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Full-Text Articles in History
Interview No. 1584, Ventura Gutierrez
Interview No. 1584, Ventura Gutierrez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Gutiérrez briefly recalls his childhood and the neighborhood he grew up in; he recalls accidently setting his home on fire while playing cowboys and Indians; they lost all of their belongings in the fire and as a result they moved to a Mexican barrio; he discusses the Chicano Movement and organizations such as MEChA, UMAS, the Partido de la Raza Unida, MAPA and the U.F.W.; he briefly discusses his time in the military; in 1972, Mr. Gutiérrez married; Mr. Gutiérrez worked as a teacher’s aid at Coachella Valley High School (1976-77) and obtained his elementary teaching credentials at San …
Interview No. 1389, Felipe César Chan-Noh
Interview No. 1389, Felipe César Chan-Noh
Combined Interviews
Mr. Chan-noh briefly recalls his childhood and the financial difficulties he and his family endured; he married at the age of seventeen; when he was eighteen years old he enlisted in the Mexican military; he heard about the bracero program while in the military; he went through the hiring process several years later; he recalls the entire process, including that he recruited forty to fifty men from his hometown to join the bracero program; in addition, he mentions going through the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, México; he recalls that one of the requirements for the braceros was to have …
Interview No. 1390, Antonio Cisneros Piña
Interview No. 1390, Antonio Cisneros Piña
Combined Interviews
Mr. Cisneros speaks of the obstacles he and his family faced working in the fields of México; in 1955, he married, and two years later, he had his first daughter; soon after his wife became very ill, which prompted him to enlist in the bracero program in 1958; he discusses waiting to get on the list of available workers before traveling by train and bus to get to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; in addition, he describes the difficulties he underwent while waiting there, including becoming sick from the heat; the resulting fever kept him from passing the …
Interview No. 1392, Alma Delia Fraile Barozio
Interview No. 1392, Alma Delia Fraile Barozio
Combined Interviews
Ms. Fraile talks about her family and her life growing up; her grandfather and uncles served in the bracero program, but she was too young to remember any details; by the time she was eighteen years old, she was involved with the Confederación Nacional Campesina (CNC) and their fight for equal land rights for women on ejidos; at the time, she was also studying for a career in social work; in time, she married and had two children; she and her husband were political activists involved in various social causes and cooperative projects; some time later, she began working …
Interview No. 1397, Priciliano Suarez
Interview No. 1397, Priciliano Suarez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Suarez talks about is hometown and working in agriculture on his father’s land; he briefly recalls his family and childhood; he remembers hearing stories about his father working in the United States, which made him want to do the same; in 1953 Mr. Suarez married at the age of seventeen; he and his wife had three children; in 1959 he went through the hiring process to become a bracero; as part of the process, he was medically examined, vaccinated, and deloused; in addition he mentions going through the center in Empalme Sonora, Mexico; from there Mr. Suarez was sent …
Interview No. 1398, J. Jesus Villaseñor Santoyo
Interview No. 1398, J. Jesus Villaseñor Santoyo
Combined Interviews
Mr. Villaseñor talks about his life growing up; during the midforties, his uncle fulfilled several bracero contracts; Jesús saw how well it went for his uncle, and in 1955, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he describes how he was able to get on the list of eligible workers in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; from there, he was transported by airplane to Mexicali, Baja California, México, and then to Calexico, California, where ranchers picked the workers they wanted; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona and California picking various fruits and vegetables; he goes on to …
Interview No. 1393, Ángel Guzmán Domínguez
Interview No. 1393, Ángel Guzmán Domínguez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Guzmán talks about growing up, including his family and learning how to make shoes; one of his uncles served in the bracero program, which convinced him to do the same; in 1944, he and five of his friends traveled by boat, bus and train before finally arriving at the contacting station in Queretaro, México; with the proper documentation, he was quickly called and passed all the medical exams; he explains that the men in Queretaro went straight to the railroads, while those processed in Guanajuato, México, went to work in the fields; from the contracting center he was transported …
Interview No. 1396, Jesús Soberano Rodríguez
Interview No. 1396, Jesús Soberano Rodríguez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Soberano talks about helping his father with the livestock at a very young age; in 1959, at the age of nineteen, he went through the hiring process to become a bracero; as part of the process, he was medically examined and deloused; in addition, he talks about the embarrassment he endured during the examination; he traveled to Mexico City, Mexico and then to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; his first contract was in El Centro, California working in the cotton fields; he recalls the working conditions while caring for livestock in El Centro, California; Mr. Soberano recalls …
Interview No. 1395, Ofelia Morales
Interview No. 1395, Ofelia Morales
Combined Interviews
Mrs. Morales discusses making blouses at home and selling them to a maquilladora; Mrs. Morales recalls that her father inherited land and he cultivated guayaba; a priest visited with her parents in order to discuss Mr. Felix Loera’s marriage proposal; she recalls her parents being very upset; she was sixteen yeas old when she married Mr. Felix Loera; they had one son, Abadón; they learned of the bracero program in their hometown; she moved back to her parents home while her husband was working in the bracero program; she talks about receiving money from her husband and how she travelled …
Interview No. 1394, Félix Loera Carrillo
Interview No. 1394, Félix Loera Carrillo
Combined Interviews
Mr. Loera briefly describes his family and how they worked on an hacienda, but they did not live there; when he was seventeen years old, he came to the United States to work, without documents, in the hope of having a better life; after two years, he returned to México and shortly thereafter married; by the late fifties, he and his wife had two children and were struggling to make ends meet, which led to his decision to enlist in the bracero program; although most men had to pay to get on the list of available workers, he knew someone …
Interview No. 1391, Nicasio Cortinas Ortíz
Interview No. 1391, Nicasio Cortinas Ortíz
Combined Interviews
Mr. Cortinaz Ortíz briefly recalls his childhood and the financial difficulties he and his family endured; he talks about his hometown and working in agriculture while growing up; he married ten days before he joined the bracero program; when he was twenty-five years old, he heard about a call for braceros and decided to enlist in the program; he traveled to the contracting center in Monterrey, México; he details the harsh conditions he and the other men endured while waiting at the center; his first contract took him to work in the cotton fields of Texas; he goes on to …
Interview No. 1616, Cynthia Weber Farah Haines
Interview No. 1616, Cynthia Weber Farah Haines
Combined Interviews
Cynthia Weber Farah married in to the Farah family, and she recalls Farah family life during critical moments for the company. Weber Farah remembers that family was very important and how the Farah’s tried to maintain the image as the ideal American family. She described her reflections regarding the Farah Strike, and she blames outsider disruption as the main reason for the strike, but also notes other possible factors such as sexual harassment and bad decisionmaking. According to Farah Weber, the company had offered great benefits to its employees before the strike for example, free transportation, eyeglasses, and turkeys for …
Interview No. 1619, Ray Williams
Interview No. 1619, Ray Williams
Combined Interviews
Ray Williams was once a President of Farah in El Paso, TX; He describes being the Vice President of HD Lee Mercantile Company that produced Lee Jeans; He visited Farah to negotiate a potential buy out of Farah and account for the state of the company and value; He mentions that for whatever reason the company did not purchase Farah; He recalls Willie Farah offering him a job to run Farah, felt it would create problems but took the job; Mr. Williams started for Farah in 1978 and left in 1984; He describes as the business became more profitable Willie …
Interview No. 1615, Mike Mitchell
Interview No. 1615, Mike Mitchell
Combined Interviews
Mike Mitchell worked for Farah from 1979 to 2002. In 1976, Mitchell had first heard of Farah while working in Arizona at the Diamond department store, where he sold pants. He moved to El Paso and began working for Farah where he became Senior Vice President of Marketing in 1989. He continued to be promoted within the company in 1990 he served the company as Executive Vice President of Sales and in 1992 he became President of Farah. As an employee, Mitchell remembered enjoying spending time with Willy Farah and many other top executives at the company. He also explained …
Interview No. 1617, Guadalupe Session
Interview No. 1617, Guadalupe Session
Combined Interviews
Guadalupe Session was a garment inspector supervisor for Farah in El Paso, TX; she was born December 12, 1933 in El Paso, her mother from Mexico, her father from Oklahoma; she is the second of five children; she had to quit school to help with family; initially, she worked at a restaurant, then started working for Farah in 1952. Ms. Session recalls her initial position inspecting finished garments; describes the factory on San Francisco St. where Joe Farah was her manager; she outlines the managers at the time by floor in the factory; she describes the first clinic for Farah …
Interview No. 1285, María Concepción Loza-González
Interview No. 1285, María Concepción Loza-González
Combined Interviews
Ms. Loza-González talks about her family and what it was like for her growing up; her older brother, Juan, worked as a bracero in Michigan and Texas; he often sent money home to his mom to help care for his siblings and send them to school; María describes how hard it was for the family to survive while he was gone; the entire family had to adapt to his absence, including changes in their daily chores for working the land and caring for the animals; it was especially difficult to wait for word from him, because the mail took so …
Interview No. 1289, Lucina González Loza
Interview No. 1289, Lucina González Loza
Combined Interviews
Ms. González talks about her family and what her life was like growing up; in 1938, when she was fifteen years old, she married Cayetano Loza Ornelas, who was twenty-two years old; a year later, they had their first son, Juan; they went on to have thirteen children in total, six boys and six girls, but one son passed away; two of their sons, Juan and Manuel, enrolled in the bracero program; Juan enlisted when he was roughly thirty years old, and two years later, Manuel joined him at the age of twenty; although they did not earn much, the …
Interview No. 1284, Cayetano Loza Ornelas
Interview No. 1284, Cayetano Loza Ornelas
Combined Interviews
Mr. Loza talks about the hacienda where he grew up and how it gradually changed over time, eventually becoming a city; in addition, he explains what it was like living and working on an ejido; in 1942, government officials went to ranches in buses to enlist and take people for the bracero program; he describes the indecision many men faced with regard to joining the program, working on the hacienda, or taking over an ejido; although he never became a bracero, his brother, José, and two sons, Juan and Manuel, did; Cayetano discusses how his sons were able to get …
Interview No. 1614, John Alvarado
Interview No. 1614, John Alvarado
Combined Interviews
John Alvarado witnessed what at the time was one the most fatal traffic accidents in New Mexico involving the Clifford Family; he was attending New Mexico State University at the time in 1979-1980, he was in car with his friends Steve Glover, Ronny Kemp, he was going to go watch the horse races in Ruidoso; was a passenger while Steve Glover was driving; he describes a vehicle that he believes to have been a Ford Bronco in front of them was attempting a U-turn on the road when it hit an eighteen wheeler coming in the opposite direction near the …
Interview No. 1288, J. Carmen Quezada Morales
Interview No. 1288, J. Carmen Quezada Morales
Combined Interviews
Mr. Quezada talks about his family, his parents in particular and their variety of trades; when the bracero program started in 1942, he often heard people talk about it; many men were afraid of being taken to war if they enlisted; in 1949, he joined the program, and he went with a group of friends to the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; he describes the long waiting time and the medical exams, including injections and blood samples; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming, picking, cleaning, and pruning different fruits and vegetables; …
Interview No. 1283, Matiana Ibarra Quintana
Interview No. 1283, Matiana Ibarra Quintana
Combined Interviews
Ms. Ibarra recalls her childhood and learning to read at the age of fourteen through a cultural mission program; by the time she was twenty, she was married and pregnant with her first child; her first born son was two years old when her husband enlisted in the bracero program; he went to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, and waited for fifteen days before getting called; while he was gone she suffered greatly; shortly after he left, their son became very ill and ultimately passed away; it was not until later that she learned the day her husband left for the United …
Interview No. 1280, Librado Briceño Domínguez
Interview No. 1280, Librado Briceño Domínguez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Briceño talks about his family and what life was like growing up on a ranch; his older brother, Guadalupe, and a number of his friends and cousins worked as braceros; when Librado was roughly twenty-three years old, he decided to enlist in the bracero program with his brother; they left for Empalme, Sonora, México, and Librado left behind his wife and two children; he describes the process of getting his name on the list of available workers, which included payment, even if not using a coyote; while waiting in Empalme, sometimes for up to two months, he worked on …
Interview No. 1287, Mercedes Pérez Salazar
Interview No. 1287, Mercedes Pérez Salazar
Combined Interviews
Ms. Pérez talks about her family and what life was like growing up with her grandmother; in addition, she remembers always having to carry water home from the well, which was far away; she describes meeting José Biurquis Hernández and their ensuing courtship; when she was twenty-four years old, they were married; they lived with his mother and sisters, and they all got along very well; José worked selling ice and sweet potatoes in town; a year later, José and Mercedes had their first daughter; not long after, he was not making enough money, and he decided to enlist in …
Interview No. 1281, Plutarco Chávez Ruiz
Interview No. 1281, Plutarco Chávez Ruiz
Combined Interviews
Mr. Chávez talks about his family and growing up on a ranch; when he was roughly sixteen years old, his older brother enlisted in the bracero program; a number of his friends did as well, so he often heard about the program; by the time he was twenty-four years old, he was married and had two children; hoping for a better life, he also enlisted as a bracero; he describes the difficulties he faced in Empalme, Sonora, México, and what it was like for him while he waited there; in addition, he underwent brief physical exams while there and much …
Interview No. 1286, Beatriz Martínez Hernández
Interview No. 1286, Beatriz Martínez Hernández
Combined Interviews
Ms. Martínez briefly mentions her family and childhood; during her adolescence she worked helping a woman cook and clean; Beatriz describes meeting her husband and the four year courtship that ensued; they eventually married when she was roughly sixteen years old, and they stayed in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México; in 1953, her husband enlisted in the bracero program; he went through the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, where he endured long lines and physical exams before obtaining a forty day contract; at the time, he and Beatriz had three children and lived on their own; his family knew he …
Interview No. 1282, Dionisio Hernández Canchola
Interview No. 1282, Dionisio Hernández Canchola
Combined Interviews
Mr. Hernández recalls that sometime during the late fifties or early sixties, he enlisted in the bracero program, and he went through a contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; he comments that he went with one of his brothers-in-law, but they were separated during the x-ray portion of their processing; they did, however, meet up later while in the United States, and they picked cotton together; as a bracero, Dionisio labored in the fields of California and Texas until the program ended in 1964; he goes on to briefly recount the different worksites, housing, payment, treatment, and recreational activities; …