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Oral History Commons™

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Social and Behavioral Sciences

2003

Articles 31 - 60 of 134

Full-Text Articles in Oral History

Interview No. 970, Socorro Flores Pando Jun 2003

Interview No. 970, Socorro Flores Pando

Combined Interviews

When Mr. Flores began the hiring process in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, he was asked for a Mexican military ID and a recommendation letter; he came to the United States as a bracero when he was only eighteen years old; upon entering the United States, he was sent to El Paso, Texas, and then to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, for a physical examination; while there, he signed a job contract and was sent to the ranch where he would work; he worked in Fort Stockton, Texas, for seven months watering the fields; his weekly salary was $116.00.

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Interview No. 980, Gonzalo Morales Jun 2003

Interview No. 980, Gonzalo Morales

Combined Interviews

Mr. Morales briefly recounts his childhood; in 1954, he heard about the Bracero Program; due to financial difficulties, he decided to go to Chihuahua, Chihuahua México, to begin the hiring process; he recalls how the Mexican President, Lázaro Cárdenas, prohibited people on ejidos from being hired as braceros; only people from ranches were allowed to be braceros; while working as a bracero he was unaware that the Mexican government received 10¢ per bracero that was hired from the ranchers; while waiting in Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, the food the braceros were given was rotten; the water …

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Interview No. 981, Guadalupe Nuñez Jun 2003

Interview No. 981, Guadalupe Nuñez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Núñez recalls that during his enrollment process in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, there were only Mexican officers present; there were no American representatives; in addition, there were no exams or contracts given there; the United States government paid the Mexican government about 27¢ for each bracero that was hired; it was when they were moved to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, that they were medically examined and signed contracts; he recalls that it was the last year of the program; his work contract lasted only three months, and took him to work in the cotton fields of …

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Interview No. 989, Jesús Rodríguez Méndez Jun 2003

Interview No. 989, Jesús Rodríguez Méndez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Rodríguez learned of the Bracero Program while living in his hometown of Guerrero, Chihuahua, México; he traveled to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, in order to begin the enrollment process; he had to wait for two weeks to be called; during this time, he did not have money or a place to stay; he recalls that people coming from southern México waited for months at El Trocadero, the processing center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, to be hired; when the braceros were officially hired, the United States government paid the Mexican government 10¢ per bracero; in 1963, he was hired and sent to work …

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Fynewever, Forrest Oral History Interview: Polio Survivors In Holland, Matthew Nickel Jun 2003

Fynewever, Forrest Oral History Interview: Polio Survivors In Holland, Matthew Nickel

Polio Survivors in Holland

Oral Histories conducted with Polio Survivors in Holland, Michigan in 2003.

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Interview No. 967, Elías Espino Jun 2003

Interview No. 967, Elías Espino

Combined Interviews

Mr. Espino was first hired in Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he worked for a year; during his time as a bracero he worked in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, and Arizona; he recounts his difficulties while working illegally; he also recalls the percentage the Mexican government received from the United States for each bracero worker; he lead a protest to stop the delousing process for braceros entering the United States; in addition, he also remembers that the Bracero Program was suspended for an entire year in 1959.

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Interview No. 986, Roberto Ponce Covarrubias Jun 2003

Interview No. 986, Roberto Ponce Covarrubias

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ponce and his brother decided to enroll in the Bracero Program due to their family’s financial difficulties; when they were taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, they were deloused and given a blood test; they were offered help when filling out work contracts; Mr. Ponce’s first work contract took him to Las Cruces, New Mexico; the worst place he worked was Lamesa, Texas; he recalls that the graveyards near the ranch were said to have been for the braceros; he sent money to his family via certified mail.

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Interview No. 973, Mauro González Gómez Jun 2003

Interview No. 973, Mauro González Gómez

Combined Interviews

In 1947, Mr. González worked illegally in the United States; when he learned of the Bracero Program he returned to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, to begin the hiring process; while there, people were given the necessary papers to be hired as braceros; he recalls that the bracero center in El Paso, Texas, was the County Coliseum; people with less experience were sent to work in Pecos, Texas; he also recalls one bracero who was a Mexican soldier that liked to play poker; because of his gambling habits, he once killed another bracero who had won his money.

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Interview No. 1017, Alejandro Ruteaga Rivas Jun 2003

Interview No. 1017, Alejandro Ruteaga Rivas

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ruteaga recalls his childhood and the stories his father told about the Mexican Revolution; in 1953, he entered the Bracero Program; he describes the hiring process in Durango, Durango, México, the requirements, and the medical exams performed by American doctors at Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; he worked in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming; additionally, he recounts daily activities, what braceros did on weekends, their contracts, and their wages; he states that ranchers hired undocumented workers along with braceros; furthermore, he relates how representatives from the Mexican consulate visited …

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Interview No. 1005, Felipe Hernández Zapata Jun 2003

Interview No. 1005, Felipe Hernández Zapata

Combined Interviews

Mr. Hernández briefly recalls his family, childhood, and early adolescence; the poverty he experienced growing up coupled with his desire to earn money and have a better life led him to enroll in the Bracero Program in 1952; he chronicles the hiring and contracting process he went through in Durango, Durango, México, including the requirements for enlisting and the medical exams he endured; from there he was transported to the border via bus; as a bracero, he worked in Texas, picking cotton, grapefruits, oranges, and peas; he explains how the various tasks were carried out, the different events that transpired …

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Souter, Ken Oral History Interview: Polio Survivors In Holland, Matthew Nickel Jun 2003

Souter, Ken Oral History Interview: Polio Survivors In Holland, Matthew Nickel

Polio Survivors in Holland

Oral Histories conducted with Polio Survivors in Holland, Michigan in 2003.

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Interview No. 998, José Isabel Domínguez Hernández Jun 2003

Interview No. 998, José Isabel Domínguez Hernández

Combined Interviews

Mr. Domínguez briefly relates what his family and childhood were like; the extreme economic hardships his family faced convinced him to join the Bracero Program in 1952; as a bracero, he worked in California, Colorado, Michigan, and Texas, picking apples, cucumbers, grapes, oranges, and sugar beets; he describes the hiring process he went through at the contracting centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, and Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, as well as the long waiting periods and the disinfecting procedures; some of the braceros at these centers preferred working only in certain states; he details what life was like on the farms including the …

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Interview No. 1025, José Isidro Vidaña Canales Jun 2003

Interview No. 1025, José Isidro Vidaña Canales

Combined Interviews

Mr. Vidaña grew up with his mother after his father, a general in the Mexican Revolution, died; he remembers the Cristero Revolution, and explains why the conflict began; a bracero from 1942 to 1960, he worked in Arkansas, California, Michigan, Texas, and Washington; he describes the hiring process at the contracting center in Durango, Durango, México; additionally, he discusses the medical exams he endured, a train trip he took to the border, and his time at Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; he recalls their arrival at a military camp in Washington state, their daily activities on a …

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Interview No. 1019, David Salcido Martínez Jun 2003

Interview No. 1019, David Salcido Martínez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Salcido remembers a hard childhood that forced him to work at an early age so he could help his family economically; these hardships led him to enlist in the Bracero Program in 1964; he worked in Colorado cleaning sugar beet fields; additionally, he describes the hiring process, the contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, the difficulties he endured there, and the train trip to the México-United States border in cattle cars; furthermore, he explains how the reception center in El Paso, Texas worked, the disinfection procedures they endured and the signing of his contract; he continues to recount the …

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Interview No. 1021, Gonzalo Soto Núñez Jun 2003

Interview No. 1021, Gonzalo Soto Núñez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Soto grew up in Otáez, Durango, México; in 1954, he joined the Bracero Program; he worked in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; recalling the hiring process, he discusses the contracting center in Mexicali, Baja California, México; he describes the medical exams performed by Mexican and American doctors, and the bracero reception center in El Centro, California; additionally, he remembers their daily activities, their housing, the food they ate and their curfew; he also details the kinds of contracts they had, the wages they got, and the treatment they received from foremen; furthermore, he relates what the relationship between braceros …

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Interview No. 995, Ramón Ávila Hernández Jun 2003

Interview No. 995, Ramón Ávila Hernández

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ávila briefly recalls his family and childhood; he worked in construction for a time before deciding to join his father as a bracero in 1960; together they traveled to Vicente Guerrero, Durango, México, to begin the enrollment process, and from there they were transported by train to a contracting center in Empalme, Sonora; he describes the entire hiring process and the medical exams they underwent both in México and at the processing center on the border; as a bracero, he worked in California, picking asparagus and harvesting chile and tomato; he goes on to narrate what daily life on …

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Interview No. 1012, Agustín Martínez Olivares Jun 2003

Interview No. 1012, Agustín Martínez Olivares

Combined Interviews

Mr. Martínez worked in California, New Mexico, and Texas from 1942 to 1959; he recalls the hiring process at the bracero contracting centers in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México and Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, México; additionally, he describes his train trip to the border, the disinfecting process at the reception center in Eagle Pass, Texas, and the signing of his contract; he relates details about the types of contracts they had, their lengths, and contract extensions; furthermore, he discusses their daily activities, the work they performed, their wages, their housing, and the food they ate; he also recounts how he saved money to …

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Interview No. 991, Isidro Abrego Alvarado Jun 2003

Interview No. 991, Isidro Abrego Alvarado

Combined Interviews

Mr. Abrego briefly recalls his childhood and family; he remembers the financial difficulties he and his family faced; in light of their economic situation, he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program in 1953; he describes the various stages of the hiring process he underwent at the contracting center in Chihuahua, México, and later at Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; as a bracero, he worked in various places across the United States, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming; he details the various types of work he performed in each location, the wages he earned, and contract …

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Interview No. 1000, Agustín Flores Contreras Jun 2003

Interview No. 1000, Agustín Flores Contreras

Combined Interviews

Mr. Flores relives the hunger, sadness, and desperation that indelibly marked his childhood and adolescence; some of his uncles worked as braceros, and they had warned him that he would suffer greatly if he were to join them and work in the United States; in 1959, in spite of their admonitions, he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program with the hopes of alleviating some of his family’s financial burdens; he describes the long waiting periods during the hiring process he went through in Durango, Durango, México; in addition, he details the medical exams at the contracting center in Monterrey, …

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Interview No. 1006, Roberto Heynes García May 2003

Interview No. 1006, Roberto Heynes García

Combined Interviews

Mr. Heynes recalls his childhood and adolescence; sometime later, he had heard of the Bracero Program and the rumors that Mexican workers could also be sent to fight in World War II; in spite of this, he and a friend enrolled in the program in 1944; they signed their contracts in Querétaro, Querétaro, México; from there, they were transported by train to the border; as a bracero, he worked in California and Illinois as a railroad line worker, shoveling gravel on roadbeds and repairing the rails; he goes on to explain, what his first activities for the railroad company were, …

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Interview No. 999, Salvador Esparza Carreño May 2003

Interview No. 999, Salvador Esparza Carreño

Combined Interviews

Mr. Esparza recalls his family, childhood, and adolescence; in spite of fears caused by rumors about World War II, he was encouraged by stories of successful first time braceros, and he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program in 1945; he went through the hiring process at a contracting center in Durango, México; from there, he was transported by train to Querétaro, then to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and finally to Chicago, Illinois; he describes his first impressions of Chicago and how well he was treated by the people there; in addition, he details the work, wages, payments, housing, food, and …

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Interview No. 1009, Belizario Luna Pulido May 2003

Interview No. 1009, Belizario Luna Pulido

Combined Interviews

Mr. Luna worked in Arizona, California and Texas from 1951 to 1963; he recalls how he found out about the Bracero Program, the hiring process in rural areas, and the hardship braceros experienced outside contracting centers; additionally, he describes the medical examinations performed on him and the bracero facilities in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, and Empalme, Sonora, México; he also details his trip to the border and the disinfecting stations he went through; furthermore, he recounts his first farming activities, the different jobs he performed, the different kinds of cotton he picked, and the details of his …

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Interview No. 1004, Agustín González Flores May 2003

Interview No. 1004, Agustín González Flores

Combined Interviews

Mr. González briefly recalls his family, childhood, and early adolescence; the spreading rumors of first time braceros making a substantial amount of money aroused his curiosity in the Bracero Program; in 1943, he and one of his brothers enrolled in the program; together they went through the contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he describes the official documents that were required, the humiliating medical exams they underwent, and how some of the men suffered from cold and hunger while waiting outside of the center; the guards at the center were also particularly cruel and even killed some of the men; …

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Interview No. 1020, Jesús Sierra Espinoza May 2003

Interview No. 1020, Jesús Sierra Espinoza

Combined Interviews

Mr. Sierra grew up in Durango, Durango, México; he learned stonemasonry from his father; in 1956, he joined the Bracero Program due to economic hardship; he worked in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas; additionally, he describes the hiring process he went through, the legal requirements of the program, how the bracero reception centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México and Empalme, Sonora, México worked, and the different ports of entry to the United States; he recounts his experience at Rio Vista, a bracero processing center in Socorro, Texas; furthermore, he recalls his first activities farming, how work was distributed, their …

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Gebben, Linda Oral History Interview: Polio Survivors In Holland, Matthew Nickel May 2003

Gebben, Linda Oral History Interview: Polio Survivors In Holland, Matthew Nickel

Polio Survivors in Holland

Oral Histories conducted with Polio Survivors in Holland, Michigan in 2003.

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Interview No. 1008, José Guadalupe Jurado Pérez May 2003

Interview No. 1008, José Guadalupe Jurado Pérez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Jurado recalls crossing the United States-México border with his father; once there, they were hired as undocumented workers at a cotton field in El Paso, Texas; after one year, they both decided to enlist in the Bracero Program in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he describes the bracero contracting center there, the questioning process they endured, the medical exams performed on them and the reception center in El Paso, Texas; a bracero from 1951 to 1956, he worked in New Mexico and Texas; he remembers daily activities on the farms, their housing, the furniture they were provided, and the food they …

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Interview No. 1023, Enrique Torres Sánchez May 2003

Interview No. 1023, Enrique Torres Sánchez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Torres grew up with his paternal relatives; he worked sowing beans and corn during his childhood; due to economic hardship and debts held by his family, he joined the Bracero Program in 1952; he worked in Arizona, Arkansas, and Texas; additionally, he describes how he found out about the program, and the hiring process he encountered at the processing center in Durango, Durango, México; at this center, he details the humiliation he experienced during the medical exams conducted by American doctors, and then he continues to outline his bus trip to Reynosa, Tamaulipas, México; while at a bracero reception …

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Interview No. 1003, Javier García Robles May 2003

Interview No. 1003, Javier García Robles

Combined Interviews

Mr. García briefly recalls his family, childhood, and adolescence; in 1957, during his first year of marriage, he found himself out of work, and he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program; in order to begin the hiring process, he had to take a bus from Durango, Durango, to Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, and from there to the border; he details the various procedures of the hiring process at the contracting center in Guadalajara and the reception center in El Centro, California, as well as the medical examinations he underwent; as a bracero, he worked in California picking and packaging tomatoes; …

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Interview No. 992, Rosendo Alarcón Carrera May 2003

Interview No. 992, Rosendo Alarcón Carrera

Combined Interviews

Mr. Alarcón briefly describes his childhood, adolescence, and family; he recalls that he initially heard of the Bracero Program through radio and newspaper advertisements; in 1957, he enrolled in the program with the hopes of earning money in order to return to México and open his own business; he details the different steps he went through at the contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; in addition, he provides a vivid description of the traumatic medical examinations, the delousing process, and the overall horrible treatment he received from the American doctors; as a bracero, he worked in California and Texas, …

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Interview No. 997, Antonio Chávez Betancourt May 2003

Interview No. 997, Antonio Chávez Betancourt

Combined Interviews

Mr. Chávez briefly recalls his family and childhood; his yearning for a better life led him to enlist in the Bracero Program in 1950; he began the hiring process at a contracting center in Chihuahua, México; while there he presented legal documents, and he was interviewed and medically examined; from there, he was taken to a processing center in Ysleta, Texas; as a bracero, he worked in Nebraska and New Mexico, harvesting and picking cotton, cucumbers, and sugar beets; he describes his various jobs and how he carried them out, the hours he worked, the different types of contracts and …

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