Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Oral History (1758)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (1468)
- Labor History (113)
- Social History (37)
- Cultural History (25)
-
- Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies (18)
- Military History (17)
- African American Studies (14)
- Sports Studies (13)
- Medicine and Health Sciences (11)
- Political History (6)
- Aviation (3)
- Engineering (3)
- Business (2)
- History of Science, Technology, and Medicine (2)
- Architecture (1)
- Art Practice (1)
- Community Health (1)
- Construction Engineering (1)
- Creative Writing (1)
- Diplomatic History (1)
- Education (1)
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (1)
- European History (1)
- Jewish Studies (1)
- Latin American History (1)
- Mental and Social Health (1)
- Other History (1)
- Keyword
-
- University of Texas at El Paso. Institute of Oral History—interviews. (873)
- Oral History (587)
- Bracero (559)
- Labor History (556)
- University of Texas at El Paso. Institute of Oral History--interviews (556)
-
- University of Texas at El Paso. Institute of Oral History—interviews (141)
- Mexico-Revolution (96)
- University of Texas at El Paso (78)
- University of Texas at El Paso--History (68)
- Institute of Oral History—interviews. (63)
- Border-Union Strikes (60)
- Illegal Aliens-In United States (60)
- World War II (52)
- Institute of Oral History interviews (50)
- The Depression (46)
- Discrimination (45)
- Prohibition (44)
- El Paso-History (43)
- University of Texas at El Paso. Institute of Oral History--interviews. (40)
- Farah Strike (37)
- Hispanic Entrepreneurs Oral History Project (36)
- Mining-Mexico (34)
- Unions (33)
- ASARCO (30)
- History (28)
- Mexican-American--Relations with Anglos (27)
- Paso del Norte Entrepreneurs Oral History Project (25)
- Chicano-The Word (24)
- Chicano-Movement (23)
- El Paso-Medical Community (22)
- Publication Year
Articles 421 - 450 of 1759
Full-Text Articles in History
Interview No. 1313, Daniel Rodríguez Rea
Interview No. 1313, Daniel Rodríguez Rea
Combined Interviews
Mr. Daniel Rodríguez Rea briefly talks about his hometown and working in agriculture; in 1949, he left his hometown and began working in the cotton fields of Texas; he eventually relocated to Mexicali, Mexico; in 1954, Mr. Daniel Rodríguez Rea went through the hiring process to become a bracero; he mentions going through the center of Mexicali, Mexico; he recalls the process was difficult and potential braceros were required to pay twenty-five dollars in order to get in line; he also describes the medical exams and required documents; as part of the process, he was medically examined and deloused in …
Interview No. 1325, Antonio García B.
Interview No. 1325, Antonio García B.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Antonio García B. briefly recalls his childhood and the financial difficulties he and his siblings endured; he remembers hearing stories about the bracero program and he decided to enlist; in 1954, he went through the hiring process to become a bracero; he recalls the entire process, lists of eligible workers, waiting times, and transportation to and from the center; he recalls that one of the requirements for the braceros was to have calloused hands; in addition, he mentions going through the centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico; he also describes the medical exams and required documents; …
Interview No. 1291, Jesús M. Calles Quijada
Interview No. 1291, Jesús M. Calles Quijada
Combined Interviews
Mr. Calles Quijada talks about his hometown and working in agriculture and with livestock while growing up; he talks about how his father’s land was eventually taken from him; he briefly discusses how he met his wife, Magdalena Vazquez; he remembers the contracting process and describes the medical exams and required documents; he was stripped, examined, and deloused; he describes the process as humiliating, especially for the indigenous that came from the South; Mr. Calles Quijada talks about working ten hours a day cleaning ditches and irrigating the fields in Imperial Valley; Mr. Calles Quijada also labored in the fields …
Interview No. 1294, Josefina Fajardo
Interview No. 1294, Josefina Fajardo
Combined Interviews
Ms. Fajardo vividly describes details of her childhood and adolescence; although she moved around often, she settled for a time in Mexicali, Baja California, México; a few blocks from where she lived people regularly gathered in front of a school during bracero contracting sessions; many of them waited for days, slept outside on the floor, and ate whatever they could or begged for food; she saw what they had to endure and felt sorry for them; later, she unknowingly started dating a bracero; he told her he worked at a bar, because he was too embarrassed and did not want …
Interview No. 1295, Adolfo González
Interview No. 1295, Adolfo González
Combined Interviews
In 1954, Mr. González went through the hiring process to become a bracero; he went through the contracting center in Mexicali, Mexico; he goes on to detail the camp size, living conditions, provisions, duties, payments, deductions, remittances, treatment, friendships, correspondence and recreational activities; he recalls working for Spanish-speaking Japanese foremen in Imperial Valley (1954-56) who did not give the braceros a day of rest; later, he asked for a transfer to another company; he was sent to work in the fields of Salinas and Yuma, California; he describes his workdays as very long and strenuous; he recalls using short-handled hoes; …
Interview No. 1296, Rafael Hernández
Interview No. 1296, Rafael Hernández
Combined Interviews
In search for employment, Mr. Hernández traveled from San Luis Potosí to Hermosillo, Mexico where he found out about the bracero program; he was required to demonstrate that he was capable of picking cotton; he picked seven hundred kilos of cotton in fifteen days; he was given a letter which certified that he was a farm laborer and available for employment; he then traveled to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; he recalls that one of the requirements for the braceros was to have calloused hands; he and approximately 150 other men traveled by train from Hermosillo to Mexicali, …
Interview No. 1297, Jesús Humberto Félix Beltrán
Interview No. 1297, Jesús Humberto Félix Beltrán
Combined Interviews
Mr. Félix acquired his first bracero contract in 1954, which took him to El Centro, California; his first year was the hardest, because he did not know what to do or how to work quickly enough to earn a profit; oftentimes, men who were new ended up owing money after only one week of work; when his contract ended he was given a special workers card, which allowed him to pass through a contracting center in San Luis, Sonora, México, within a day; he also mentions that he was given vaccinations, without ever being told what they were for, and …
Interview No. 1300, Faustino Martínez
Interview No. 1300, Faustino Martínez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Martínez briefly recalls his childhood and the work that his father and mother did; he was in his hometown when he heard about the bracero program; he decided to enlist in the bracero program and went through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; he was stripped and medically examined; he details the harsh conditions he and other men endured while waiting there; he was sent by train to Mexicali; upon crossing into the United States, he was deloused and so were his luggage and clothing; he travelled by Greyhound bus to his first contract in the San Joaquin …
Interview No. 1304, Rosa María Navarro
Interview No. 1304, Rosa María Navarro
Combined Interviews
Mrs. Navarro Quemé briefly recalls her childhood and the financial difficulties she and her family endured; at the age of five, she began picking cotton to supplement the family’s income; her mother took in laundry on the occasion that her father did not send money home while working as a bracero; Mrs. Navarro Quemé discusses the American Consul’s notification of her father’s hospitalization; she says that her father told them that the braceros were made to donate blood every eight days so that it could be sent to the soldiers fighting in WWII; she suspects that his illness was caused …
Interview No. 1311, Maria L. Ramos Terriquez
Interview No. 1311, Maria L. Ramos Terriquez
Combined Interviews
Maria L. Ramos Terriquez briefly recalls her childhood and the financial difficulties her family endured; her father was a bracero; he contracted in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; she discusses the remittances sent by her father to her grandmother; she states that her grandmother kept the money, opened a store, and did not help support her or her siblings; she states that her grandmother, Andrea, would make her wash her uncles clothing; in addition, she adds that her uncles were verbally and emotionally abusive; she graphically describes an event in which she encountered her mother feeding a woman with leprosy; she, her …
Interview No. 1312, Pedro Rivera
Interview No. 1312, Pedro Rivera
Combined Interviews
Mr. Rivera Duran briefly talks about his hometown and what his life was like growing up; he briefly recalls his family and his childhood; he remembers hearing stories about the bracero program and decided to join; he went through the hiring process at San Luis de la Paz to become a bracero; he traveled from Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico to Mexicali; he briefly describes the transportation and the required documents; as part of the process, he was medically examined, vaccinated, and deloused; he spent most of his time in the San Fernando Valley and Escondido, California; he worked in the citrus …
Interview No. 1314, Manuel Romero
Interview No. 1314, Manuel Romero
Combined Interviews
Mr. Manuel Romero talks about his hometown and working in agriculture and with livestock while growing up; he and his sisters were orphans; he was sent to live with his godfather; he details the harsh treatment he endured while living with his godfather; he owned several ranches in Mexicali, Mexico but he sold some of the land because he did not have water to irrigate; he briefly talks about U.S.- Mexico relations and irrigation; in 1954, he heard about a call for braceros; in 1957, he traveled to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; he details the harsh conditions …
Interview No. 1315, Manuel Salamanca
Interview No. 1315, Manuel Salamanca
Combined Interviews
Mr. Manuel Salamanca recalls the humble beginnings of his childhood and how he and his siblings suffered; he discusses the advice his eldest brother gave him and his reasons for moving to the United States; Mr. Salamanca discusses the harsh treatment he endured at the hands of his sister-in-law; he went without food for several days because she did not want to raise him; in 1942, at the age of eighteen, he heard about a call for braceros; he traveled to the processing center in Mexicali, Mexico; he briefly discusses the processing center; as part of the process, he was …
Interview No. 1322, Antonio Molina Rodríguez
Interview No. 1322, Antonio Molina Rodríguez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Antonio Molina R. briefly recalls his childhood and the financial difficulties he and his family endured; when he was ten years old, he helped his family by working as a cobbler; in 1957, he and his wife traveled from Guadalajara to Mexicali, Mexico; in 1958, he traveled to the United States, in search of employment; his goal was to earn one thousand dollars and return to Guadalajara, Mexico to begin a contracting company; he met a representative from CROM and he enlisted in the bracero program; he traveled to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; he recalls the …
Interview No. 1326, Roberto M. González
Interview No. 1326, Roberto M. González
Combined Interviews
Mr. Roberto M. González briefly recalls his family and childhood; after growing tired of working with his father, he traveled to Mexicali, Mexico with a friend; he heard about a call for braceros and decided to enlist; he recalls that one of the requirements for the braceros was to have calloused hands; he paid ten dollars in order to be added to the list of eligible workers; on another occasion, he was required to pick two thousand kilos of cotton in Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico; he traveled to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; he was sent to El …
Interview No. 1298, Adelino López Gutiérrez
Interview No. 1298, Adelino López Gutiérrez
Combined Interviews
Mr. López describes the long lines and the actions taken by people in order to obtain an eligibility letter at Justo Sierra, Jalisco, Mexico; he traveled to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; he recalls the entire process, including lists of eligible workers, waiting times, and transportation; as part of the process, he was stripped and examined, which was embarrassing because their were women present; he traveled to the receiving center; he goes on to detail the camp size, living conditions, provisions, duties, payments, deductions, remittances, treatment, friendships, correspondence and recreational activities; he recalls the use of short-handled hoes …
Interview No. 1303, Federico Navarro Duran
Interview No. 1303, Federico Navarro Duran
Combined Interviews
Mr. Navarro talks about his hometown and working in agriculture and with livestock while growing up; he married Ester and shortly thereafter he decided to enlist in the bracero program; Mr. Navarro discusses his family life in detail; he further discusses the death of his two young daughters; he went through the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico; from there he travelled to a camp called Las Animas; from there, he was sent to Benjamin Hill; in addition, he mentions going through the contraction centers in Empalme Sonora, Mexico, Hermosillo, Mexico and Chihuahua, Mexico; as part of the process, he …
Interview No. 1245, Martha Gutiérrez
Interview No. 1245, Martha Gutiérrez
Combined Interviews
Ms. Gutiérrez briefly talks about her family; when she was eight years old, her father enlisted in the bracero program; while he was gone, his youngest son was born and was six months old by the time he returned to México; not long after, her mother left with her father to work in the United States; Martha and her siblings were left with their grandparents, but they were severely mistreated; her grandparents often went out of town and left the children alone without any food; Martha especially struggled to care for and feed her six month old little brother; during …
Interview No. 1222, Ignacia Godinez
Interview No. 1222, Ignacia Godinez
Combined Interviews
Mrs. Godinez talks about her family and what her life was like growing up; she did not go to school very long, but she did learn how to write her name; she later met a man by the name of Esteban Godinez, who was from Michoacán, México; some time afterward, they moved to Mexicali, Baja California, México and had their first child in 1954; they had a total of nine children, five girls and four boys; Esteban enlisted in the bracero program in 1942, and he continued with the program until it ended in 1964; his contracts lasted six months …
Interview No. 1223, Jose Gomez C.
Interview No. 1223, Jose Gomez C.
Combined Interviews
In 1952, Mr. Gomez traveled with people from his hometown to Empalme, Sonora, México, to enlist in the bracero program; from there he was transported in a cargo train to Mexicali, Baja California, México; while being fumigated at the reception center in Calexico, California, he was laughed at and taunted; as part of the medical exams blood samples were taken and injections were sometimes administered through the pants he was wearing; as a bracero, he worked in Arizona, California, and Oregon, picking lettuce, pears, strawberries, and tomatoes; he goes on to detail various worksites, living and working conditions, provisions, treatment, …
Interview No. 1225, Esteban Gutierrez S.
Interview No. 1225, Esteban Gutierrez S.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Gutierrez talks about coming to work in the United States without proper documentation during the mid-1950s; he was caught by immigration officials and taken to Mexicali, Baja California, México; the next day, he returned to the United States with a specialized bracero contract; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, planting, cleaning, pruning, watering and picking various crops; he goes on to detail housing, amenities, accommodations, duties, treatment, payments, remittances and recreational activities, including trips into town; he gives a detailed explanation of his responsibilities as a palmero, which included caring for, cleaning and picking dates; …
Interview No. 1230, Jose R. Montañez
Interview No. 1230, Jose R. Montañez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Montañez talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; when he was seventeen years old, he went to Guadalajara, Jalisco, México to complete his military service, during which time his mother passed away; while there, he decided to enlist in the bracero program and went through the center in Guadalajara; he describes the necessary paperwork and medical exams, which were much more detailed in the United States; from there he was transported in a cargo train to Mexicali, Baja California, México; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California as a palmero and …
Interview No. 1228, Leocadio Marquez
Interview No. 1228, Leocadio Marquez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Marquez talks about his family and childhood; he recounts several stories about his life in México; in 1957, he married, and he and his wife had three children soon after; two years later, in 1959, he enlisted in the bracero program and went though the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; he describes the process he endured, including medical exams and generally being treated worse than an animal in México and the United States; as a bracero, he worked in the fields of California with several different crops, and he completed two eight month contracts; he goes on to …
Interview No. 1250, Virginia Solorzano Sanchez
Interview No. 1250, Virginia Solorzano Sanchez
Combined Interviews
Ms. Solorzano briefly talks about her family and hometown; her father decided to enlist in the bracero program in order to make enough money to support the family; while he was gone, her family lived with her relatives on her father’s side and later with her mother’s family; when she was roughly eight years old, her mother left with her father to work in the United States; they regularly sent money for food, clothes and school, and they visited every year or two; Virginia also remembers being jealous whenever she saw other children with their parents; she regretted that they …
Interview No. 1307, Gregorio Nuñez
Interview No. 1307, Gregorio Nuñez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Nuñez briefly talks about his family; he and a friend traveled by train from Guadalajara, Mexico to Benjamin Hill, Sonora, Mexico; from there he traveled to Mexicali, Mexico and then to Calexico, California to look for his brother; his brother was no longer living at the address; he stayed on with the young woman who lived at the address and she introduced him to a foreman that worked for Spruce Farms; initially, Mr. Nuñez was an undocumented worker; in 1946, he heard about the bracero program and decided to join; Mr. Nuñez met his wife in Brawley, California and …
Interview No. 1213, Francisco Ceceña
Interview No. 1213, Francisco Ceceña
Combined Interviews
Mr. Ceceña talks about his decision to enlist in the bracero program in 1954, out of financial necessity; he went through the contracting center in Mexicali, Baja California, México, and from there he was transferred to El Centro, California, before finally arriving at his worksite in Coachella, California; as part of the processing, he was fumigated and generally treated very poorly; as a bracero, he worked in California picking chile, corn, dates and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, housing, accommodations, amenities, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, payments, deductions, remittances, friendships and recreational activities, including trips into town; …
Interview No. 1229, Higinio Muñoz Martínez
Interview No. 1229, Higinio Muñoz Martínez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Muñoz talks about his family and childhood memories; while he was in México, Distrito Federal, he saw an announcement in the newspaper for the bracero program; in 1945, he decided to enlist in the program, because he was not earning enough money and wanted a chance for a better life; he went through the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, and from there, he was transported by train to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, before finally arriving at the camp in Oregon; the braceros had no say in where they went to work; in his opinion, they were all very …
Interview No. 1236, Juan Padilla
Interview No. 1236, Juan Padilla
Combined Interviews
Mr. Padilla talks about the difficulties he faced growing up in México; in 1956, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he explains that he went through contracting centers in Mexicali, Baja California, Empalme, Sonora and Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; while at the centers he suffered greatly, because he had to wait for up to a month, there was nowhere to sleep and not very much to eat; as part of the process, he was stripped, medically examined and fumigated; many men fainted by the time blood samples were taken, because they were so weak from the trip and had …
Interview No. 1253, Arturo Vargas Rios
Interview No. 1253, Arturo Vargas Rios
Combined Interviews
Mr. Vargas talks about what his life was like growing up in México; he remembers that the bracero program was greatly publicized in his hometown of Rodeo, Durango, México; in order to enlist, he traveled to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México by cargo train; he waited for fifteen days with several thousand other men for their names to be called; they were often solicited by people from town to help pick cantaloupe and watermelon, but if they left, they risked losing their place in line and their chance at a contract; from there, he took another train to …
Interview No. 1255, Estela V. Cervantes
Interview No. 1255, Estela V. Cervantes
Combined Interviews
Ms. Cervantes talks about her family and what her life was like growing up in México; she describes meeting her husband, Jesús; he was born in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México and raised in the small nearby town of Copalillo; his parents were campesinos, and he and his three brothers also worked in the fields; in 1941, Estela and Jesús were married; two years later, in 1943, he left to Mexico, Distrito Federal without telling anyone; Estela later learned that he left in order to enlist in the bracero program; he had heard about the program through his friends and went …