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Articles 391 - 420 of 1937

Full-Text Articles in History

Interview No. 1428, Luis Barozio Ceja Jun 2008

Interview No. 1428, Luis Barozio Ceja

Combined Interviews

Mr. Barozio talks about his family and what life was like growing up; he also chronicles the movement from working as peons to owning a small piece of land on an ejido; during the early forties, while studying as a veterinarian at the university in México, Distrito Federal, he ran out of money, and he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he describes the medical exams he underwent as part of the contracting process; because he had been a student up until he enlisted, he took a number of his books with him when crossing into the United …

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Interview No. 1453, María Guadalupe Salcedo Gudiño Jun 2008

Interview No. 1453, María Guadalupe Salcedo Gudiño

Combined Interviews

Ms. Salcedo talks about what her life was like growing up; she vividly recalls having to collect buckets of water on a daily basis from a river that was relatively far away; when she was sixteen years old, she met a man on her ranch, and soon after, they married; his parents passed away when he was eleven years old, leaving him the home where he and María lived; by 1955, they had three children, and he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he left with a group of men from nearby ranches; ultimately, he went through contracting centers …

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Interview No. 1432, Tiburcio Delgado Garfia Jun 2008

Interview No. 1432, Tiburcio Delgado Garfia

Combined Interviews

Mr. Delgado briefly discusses his family; some of his relatives and neighbors enlisted in the bracero program; his uncles returned to México with enough money to buy land and animals; he decided to join the program in the hope of providing more for his wife; Tiburcio offers a detailed description of the process to get on the list of eligible workers; moreover, in order to enlist, the men had to pay between four and five hundred pesos; he had to give up part of his land in order to get a loan to enroll in the program; later, when men …

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Interview No. 1434, Pedro Domínguez Castillo Jun 2008

Interview No. 1434, Pedro Domínguez Castillo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Domínguez describes his childhood; he went to school in a different town but had to stop, because his family needed help with their fishing; when he was sixteen he heard about the bracero program; he ultimately decided to enlist in 1958, out of economic necessity; at the time, he was married and had one daughter; he traveled with a group of fifteen men to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; while there he underwent medical examinations and had to wait for only three days to obtain a contract; he completed a total of three contracts and labored in …

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Interview No. 1430, Vicente Campos Cruz Jun 2008

Interview No. 1430, Vicente Campos Cruz

Combined Interviews

Mr. Campos vividly describes his childhood and spending most of his time fishing with his family; in 1952, he came to the United States without documentation and worked in Los Angeles, California for roughly six months; he was eventually stopped by immigration officials and sent back to México; some time after, he married, and he and his wife began having children; in 1960, he decided to enlist in the bracero program in order to better provide for his family; he describes the process of providing the list of available workers to government officials and going to the contracting center; as …

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Interview No. 1443, Salvador Morales Quiroz Jun 2008

Interview No. 1443, Salvador Morales Quiroz

Combined Interviews

Mr. Morales talks about going to school as a child and how he primarily spoke Purépeche or Tarasco and very little Spanish; growing up, he heard about the bracero program and how men earned more money in the United States, especially given the dollar to peso ratio; during the midfifties, he decided to enlist as a bracero, and he later obtained another contract in 1960; he mentions getting on the list of available workers and waiting for a month before leaving; because he knew he would buy clothes in the United States he only took a small bag with one …

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Interview No. 1429, Audelia Bentura Cortéz Jun 2008

Interview No. 1429, Audelia Bentura Cortéz

Combined Interviews

Ms. Bentura describes what her life was like growing up; her family was very poor, and they suffered greatly; she briefly recounts her courtship with her husband and how he asked for her hand in marriage with his parents, who were also fishermen; after Audelia married she went to live with her in-laws; she helped her mother-in-law with household chores, including preparing meals for the family and the help and cleaning the fish; after eight years of marriage and four children, her husband enlisted in the bracero program, with one of her brothers; they labored in the fields of Texas; …

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Interview No. 1435, Clara Eligio Tenorio Jun 2008

Interview No. 1435, Clara Eligio Tenorio

Combined Interviews

Ms. Eligio briefly talks about her family; she later married at the age of sixteen; her husband served in the bracero program and completed two contracts; he left with her brother, which helped her feel more at ease; in the United States her husband picked tomatoes and was gone for a few months at a time; while he was away she made nets to sell, which was how she survived; moreover, she was also able to catch and sell fish to supplement her income; she lived with her mother-in-law, and they had a good relationship; Clara was also able to …

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Interview No. 1437, Nicolás Grimaldo Andrade Jun 2008

Interview No. 1437, Nicolás Grimaldo Andrade

Combined Interviews

Mr. Grimaldo talks about his family and hometown; when he was growing up, his parents did not own the land they worked, which was problematic; during the early fifties, one of his older brothers enlisted in the bracero program and worked in Michigan; Nicolás would pick up the letters and money his brother sent home; in 1955, at the age of twenty-two, he decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps and become a bracero; he describes the process and necessary paperwork to enlist at the contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; on two separate occasions, while passing though Chihuahua, …

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Interview No. 1439, Hilario Martínez Cortez Jun 2008

Interview No. 1439, Hilario Martínez Cortez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Martínez talks about his family and life growing up on an hacienda; moreover, he weeps upon recollecting his early childhood and his father’s subsequent death; he also remembers one of his older brothers trying to enlist in the bracero program but not being accepted; sometime later, Hilario began working as a tailor, but he did not make enough money, which led him to enroll in the program; his family did not want him to go, because they were afraid he would not return; even so, he went through contracting centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Monterrey, Nuevo León, and Empalme, …

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Interview No. 1425, Santos Alejandro González Jun 2008

Interview No. 1425, Santos Alejandro González

Combined Interviews

Mr. González talks about growing up on an ejido and the various difficulties he and his family faced; in 1952, he and his cousin came to work in the United States without documents, because they did not know about the bracero program; two years later, in 1954, Santos was able to enlist as a bracero in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; the contracting process was especially difficult due to the examinations and delousing procedures he underwent; he describes how he and other men suffered and how they were treated like rented animals; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of …

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Interview No. 1442, Roberto Meléndez López Jun 2008

Interview No. 1442, Roberto Meléndez López

Combined Interviews

Mr. Meléndez talks about his family and growing up on an ejido where he learned to work the land and care for animals; when the land did not produce enough crops to maintain the family, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; his father was too old to work, and he had to help support the family; in 1955, he went to Monterrey, Nuevo León, México with the necessary paperwork and joined the program; as a bracero, he worked in Arkansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin picking, irrigating and driving a tractor in the beet, corn, cotton and tomato …

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Interview No. 1431, Santos Cruz Hernández Jun 2008

Interview No. 1431, Santos Cruz Hernández

Combined Interviews

Mr. Cruz briefly talks about his family and his parents in particular; he recalls the difficulties they faced living on an ejido; in 1942, he learned about the bracero program and how some men worked on the railroads; a few years later, in 1945, he decided to enlist in the program; he usually traveled by bus to the contracting centers with groups of fifteen to thirty men; roughly eighty men from his ejido joined the program; from the center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, he was transported to Hidalgo, Texas, where ranchers picked the workers they wanted; as a …

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Interview No. 1445, Roman Olivares Hernandez Jun 2008

Interview No. 1445, Roman Olivares Hernandez

Combined Interviews

Olivares Hernandez traveled to Monterrey with his father. Hernandez studied in Monterey, México until high school. After he studied, he traveled to the United States to work without documentation. In 1958, Olivares was hired in the bracero program. The first place where Olivares worked was Allenton, Michigan picking cucumber. His bosses treated him well and were very happy about that. The food offered in the fields was really good, once the braceros complained about the food and his bosses fixed the problem. Olivares is very disappointed because the American government did not give him his retirement money and he is …

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Interview No. 1447, Rosalío Padilla Barajas Jun 2008

Interview No. 1447, Rosalío Padilla Barajas

Combined Interviews

Mr. Padilla talks about his family, how they became part of an ejido and what life was like for them; he also offers a detailed description of the agricultural restructuring occurring during the midthirties; life was extremely difficult, and some of his brothers enlisted in the bracero program; Rosalío eventually decided to follow in their footsteps after he and his family faced problems with the ejido; as part of the contracting process, he underwent medical exams and was stripped and deloused; after bathing, he and other men were kept naked and told to exercise in an attempt to determine …

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Interview No. 1455, Orfa Noemí Soberanis González Jun 2008

Interview No. 1455, Orfa Noemí Soberanis González

Combined Interviews

Ms. Soberanis describes growing up on an hacienda with her family, including the different homes she lived in and moving around a lot; she remembers helping her mother run the household and making tortillas; when she was nineteen years old, she met her husband, who was four years older than her; he asked for her hand in marriage, and they had to wait for six months before getting married; she vividly recounts all the various details of the wedding, from her dress and shoes to the church and great party that followed; they lived in a home her father-in-law had …

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Interview No. 1601, Esteban Chavez May 2008

Interview No. 1601, Esteban Chavez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Chavez recalls that in 1943 he tried to go as a bracero but was rejected because of his age; once he turned eighteen he was contracted along with his two older brothers; he recalls it taking two days to sign his contract, consequently they slept on the floor near the train; he recalls the health check by Mexican doctors, having their hands inspected, and being disinfected for lice; he recalls working in El Paso, making .40 cents a pound, and driving large machinery; he remembers fifty men sleeping in a barrack, using the river to bathe, and not having …

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Interview No. 1399, Rodolfo Balderrama Apr 2008

Interview No. 1399, Rodolfo Balderrama

Combined Interviews

Rodolfo Balderrama had some ranches in Satevó Chihuahua, México. He heard of the Bracero Program from a few ranch hands who had worked in the program. Coupled with curiosity and poverty, Rodolfo decided to try the program for himself. He experienced the lengthy entrance portion of the Bracero Program where his hands were closely examined for callouses, nicks and cuts; signs that proved he worked on a ranch/farm. Rodolfo was given x-rays to determine if he had tuberculosis and was searched in his head for lice. He traveled to many cities around the United States while working for the Bracero …

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Interview No. 1400, Ezequiel García Apr 2008

Interview No. 1400, Ezequiel García

Combined Interviews

Ezequiel García entered the Bracero Program in 1952 when he was 20 years old. As a bracero in the Bracero Program, Ezequiel pick various fruits, vegetables and plants such as sugar beets, tomato, cabbage, lettuce, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower and tobacco. Ezequiel earned $0.75 cents an hour for his work in the Bracero Program and worked for several different employers for lengthy amounts of time. He recounts nothing but fond memories and feels grateful to his employers who treated him well. Ezequiel found the procedures for entrance to the Bracero Programs in order and without problems. Ezequiel worked very hard …

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Interview No. 1624, J. Halbert Gambrell Mar 2008

Interview No. 1624, J. Halbert Gambrell

Combined Interviews

In this interview, J. Halbert (“Hal”) Gambrell shares his memories of his colorful family, early El Paso, and his military experiences during both World War II and the Korean War. Born in El Paso in 1920, Gambrell entered this world in the family home due to his physician father’s decision to avoid local hospitals overflowing with Spanish Influenza patients. His father had recently returned from service in France during World War I; earlier he had served under General Jack “Black” Pershing during the latter’s 1916 punitive expedition into Mexico in Pershing’s ill-fated attempt to capture Pancho Villa. Gambrell continues to …

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Interview No. 1633, Frank W. Gorman Jr. Mar 2008

Interview No. 1633, Frank W. Gorman Jr.

Combined Interviews

Frank W. Gorman, Jr. was born in El Paso on June 20, 1924. His parents were Frank Gorman and Eloise Knotts. His father was from Chattanooga, TN, and his mother was from Lucas, TX, but had been raised in Mexico. He describes his grandfather’s mining work in Durango and Guanajuato during the Mexican Revolution. Mr. Gorman’s father was a Lieutenant during WWI, and met Eloise in El Paso when he came to start a supply company. Mr. Gorman attended El Paso High School and then served in the Navy, but the war ended before he could be sent overseas. After …

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Interview No. 1637, Louis B. Mckee Mar 2008

Interview No. 1637, Louis B. Mckee

Combined Interviews

Louis B. McKee is the son of Robert E. McKee, founder of the R. E. McKee General Contractors in El Paso, TX; he was born in El Paso in 1933; and graduated from Austin High School; he explains why he went to University of New Mexico, and studied civil engineering; he mentions completing Navy ROTC, being a Marine Corps Officer a few years; he recounts his family, working for the family’s construction company; he reveals why he later quit the company, disagreed with the direction of new non-family leadership that didn’t have the experience; he mentions the company was moved …

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Interview No. 1422, Luis Zamudio Mar 2008

Interview No. 1422, Luis Zamudio

Combined Interviews

Luis Ruiz Zamudio was born in Moroleón Guanajuato, México on August 19th, 1935. Moroleón was a town known for creating shawls (rebozos) and according to Luis, 99% of the townspeople work in one form or another in creating shawls. When Luis was between the ages of 8-10 years old, he began making bobbins and spools for shawl making. However, shawl manufacturing did not pay enough and Luis’s parents had to still take care to plant a plot if corn every year. When he was in the 6th grade, he and his siblings left school to start working full time. Luis …

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Interview No. 1628, Ariel Rodriguez Mar 2008

Interview No. 1628, Ariel Rodriguez

Combined Interviews

Dr. Rodriguez recalls time while in the Army, went to Vietnam to work in a field hospital for a year, also worked in civilian ones; he describes later duties at Ft. Bragg, NC, then Puerto Rico; he mentions service during the invasion of the Dominican Republic; he recalls coming to El Paso in 1969, describes the conditions at William Beaumont Army Hospital during its building. He recounts how he became the Associate Dean at Texas Tech Medical; he goes over the interview process and his office; he describes the programs he developed, setting up clinicals for students; he states that …

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Interview No. 1357, Angel M. Moreno Jan 2008

Interview No. 1357, Angel M. Moreno

Combined Interviews

Mr. Moreno talks about his family, his hometown and what his life was like growing up; he learned about the bracero program when it began through the newspapers and radio; when he was sixteen years old, he worked at a bakery; after a fight with his boss, he was fired, which prompted him to enlist as a bracero; he describes the requirements and the general questions he had to answer about farming; while waiting at the center, which was in a stadium, there were so many people that a stampede ensued and many were injured; he was eventually transported by …

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Interview No. 1330, José Natividad Alva Medina Jan 2008

Interview No. 1330, José Natividad Alva Medina

Combined Interviews

Mr. Alva talks about his childhood, family, and father, who was abusive, which led him to seek a life outside of his home very early on; growing up, he worked picking cotton in various places throughout México, and this eventually led him to enlist in the bracero program; he details the process he went through to get the necessary paperwork for the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; from there, he and the other men were loaded in cargo trains, about one hundred per box car, and transported to Calexico, California; he was treated so badly that he wanted to …

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Interview No. 1364, Jorge Ortiz Marquez Jan 2008

Interview No. 1364, Jorge Ortiz Marquez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ortiz talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; when he was eighteen, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he describes the contracting process he went through in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, including the long waiting times and medical exams; from there he was transported in a cargo train to El Paso, Texas; he explains that roughly one thousand five hundred men were transferred daily; once in El Paso, he was taken to a center called Rio Vista, where he underwent further assessments and delousing procedures; afterward, he was fed, but the food had …

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Interview No. 1368, Lorenzo Perla Jan 2008

Interview No. 1368, Lorenzo Perla

Combined Interviews

Mr. Perla talks about coming to work in the United States during the late 1940s without proper documentation; in 1949, while working in New Mexico, he was taken to El Paso, Texas to obtain documents through the bracero program; he describes the process he underwent in El Paso, including medical exams and delousing procedures, which made him feel like he was looked down upon; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Michigan, New Mexico and Texas, picking beets, cabbage, cotton, cucumbers and lettuce, and he completed three contracts; in addition, he worked as a cook and drove tractors; …

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Interview No. 1387, Julian Velazquez Jan 2008

Interview No. 1387, Julian Velazquez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Velazquez at the age of seven started taking care of animals and working in the agricultural fields. In 1950, he made the decision to travel to Juárez to find an opportunity to be hired in the bracero program. He paid $50 pesos to be hired and was moved the next day to El Paso, Texas. He received a contract to work picking cotton in the city of La Mesa, New Mexico, earning $0.40 an hour. Following that contract, Velazquez returned to the United States to work in the state of California picking strawberries. The next destination was Suinsun City, …

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Interview No. 1333, Sara Arrieta Hernández Jan 2008

Interview No. 1333, Sara Arrieta Hernández

Combined Interviews

Sara’s father, Pedro Arrieta González, worked as a bracero; she vividly describes how poor she and her family were while she was growing up; there were times when they went days without eating, until her father was able to send them money from the United States; they were always happy to have him back home; prior to becoming a bracero, he made brooms; he repeatedly mentioned how fond he was of the United States, especially because it was so different; his first contract was in 1942, the year before Sara was born; she comments that virtually every time he returned …

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