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Articles 631 - 660 of 1937

Full-Text Articles in History

Interview No. 1246, Isaias Sanchez May 2006

Interview No. 1246, Isaias Sanchez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Sanchez talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; when he was fifteen years old, he wanted to join the bracero program, but he had to wait until he completed his military service; he describes the difficulties he faced trying to enlist and the centers he went through in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Monterrey, Nuevo León and Empalme, Sonora, México; as part of the contracting process, he was stripped, medically examined and deloused; although re-contracting at these centers was initially difficult, over time he got to know people who helped him and was later able to buy …

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Interview No. 1202, Jesus Aceves Gutierres May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1203, Jose Aguilar May 2006

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, …

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Interview No. 1205, Agustín Alvarez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1207, Mario P. Beltran May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1208, Efraín Benítez Satana May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1214, Alfonso Ceja May 2006

Interview No. 1214, Alfonso Ceja

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ceja briefly mentions his family; in 1954, he traveled to Mexicali, Baja California, México to enlist in the bracero program; in addition, he went through contracting centers in Hermosillo and Empalme, Sonora, and Irapuato, Guanajuato, but he was not always able to get a contract; he also describes the transportation from the centers to border towns and how he was treated badly upon being physically examined and deloused; oftentimes the men would faint when blood samples were collected, because they were so weak and malnourished; as a bracero he worked mainly in California, where his primary job was to …

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Interview No. 1218, José García Díaz May 2006

Interview No. 1218, José García Díaz

Combined Interviews

Mr. García briefly mentions his family and childhood; he talks about how difficult it was to find work in México and how oftentimes it was not enough to support a family; in 1954, he traveled to Mexicali, Baja California, and enlisted in the bracero program; while there, he had to present his military ID card and pass the physical exams; upon arriving in the United States, he was examined again and fumigated; as a bracero his primary job was picking dates and caring for palm trees, in Coachella and Indio, California; he goes on to describe the various worksites, duties, …

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Interview No. 1219, Manuel Garcia May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1221, Judith García May 2006

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, …

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Interview No. 1235, Vicente Nuñez Morales May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1237, Juan H. Perez May 2006

Interview No. 1237, Juan H. Perez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Perez briefly talks about his family; he initially learned about the bracero program when he was fourteen years old, but he was not old enough to enlist; instead, he decided to come to the United States to work without proper documentation when he was sixteen years old; his grandmother lived on the border between Mexicali, Baja California, México and Calexico, California, which was how he crossed over; with the money he earned he was able to help his parents and siblings in México; once he was old enough, he enlisted as a bracero; when he crossed into the United …

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Interview No. 1247, Melitona M. Santacruz May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1251, Roberto Sotelo A. May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1256, Eulalio Verazas May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1238, Jose V. Perez May 2006

Interview No. 1238, Jose V. Perez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Perez talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; moreover, he offers several anecdotes about his life in México; during the mid-1940s, he worked in the United States without proper documentation before learning about the bracero program; in 1956, he decided to enlist in the program; he describes the centers he went though in Monterrey, Nuevo León and Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, where he paid five hundred pesos to go through the process more quickly; from the center he was transported by cargo train to the border in El Paso, Texas; he was also stripped, medically …

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Interview No. 1244, Manuel Sanchez Moreno May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1257, Jesus Villalba C. May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1248, Jesus Solis May 2006

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, …

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Interview No. 1249, Nabor Solorio Lara May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1220, Pedro García N. May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1259, Jose M. Zepeda May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1182, Margarita Saldivar May 2006

Interview No. 1182, Margarita Saldivar

Combined Interviews

Ms. Saldivar briefly mentions her family and childhood; what she remembers most is her father, Francisco Leopoldo Saldívar, always talking to her about the United States and how it was a completely different country where people lived very well; he frequently spoke of the relationships he formed and how he felt free; on weekends he would make pancakes and bacon, because he missed the food so much; although he worked a lot, he enjoyed his time in the United States and longed to return, but he never had the opportunity; he enlisted when he was eighteen years old and regularly …

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Interview No. 1167, Rafael Cortez May 2006

Interview No. 1167, Rafael Cortez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Cortez describes how the Mexican government would often send notices about forty-five day contracts with the bracero program to various cities throughout the country; upon receiving these announcements, men would travel to designated work locations in order to obtain the necessary paperwork for contracting centers; Rafael went to the center in Empalme, Sonora, México, to enlist in the program; he states that there were over twenty-five thousand men waiting at the center, but there were only between three and five thousand men processed daily; Rafael goes on to describe the medical assessments he underwent while at the center; upon …

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Interview No. 1166, Pedro Benitez May 2006

Interview No. 1166, Pedro Benitez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Benitez vividly describes his childhood, including the deaths of his mother and grandmother, being abandoned by his father, and the various resulting difficulties he and his two sisters faced; he sobs at the recollection of such events; growing up, he wandered from place to place in search of work and a place to stay; he later began picking cotton in the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Sonora; while in Sonora, during the early fifties, he picked two thousand kilograms of cotton, which allowed him to travel to Empalme, Sonora, to enlist in the bracero program; as a bracero, he …

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Interview No. 1174, Aurelio L. Marin May 2006

Interview No. 1174, Aurelio L. Marin

Combined Interviews

Mr. Marin recalls his father and uncles working as braceros; they would often tell him what life was like in the United States; at the age of eighteen, he decided to follow in their footsteps with the hopes of earning enough money to return to México and buy land; after receiving his military ID card and the required letter of recommendation, he went to Empalme, Sonora, México, but he had to pay money and pick cotton before being able to begin the contracting process; there were thousands of men waiting for a contract; the men were examined while there, but …

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Interview No. 1177, Heriberto Rivas L. May 2006

Interview No. 1177, Heriberto Rivas L.

Combined Interviews

future for himself in helping his dad work the land nor did he see the opportunity to further his education; when he was sixteen, he came to the United States illegally; he was caught by immigration officials, and they told him about the bracero program; in 1955, he was able to obtain a bracero contract in Hermosillo, Sonora, México; he describes sneaking into the center, because there were more than twenty thousand men, and he knew he would not make it; he was then transported by train to Mexicali, Baja California, México, and then to Calexico, California; while there he …

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Interview No. 1178, Jesús Rivera L. May 2006

Interview No. 1178, Jesús Rivera L.

Combined Interviews

Mr. Rivera talks about his father who became a permanent resident of the United States in the early 1900s and was repatriated during the massive deportations of the 1930s; in 1942, his father returned to the United States as a bracero and stayed with the program until 1953; as the eldest son, Jesús was left to care for his family while his father was away; in 1956, against his father’s wishes, he went to Empalme, Sonora, México, to enlist as a bracero; he describes the difficulties of surviving while waiting as well as the rudeness of the exams; from there …

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Interview No. 1180, Carlos Fuentes May 2006

Interview No. 1180, Carlos Fuentes

Combined Interviews

Mr. Fuentes briefly describes his family, childhood, and adolescence; he becomes emotional and cries upon recalling his decision to become a bracero in the hopes of financially helping his family; initially, he went through the contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, to enlist as a bracero; he goes on to explain the requirements, general exams, including immunizations and delousing procedures, and the overall process he underwent at the various centers he went through; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, Michigan, Texas, and Wyoming, picking beets, cotton, cucumbers, lemons, and lettuce; he details the different worksites, …

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Interview No. 1172, Marselina Meza Lo. May 2006

Interview No. 1172, Marselina Meza Lo.

Combined Interviews

Ms. Meza describes her family and what life was like growing up in a small town; her family owned a parcel of land where they planted beans, corn, and wheat; she recalls never going to school very much, because she helped care for her younger siblings; her father was a bracero in the late fifties and early sixties; he worked in California and Texas, usually on forty-five day contracts, three to four times a year; when he was gone, she and her mother were left to care for the children and work the land; in 1962, she married Nemencio Meza …

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