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University of Texas at El Paso

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Articles 661 - 690 of 1937

Full-Text Articles in History

Interview No. 1173, Sabas Luna May 2006

Interview No. 1173, Sabas Luna

Combined Interviews

Mr. Luna recounts his childhood and adolescence, particularly his experiences as a young campesino; he recalls his dad working as a bracero, which helped his family financially, but left him without a father’s guidance; consequently, he and his older brother had to care for the family and show their younger siblings how to work; at eighteen, he obtained his first bracero contract in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, which took him to Arkansas; it rained too much there for him to earn any money; the following year, he went through a center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, which took him to a …

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Interview No. 1181, Perfecta Rivas De Rodriguez May 2006

Interview No. 1181, Perfecta Rivas De Rodriguez

Combined Interviews

Ms. Rivas de Rodriguez briefly discusses her family and childhood; she recalls hearing about the courtship between her mother and father; in the midfifties her father enlisted in the bracero program, which financially helped her family, and they were able to move out of her paternal grandfather’s home and into their own; she remembers that there were always notices around town to sign up for the program; the men had to stay anywhere between eight and fifteen days in Empalme, Sonora, México; while waiting some men ate banana peels or nothing at all, and they used cardboard as blankets; the …

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Interview No. 1183, Irene Solis May 2006

Interview No. 1183, Irene Solis

Combined Interviews

Ms. Solis recalls that there was no rain during the 1957 sowing season, which left them with no food or money; her husband, Fernando Barrios Domínguez, and other men from town tried to enlist in the bracero program, but they did not make it; later that same year they were able to travel to Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, and obtain a contract; although he never spoke much about his experiences, Irene recalls hearing her father-in-law assert that the men only left home out of necessity; moreover, he repeated that they were treated worse than animals while having to endure being …

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Interview No. 1168, Rafael Covarrubias May 2006

Interview No. 1168, Rafael Covarrubias

Combined Interviews

Mr. Covarrubias briefly mentions his family and childhood; by the time he was twenty-two, he had a wife and a son, but they were in desperate need of financial assistance, which prompted him to join the bracero program; he traveled to the contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, where his paperwork was thoroughly checked, and he was medically examined; from there, he was transported, free of cost, by cargo train to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, then he crossed into El Paso, Texas, and finally, he was taken by bus to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; later, as …

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Interview No. 1164, J. Ezequiel Acevedo Perez May 2006

Interview No. 1164, J. Ezequiel Acevedo Perez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Acevedo talks about his family and childhood; as a child, his father often labored on the railroads in the United States under the bracero program; whenever he was gone, José was left to care for his younger siblings; when he was roughly seventeen, he traveled to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, with his father, to join the program; José describes the process he underwent while there, as well as how embarrassing the physical exams were, because he was stripped naked in front of everyone; moreover, upon arriving in the United States he endured similar assessments, and he was also deloused; as …

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Interview No. 1179, Nicolas S. Saldaña May 2006

Interview No. 1179, Nicolas S. Saldaña

Combined Interviews

Mr. Saldaña describes his very humble upbringing; his father was an undocumented worker in the United States and initially sent money home to his family, but he eventually stopped; his mother and sisters were left on their own, and he weeps at the recollection of how much they suffered; in 1957, he decided to enlist as a bracero with the hopes of earning money to help his family; he explains what he went through at the different processing centers in México, including paying money to gather all the required documents, the hundreds of thousands of men waiting for contracts, how …

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Interview No. 1171, Refugio L. Saldaña May 2006

Interview No. 1171, Refugio L. Saldaña

Combined Interviews

Ms. Saldaña describes her childhood and adolescence; she recalls meeting Nicolás, her husband, when she was fifteen, and she details their four year courtship; in 1959, a few months after their marriage, he returned to the United States on a new contract; while he was away, she stayed with her parents; shortly after his first return home, she became pregnant; his mother and sister, who lived in Santa Ana, California, insisted that Refugio have the baby in the United States; Refugio was hesitant at first, but she eventually agreed; Nicolás obtained a visitor’s permit and worked at a bakery in …

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Interview No. 1170, Jose Luis Gazca May 2006

Interview No. 1170, Jose Luis Gazca

Combined Interviews

Mr. Gazca describes his family, childhood, and adolescence; in 1955, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; to begin the contracting process, he went to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, where he spent a day, then he travelled to Empalme, Sonora, where he spent roughly three days, before heading to Mexicali, Baja California, and finally to Calexico, California; moreover, he details the different centers he went through as well as the range of procedures he underwent; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Texas, picking apples, cotton, cucumber, green beans, lettuce, plums, and tomatoes; in addition, he …

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Interview No. 1175, Nicolas Martínez L. May 2006

Interview No. 1175, Nicolas Martínez L.

Combined Interviews

Mr. Martínez begins by stating that many men left their homes in México, because there was not enough work to support their families; when he was roughly thirty-five years old, he enlisted in the bracero program; he explains that in order to get on the list of eligible workers in his home town he had to work in the fields there; once he was on that list, along with several hundred other men, he went through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; after waiting for up to one month, he was transported to Mexicali, Baja California, México, where he …

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Interview No. 1176, Nemecio Meza May 2006

Interview No. 1176, Nemecio Meza

Combined Interviews

Mr. Meza very briefly discusses his family; in 1959, he and his father went to Empalme, Sonora, México, to enlist in the bracero program; although they were both sent to California, they worked in different cities; he talks about braceros generally being mistreated throughout the contracting process, because the medical exams were painful, money was frequently stolen from them, they were often left hungry, and in Calexico, California, they were stripped and deloused; they endured whatever they had to out of necessity; the camps, unfortunately, were not much better; as a bracero, he worked on and off from 1959 to …

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Interview No. 1184, Carmen Velazquez May 2006

Interview No. 1184, Carmen Velazquez

Combined Interviews

Ms. Velazquez briefly describes her childhood and family; she recalls being young and naïve enough to believe that coming to the United States guaranteed money; when she was sixteen years old, she married José Bartolo Velázquez; shortly after their nuptials, he went to Empalme, Sonora, México, to enlist in the bracero program; while he was away, she and her ten children lived with her father; she remembers not having enough money for cloth diapers, having to tear up whatever clothes she could find, and constantly washing; what little money he did manage to send she used to buy necessities for …

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Interview No. 1165, M. Belen Acevedo May 2006

Interview No. 1165, M. Belen Acevedo

Combined Interviews

Ms. Acevedo vividly describes her family and her parents in particular; she was formally educated through the fourth grade, but in spite of her desire to continue with school, she ultimately had to stay home to help her mother with household duties; when she was seventeen, she married José Ezequiel Acevedo Pérez [See also No. 1164]; she explains how they met, their courtship, and how he had worked in the United States with the bracero program prior to their nuptials; in addition, several of her family members, including her in-laws, were also braceros; she talks about what a great …

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Interview No. 1169, Guadalupe Garcia May 2006

Interview No. 1169, Guadalupe Garcia

Combined Interviews

Mr. García briefly describes his family; as a child, he recalls hearing about braceros and seeing them pass him by in trains; for a time, he was an undocumented worker in California; in 1953, farmers were fined for hiring such employees, and as a result he was let go; upon returning to México, he began the contracting process for the bracero program in Mexicali, Baja California; he goes on to detail the required documentation, the different contracting centers he went through, the extraordinarily long waiting times, and the thousands of men vying for contracts; in addition, he explains how the …

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Interview No. 1655, Newton P. Matthews Jan 2006

Interview No. 1655, Newton P. Matthews

Combined Interviews

Newton P. Matthews was born in North Carolina, in January of 1941; grew up in Goldsboro, NC, site of Seymour Johnson Air Base; he graduated college at Wake Forest University in Winston- Salem, NC in 1962; he describes the cold war tension in the early 1960s, he joined the U.S. Air Force to avoid being drafted into the Army; he says he was selected for Officer Training School as a navigator, he wanted to be a pilot but at the time needed 20/20 vision; he mentions being in training during the Cuban Missile Crisis; he recalls navigator bombardier training and …

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Interview No. 1338, Antonio Corchado Jan 2006

Interview No. 1338, Antonio Corchado

Combined Interviews

Mr. Corchado grew up in San Luis de Cordero, Durango; he recalls not going to school due to the lack of professors; he became a Bracero in 1956 where he was sent to Walco, Texas to harvest cotton; Mr. Corchado vividly describes having to pass medical examinations in order to get contracted as a Bracero; after being in Texas for 3 months Mr. Corchado was sent to fresno, California to harvest beetroot from 1956 to 1959; Mr. Corchado eventually returned to Texas where he harvested wheat, corn and beans; he recalls that Texas was the hardest place to live because …

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Interview No. 1656, Robert W. Pitt Jan 2006

Interview No. 1656, Robert W. Pitt

Combined Interviews

Robert Pitt was born in Detroit, MI on November 20, 1933; his family relocated a lot, he first remembers living in Portland, OR, later moved to Phoenix, AZ where he remembers the bombing of Pearl Harbor and followed the progress of World War II at home; he recounts moving to Los Angeles, CA for a year, his time as a batboy for the Los Angeles Angels and his love of baseball; he moved again to Chicago, IL to attend Morgan Park Military Academy, his father died when he was fifteen. Mr. Pitt describes time at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL …

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Interview No. 1088, José Ramirez Delgado Nov 2005

Interview No. 1088, José Ramirez Delgado

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ramirez discusses his family, childhood, and growing up in a small village after México’s land redistribution; in 1945, 1946, and 1949, he came into the United States as an undocumented worker; he goes on to detail these experiences and explain how he was ultimately able to obtain a contract without having to return to Mexico; in 1950, he enlisted in the bracero program while in México; as a bracero, he worked irrigating and picking cotton in various places throughout Texas; he was a particularly talented gardener, and his employers would often send him to work at area country clubs; …

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Interview No. 1093, Patricio Padilla Rubio Nov 2005

Interview No. 1093, Patricio Padilla Rubio

Combined Interviews

Mr. Padilla briefly describes his family and childhood; he speaks about his father’s job as a foreman for a ranch in Presidio, Texas, and how he would often travel between Texas and México; when Patricio was eighteen, he enrolled in the bracero program; his first contract took him to a ranch in Marfa, Texas, where he cared for livestock; upon his return to México, he married and subsequently had children; his second contract took him to Dexter, New Mexico, where he weighed cotton; the following contracts took him to work at different ranches in Pecos, Texas, where he learned to …

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Interview No. 1086, Manuel Leal Nov 2005

Interview No. 1086, Manuel Leal

Combined Interviews

Mr. Leal briefly discusses his early childhood and family; in 1951, he enlisted in the bracero program; he describes going through Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, and the various procedures he underwent while there; as a bracero, he worked in New Mexico and Texas, picking crops, irrigating, and driving tractors; he goes on to describe wages, working and living conditions, provisions, recreational activities, and the medical attention received when necessary; in addition, he explains the range of interactions with fellow braceros, employers, immigration personnel, and consul representatives; he continued working with the program until 1960; in the …

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Interview No. 1099, Eduardo De Santiago Nov 2005

Interview No. 1099, Eduardo De Santiago

Combined Interviews

Mr. De Santiago grew up with his parents, who were agricultural workers, and his seven brothers and sisters; he describes his commissioner position and the way in which he came to enlist as a bracero, in 1954; he was transported from his hometown of Jerez, Zacatecas, México, to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, where he was examined and then transferred to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; as a bracero, he worked in Balmorhea, Texas, for six years, where he weighed and picked cotton; in addition, he also learned to drive a tractor; he describes his close relationship with the grower, …

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Interview No. 1095, Hipólito Burrola Ruiz Nov 2005

Interview No. 1095, Hipólito Burrola Ruiz

Combined Interviews

Mr. Burrola briefly discusses his family and childhood; in1958, he was married; the following year he enlisted in the bracero program at a contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he mentions the long waiting lines, the required documents, examinations, and how callused hands were essential to obtaining a contract; from there, he was transported by train to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where he underwent further assessments and was deloused; in addition, he describes the poor conditions at the center; as a bracero, he worked in Artesia, New Mexico and O Brien and Pecos, Texas; he recalls …

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Interview No. 1096, Sebastian Saucedo Nov 2005

Interview No. 1096, Sebastian Saucedo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Saucedo talks about his family and childhood; he initially enlisted in the bracero program in 1945, in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, but he was then transferred to Querétaro, Querétaro, México, in order to complete the paperwork; from there, he was transported by train back to Juárez and into the United States before finally being taken to Nevada, where he worked on the railroads; in addition, he describes the various procedures he underwent while being processed; as a bracero, he went to work picking different crops in several places throughout the United States, including Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, …

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Interview No. 1576, Sebastian Martinez Nov 2005

Interview No. 1576, Sebastian Martinez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Martínez briefly discusses his family; when he was roughly fourteen or fifteen years old, he began working with his father alongside braceros, chopping cotton and other such field duties; he goes on to discuss his experiences working with braceros, and he gives an account of their living and working conditions, provisions, recreational activities, religion, and their general dispositions; in addition, he explains the relationships between the braceros and the surrounding community in Pecos, Texas, which was largely segregated; several of his female relatives, however, did have romantic relationships with braceros; he also speaks about the children of braceros going …

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Interview No. 1097, José G. Corral Nov 2005

Interview No. 1097, José G. Corral

Combined Interviews

Mr. José Corral describes his family and childhood; his father, Luis Corral Ortega, became a bracero in 1946, at which time his family lived in Meoqui, Chihuahua, México; José discusses remittances arriving in the mail and his family’s living conditions in México while his father was away; in 1950, the family had enough money to move to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, where life was slightly better for them; José describes an incident in which his father attempted to legalize his family’s residency, but was only able to arrange for José’s local passport; in addition, José goes on to describe his …

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Interview No. 1085, Antonio Góntiz Nov 2005

Interview No. 1085, Antonio Góntiz

Combined Interviews

In 1943, Mr. Góntiz, decided to enlist in the bracero program and went through the contracting center in Morelia, Michoacán, México; he mentions going through the health inspection station in Uruapan, Michoacán, México; as part of the process, he was medically examined and vaccinated by American doctors; he goes on to detail the transportation conditions, provisions, duties, payments, remittances, treatment, friendships, correspondence and recreational activities; his main duties included clearing the tracks of snow and straightening the railroad ties; he continued working without documentation after his contract ended; he was sent to a place the braceros called la California, he …

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Interview No. 1092, Saul Ponce Nov 2005

Interview No. 1092, Saul Ponce

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ponce very briefly discusses his family and childhood; as a young man, he decided to enlist in the bracero program in order to help his family financially; from his hometown in Valle de Zaragoza, Chihuahua, México, he was transported to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, where he obtained his first bracero contract; he was then transferred to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, and then taken to his worksite by plane; as a bracero, he worked in Montana, picking beets and cotton, cleaning corn, and milking cows; he and his brother were fortunate enough to live and work together …

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Interview No. 1087, Filomeno Burciaga Nov 2005

Interview No. 1087, Filomeno Burciaga

Combined Interviews

Mr. Burciaga briefly recalls his childhood and family; in 1955, he enlisted in the bracero program at a contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; at the time, he was married and had a son; from Chihuahua, he traveled to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, and he chronicles the various procedures he underwent while there; as a bracero, he labored in the beet fields of Nebraska and the cotton fields of Texas; he goes on to describe living and working conditions, wages, contract amendments and extensions, provisions, recreational activities, and community interactions; Filomeno continued working with the program …

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Interview No. 1089, Ernesto Espino, Linda Espino Nov 2005

Interview No. 1089, Ernesto Espino, Linda Espino

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ernesto Espino and Mrs. Linda Espino are a married couple that discuss the time during which Ernesto’s father, José Ortiz Espino, was a bracero; José was a bracero from 1944 to roughly 1954; as a bracero, he worked in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Nebraska, for several companies such as Southern Pacific Railroad and the Great Western Sugar Company; at the time Ernesto was born, his father was working in the United States as a bracero, and he didn’t meet his son until he was nine months old; Ernesto goes on to discuss his father’s visits home between contracts, and …

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Interview No. 1090, Jesús Martínez Nov 2005

Interview No. 1090, Jesús Martínez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Martínez describes his family and childhood; in 1952, he enlisted in the bracero program in order to help support his family; he provides a detailed explanation of the necessary documentation to become a bracero, including letters of recommendation; in addition, he describes the various contracting procedures, that consisted of long waiting lines, physical exams, collections of blood samples, and delousing, which was the most embarrassing for him; as a bracero, he worked in Arizona, California, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas; he goes on to discuss wages, living and working conditions, treatment, provisions, remittances, and the range of relationships among employees …

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Interview No. 1094, Manuel Ramirez Nov 2005

Interview No. 1094, Manuel Ramirez

Combined Interviews

Manuel Ramirez discusses his father, Adolfo Ramírez Bañuelos, and his perceptions of the United States that led to his decision to become a bracero; at the time, Adolfo was married and had five children; in 1946, he traveled to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, to enlist in the bracero program; he was then transported by train to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and then by caravan to the county coliseum in El Paso, Texas, where ranchers chose their workers; on one occasion, he was transferred by plane from El Paso to Colorado; Manuel goes on to describe the various difficulties and humiliations his father …

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