immediately before they were examined and not wipe in order to hide the hemorrhoids; they would get in trouble …
Interview No. 1247, Melitona M. Santacruz
Interview No. 1247, Melitona M. Santacruz
Combined Interviews
Mrs. Santacruz talks about meeting her husband, José Guadalupe de Santacruz Rangel, in her home town of Ojocaliente, Zacatecas, México; when she was eighteen years old, they married; he was twenty years old at the time; they lived in Ojocaliente for a few years before he decided to enlist in the bracero program, because he was not earning enough money; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California irrigating crops; he suffered greatly while crossing into the United States, because of the exams he had to endure; after a year, in the program, he sent her money to …
Interview No. 1251, Roberto Sotelo A.
Interview No. 1251, Roberto Sotelo A.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Sotelo briefly discusses his family; during the early 1950s, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he describes the contracting process he underwent at the centers in Monterrey, Nuevo León and Empalme, Sonora México, including medical exams; when going through Empalme, he worked in California, and when he went through Monterrey, he worked in Texas; from the centers he was transported by trains or buses to the border, where he was further examined and deloused; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona, California and Texas picking various crops; he goes on to detail the different …
Interview No. 1252, Vidal Tafoya
Interview No. 1252, Vidal Tafoya
Combined Interviews
Mr. Tafoya briefly talks about his family and what his life was like growing up in México; he recalls that a great flood ruined all the crops, which led to government officials giving out cards to enlist in the bracero program on several ejidos; he went to Empalme, Sonora, México, where he encountered difficulties, because he had not completed his military service; eventually, he was able to pass through to the center in Mexicali, Baja California, México, where he was examined and fumigated; he was then transported by bus to the San Joaquin Valley Association where ranchers chose the workers …
Interview No. 1258, Brijido Solíz
Interview No. 1258, Brijido Solíz
Combined Interviews
Mr. Solíz talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; in 1955, he was living in Poza Rica [de Hidalgo], Veracruz, México, when he decided to enlist in the bracero program; at the time, he was working on an ejido, but he was not earning enough to make a living; he went to Mexicali, Baja California, México to begin the contracting process; upon crossing into the United States he was medically examined and fumigated; on some occasions, he was able to obtain a specialized workers contract, as a palmero, or date picker, which allowed him to …
Interview No. 1254, Salvador Velazco
Interview No. 1254, Salvador Velazco
Combined Interviews
Mr. Velazco talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; he recalls that at first, people were afraid of getting sent off to war if they enlisted in the bracero program; Salvador initially came to the United States, in 1947, without documents; roughly a month later, he went to the Coachella Valley Farmer’s Association (CVFA) and acquired a bracero contract; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, picking and packing various crops and driving a tractor until 1960; he goes on to detail housing, accommodations, amenities, provisions, duties, routines, payments, remittances, treatment, friendships, …
Interview No. 1215, Leonardo Chavira Carrillo
Interview No. 1215, Leonardo Chavira Carrillo
Combined Interviews
Mr. Chavira briefly mentions his family; in 1948, he came to the United States as an undocumented worker, but he was later able to work for the same employer through the bracero program, and yet again later when he permanently immigrated; he initially paid a coyote to help him go through the process at the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato; in addition, he later went to centers in Empalme, Sonora, and Mexicali, Baja California; he also describes the physical examinations he underwent while at these centers and transportation from there to the border; while in the program he worked in …
Interview No. 1226, Eusebio Hernandez
Interview No. 1226, Eusebio Hernandez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Hernandez briefly mentions his family, childhood, and adolescence; while working at a gas station in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, he heard about contracts for the bracero program; in order to receive the proper documentation for the program he had to pick two thousand kilograms of cotton before being sent to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora; he describes the journey from the centers to the border and the physical exams and delousing process he underwent as rude and embarrassing; as a bracero he worked in the fields with crops such as beets, cotton, lettuce, and onions; furthermore, he details the …
Interview No. 1210, Gregorio Canseco
Interview No. 1210, Gregorio Canseco
Combined Interviews
Mr. Canseco talks about several of his family members serving in the bracero program; in 1948, he also enlisted in the program out of necessity; he went through contracting centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Irapuato, Guanajuato and Empalme, Sonora, México; in Chihuahua, soldiers kept order at the center, and if the men did not follow instructions, they were beaten; they suffered greatly just to be braceros, including being stripped, medically examined and deloused; although he went to the centers with family and friends, they were inevitably separated; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arkansas, California …
Interview No. 1207, Mario P. Beltran
Interview No. 1207, Mario P. Beltran
Combined Interviews
Mr. Beltran talks about his family and hometown; he and his older brother had to work to support their family, because their father was too old to work; in 1954, his economic situation led to his decision to enlist in the bracero program; he describes the entire process he underwent in Mexicali, Baja California, México, including medical exams, delousing procedures and extremely long waiting lines; from there he was transported to El Centro, California, where some men had to wait up to five days before getting chosen to work; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona and …
Interview No. 1208, Efraín Benítez Satana
Interview No. 1208, Efraín Benítez Satana
Combined Interviews
Mr. Benítez Satana remembers his childhood in Cutzamala de Pinzón, Guerrero, México; he states that he grew up with two siblings; in 1952, he decided to join the bracero program due to economic need; he explains that he was contracted in Monterey, Nuevo Leon, México and then sent to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; moreover, he outlines what the process was like to be contracted in the Irapuato center and then sent via train to the United States-México border; he remembers being deloused at the border and how he was then transported to his worksite; furthermore, he recalls that his first contract …
Interview No. 1243, Marcos Ruíz
Interview No. 1243, Marcos Ruíz
Combined Interviews
Mr. Ruíz briefly talks about his life in México; when he was seventeen years old, after he completed his military service, he moved to Mexicali, Baja California, México, where he learned about the bracero program; he went through the contracting center in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México; from there, he was transported by train to the border, where he was stripped and medically examined; many men fainted when blood samples were collected, because they had not eaten; worse yet, they were forced to strip in spite of the women present; an American official told them it did not matter, made them bend …
Interview No. 1256, Eulalio Verazas
Interview No. 1256, Eulalio Verazas
Combined Interviews
Mr. Verazas talks about his life growing up in México and how much he suffered; he worked in the United States without documents for a brief time; by the early 1940s, he had already married and enlisted in the bracero program; as part of the contracting process he was stripped, medically examined and deloused; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Texas, picking and packing various fruits and vegetables; he goes on to detail his different worksites, housing, duties, payments and correspondence; while his wife was in México, people began to spread rumors about Eulalio not …
Interview No. 1202, Jesus Aceves Gutierres
Interview No. 1202, Jesus Aceves Gutierres
Combined Interviews
Mr. Aceves Gutierres recalls his childhood in Tototlán, Jalisco, México; he explains that his father was a wealthy man, and that his mother educated him; at age eleven, he began working in agriculture; he remembers joining the bracero program in 1957 and traveling to Empalme, Sonora, México for his contract; moreover, he relates what the contracting process was like, how he was treated by officials, and what physical exams he was given; he describes being taken to the border in trucks, and how he was deloused in El Centro, California; he expresses felling humiliated during this process; furthermore, he explains …
Interview No. 1203, Jose Aguilar
Interview No. 1203, Jose Aguilar
Combined Interviews
Mr. Aguilar talks about his hometown and what life was growing up working in agriculture with his family; he recalls that his father and two of his brothers were bracero workers; in 1954, he came to work illegally to the United States; in 1959 he officially went through the process of being a bracero; he briefly describes the hiring process, including the harsh conditions they had to endure and the medical examinations; as a bracero he completed several contracts where he labored in lettuce, beetroot, green beans, tomato, and cucumber fields, in Arizona, and different cities in California; in addition, …
Interview No. 1205, Agustín Alvarez
Interview No. 1205, Agustín Alvarez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Alvarez remembers his childhood in Los Volcanes, Jalisco, México, and growing up with his mother and grandparents; he states that he only completed three years of formal school, because he started working in agriculture at an early age; after the death of his aunt, he remembers how his mother moved his family to Mexicali, Baja California, México to help his uncle; he recalls learning about the bracero program while living there; in 1960, he joined the bracero program; he describes how he was contracted in Empalme, Sonora, México, what the process was like there, and how he was later …
Interview No. 1206, Agustin Bautista
Interview No. 1206, Agustin Bautista
Combined Interviews
Mr. Agustin Bautista recalls growing up in Jiquilpan, Michoacán, México; he states that he is the youngest sibling in his family; additionally, he explains that he was contracted for the first time on 1943, at Empalme, Sonora, México; he details how the contracting and processing of braceros was done, the treatment they received in Empalme, and how they were transported to the United States-México border; furthermore, he explains how officials had braceros shave their heads before crossing into the United States to prevent lice from spreading and how they were deloused; he relates how he worked in Arizona, California, Oregon, …
Interview No. 1217, Anselmo Gamez
Interview No. 1217, Anselmo Gamez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Gamez briefly talks about his family and childhood; initially, he learned about the bracero program through word of mouth, because people were often given the necessary credentials for the program in town; he went through contracting centers in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and Empalme, Sonora; while in Empalme, a representative from an American company was there to recruit workers; he also describes the journey from the centers to the border; as a bracero he worked primarily in California picking cantaloupe, cotton, dates, and lettuce, and he also used to water the crops; he goes on to detail the various worksites, duties, …
Interview No. 1219, Manuel Garcia
Interview No. 1219, Manuel Garcia
Combined Interviews
Mr. Garcia briefly discusses his family and how he grew up very poor; working in México he earned one to two pesos a day, which was not enough; they suffered greatly, because there was not always enough for everyone to eat; even their animals started dying; he wanted to be a bracero, like his father, but he was too young at the time; in 1956, Manuel married, and he and his wife later went on to have five boys and two girls; when he was eighteen years old, in 1959, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and join …
Interview No. 1221, Judith García
Interview No. 1221, Judith García
Combined Interviews
Ms. García talks about her father, who was a bracero, and details his childhood; he was not formally educated for very long, but he did learn to read and write; when he was eighteen years old, he enlisted in the bracero program; Judith was about five years old at the time; his absence was difficult for the entire family, especially her mother; she had to take on the role of being a father for her children and, she also took over the family business of making and selling mezcal; Judith recalls that many of her friends’ father’s were also braceros, …
Interview No. 1227, Guillermo C. Manzo
Interview No. 1227, Guillermo C. Manzo
Combined Interviews
Mr. Cervantes recalls his family and childhood; initially, the thought of working as a bracero was intimidating to him, because he knew how hard the work would be; when he was eighteen he traveled to Empalme, Sonora, México, with his father to enlist in the bracero program, but he became ill and had to go back home; in 1959, he returned to Empalme and began the contracting process; from Empalme he was transported by train to Mexicali, Baja California; oftentimes, he was treated poorly when he underwent physical exams and delousing procedures; he goes on to describe the various worksites, …
Interview No. 1235, Vicente Nuñez Morales
Interview No. 1235, Vicente Nuñez Morales
Combined Interviews
Mr. Nuñez talks about deciding to join the bracero program, because he could earn more money, which would go further in México; in order to get the necessary documents to enlist, he had to pick cotton for fifteen days; he then went through the contracting center in Mexicali, Baja California, México; later, he also went through the center in Empalme, Sonora, México; as part of the process he was medically examined; as a bracero, he completed a total of four contracts, and he labored in the fields of California, planting and picking lemons, peaches, tomatoes and watermelons; he goes on …
Interview No. 1241, Isabel Rodríguez
Interview No. 1241, Isabel Rodríguez
Combined Interviews
Ms. Rodríguez remembers her father, Francisco, enlisting in the bracero program in 1960, when she was roughly five years old; he later obtained his second contract in 1963; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, picking lettuce, onions, radishes and squash; when he initially left, her mother and two oldest brothers had to care for their animals and the crops he had already planted, including beans, corn and squash; in addition, her mother also had another plot of land with sugar cane; they had to hire men with mules to help bring in the crops, and the …
Interview No. 1242, Juan Rosanes
Interview No. 1242, Juan Rosanes
Combined Interviews
Mr. Rosanes briefly talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; for a brief time, he worked in the United States without proper documentation; later, he picked cotton in Sonora, México, to obtain the necessary papers to enlist in Empalme, Sonora, México, where he was medically examined; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Michigan, picking cucumbers, grapes, lemons, oranges and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the worksites, camp sizes, housing, accommodations, amenities, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, friendships, payments and recreational activities, including trips into town; on occasion, Mexican officials visited …
Interview No. 1244, Manuel Sanchez Moreno
Interview No. 1244, Manuel Sanchez Moreno
Combined Interviews
Mr. Sanchez briefly talks about his family; when he and his brother went to visit their sister in Mexicali, Baja California, México, a group of men convinced them to enlist in the bracero program, and they helped them at the center in Empalme, Sonora, México; as part of the process, they were stripped and medically examined; they began to doubt their decision to join, because everything was so far beyond what they had imagined; Manuel recalls that many men tore up their contracts when they did not get assigned to the places they wanted; as a bracero, he labored in …
Interview No. 1257, Jesus Villalba C.
Interview No. 1257, Jesus Villalba C.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Villalba talks about his family and what his life was like growing up in México; during his early twenties he married; economic necessity drove him to enlist in the bracero program in 1959; his wife was reluctant to let him go for fear he would get sick, injured or not return; as part of the contracting process, he went through the center in Empalme, Sonora, México, where he waited for thirteen days; he underwent medical exams in México and the United States; moreover, he was also fumigated upon entering the United States; during this process, he suffered greatly, because …
Interview No. 1248, Jesus Solis
Interview No. 1248, Jesus Solis
Combined Interviews
Mr. Solis talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; although joining the bracero program was never an economic necessity for him, he longed to come to the United States to know what it was like; when he was in his early twenties, he went with two of his friends to the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; they paid a lawyer who was responsible for the list of eligible workers two hundred pesos to get on the list; by the next evening they were on a train headed for the United States; during the process, …
Interview No. 1249, Nabor Solorio Lara
Interview No. 1249, Nabor Solorio Lara
Combined Interviews
Mr. Solorio briefly talks about his family; in 1958, he married, and a year later he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he went through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; there were long waiting lines, and he had to sleep on his shoes at night so they would not get stolen; as part of the process, he was stripped and medically examined on both sides of the border, but he was also deloused in the United States; as a bracero, he labored in Arizona and California, picking and packing carrots, cotton, lettuce and tomatoes; he goes on …
Interview No. 1220, Pedro García N.
Interview No. 1220, Pedro García N.
Combined Interviews
Mr. García talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; he explains that government officials went into different towns to get people to enlist in the bracero program; during the 1940s, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he comments that it was extremely difficult to join, because there were a number of strict requirements; as part of the process, he was stripped, medically examined and fumigated; if men did not pass due to illness, they were given a week to recover before going through the entire process again; every time he obtained a new …
Interview No. 1259, Jose M. Zepeda
Interview No. 1259, Jose M. Zepeda
Combined Interviews
Mr. Zepeda talks about his life in México, including his various odd jobs; he initially learned about the bracero program through newspaper announcements; during the 1960s, after completing his military service, he went to Empalme, Sonora, México with a group of roughly four hundred men to pick cotton and get the necessary papers to enlist in the program; upon arriving in the United States, he was inspected like a piece of fruit and fumigated; many men were embarrassed by the entire process; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, picking asparagus, cotton, dates, strawberries and tomatoes; he …