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Articles 931 - 960 of 2818

Full-Text Articles in Oral History

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. 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. 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. 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. 1091, Hector Ponce Oct 2005

Interview No. 1091, Hector Ponce

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ponce very briefly discusses his family and childhood; as a bracero he picked beets in Nebraska, peppers in North Dakota, and dispensed coal for heaters in Michigan; overall, he had great working relationships with his employers; while in Michigan, he was employed by a group of brothers who treated him extremely well; they often invited him into their home, and they offered to help arrange for his residency in the hopes that he would stay to work there permanently; he also relates a story about how his employer in Nebraska was intent on finding him a girlfriend; he goes …

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Interview No. 1266, Primitivo Bustamante Sep 2005

Interview No. 1266, Primitivo Bustamante

Combined Interviews

Mr. Bustamante discusses his family and childhood; during the late fifties, when he was about five or six years old, his father worked as a bracero in California, New Mexico, and Texas; as a young boy, he recalls his father explaining what it meant to be a bracero; despite being encouraged by his father to attend school, he left after the sixth grade, because he didn’t like it; he goes on to describe his father as a very hard working man who never let his family go without and who constantly set a good example for him; although his father …

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Interview No. 1263, Roberto Almazar Valdivia Sep 2005

Interview No. 1263, Roberto Almazar Valdivia

Combined Interviews

Mr. Almaraz briefly discusses his family and childhood; in 1952, he enlisted in the bracero program in Villanueva, Zacatecas, México; from there, he traveled to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; he mentions the physical examinations and delousing process he underwent as part of the contracting process; from Empalme he was taken to El Centro, California, which is where the ranchers chose the workers they wanted; while there, the workers also signed their contracts, which were initially for forty days, but they could be extended for six month periods at a time, until they had completed eighteen months of …

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Interview No. 1268, Martín Conejo Sep 2005

Interview No. 1268, Martín Conejo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Martín Conejo is the son of Ernesto Conejo, who was a bracero during the late fifties and early sixties; Martín explains how much he admires his father for having been able to successfully work as a bracero in the United States in spite of the fact that he only had a third grade education; Ernesto was the first person from his ranch to work in the United States; he was initially contracted in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; while there he was physically examined and asked questions about his work experience; as a bracero, he worked in Michigan, Texas, and …

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Interview No. 1269, Vicente Delgado Sep 2005

Interview No. 1269, Vicente Delgado

Combined Interviews

Mr. Delgado briefly describes his family and humble beginnings; when he was eighteen, he came into the United States illegally, but shortly thereafter, he was deported to Tijuana, Baja California, México; in 1952, he went to Mexicali, Baja California, to enlist in the bracero program; he goes on to discuss the various contracting centers he went through in México, including the requirements, the thousands of men vying for contracts, the long waiting periods that sometimes lasted weeks or months, and the harsh conditions he endured while there, like sleeping on the floor; moreover, he mentions the coyotes that were often …

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Interview No. 1275, Guadalupe Mena Arizmendi Sep 2005

Interview No. 1275, Guadalupe Mena Arizmendi

Combined Interviews

Mr. Mena recalls growing up on a small ranch where his family worked in agriculture; he only had a few years of formal schooling, because he had to help with daily chores; at age eighteen, he married, and when he was twenty, he entered the bracero program; he details what the contracting process was like in Empalme, Sonora, México, as well as in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, and Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; additionally, he states that more than twenty-five thousand men waited to be processed in those centers every day; in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, many fights broke out amongst the men; he …

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Interview No. 1276, Aguileo Nambo Sep 2005

Interview No. 1276, Aguileo Nambo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Nambo briefly discusses his family and adolescence; when he was about fifteen years old, he and his older brother went to pick cotton in Sonora, México, and he was able to get his military service ID early; he traveled to Empalme, Sonora, and he paid money to get his name on the county’s list of available workers; while waiting there, he endured harsh conditions, but some of the men that were not called were left without any money or way to get back home; as a bracero he worked primarily in California, but he also obtained short contracts to …

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Interview No. 1274, Gabriel Martínez Ángel Sep 2005

Interview No. 1274, Gabriel Martínez Ángel

Combined Interviews

Mr. Martínez briefly recalls his family and childhood; his uncles worked as braceros in the late forties, which ultimately inspired him to do the same; in 1960, he enlisted in the bracero program; he describes the entire process he went through both in México and in the United States, including obtaining his military ID card, getting his name on the county’s list of available workers, physical examinations, and being deloused; as a bracero he worked in California, Colorado, Michigan, and Texas, picking beans, beets, cucumbers, strawberries, and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, duties, contract lengths, payments, …

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Interview No. 1279, Tirso Yepes Sep 2005

Interview No. 1279, Tirso Yepes

Combined Interviews

Mr. Yepes briefly recounts his childhood and adolescence; from 1946 to 1948 he labored in the United States as an undocumented worker; he explains how people were often mistreated by immigration officials upon being deported, and they were intentionally sent to the wrong places; in 1959, he enlisted as a bracero, and he describes what he went through at the processing center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; his initial contract was three months, but he renewed it, and ended up staying in Earth, Texas, for a year and a half before returning to México; he had a great relationship with …

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Interview No. 1265, Francisca Barraza Aug 2005

Interview No. 1265, Francisca Barraza

Combined Interviews

Ms. Barraza recalls that her father was thirty-three years old when he joined the bracero program; he was contracted in Durango, México; as a bracero he completed six contracts and worked for the railroad in Oklahoma, San Antonio, Texas and the border region of Reynosa, México; Ms. Barraza recalls that her father sent money to Durango, México and was able to buy a ranch and marry upon his return; in addition, her father did not wish to return to the United States because he recalled the harsh working conditions and treatment which the braceros endured; he was not pleased with …

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Interview No. 1267, Artemio Cantú Benavides Aug 2005

Interview No. 1267, Artemio Cantú Benavides

Combined Interviews

Mr. Cantú Benavides discusses his childhood and family; in 1959, he traveled to Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, to enlist in the bracero program; he mentions that while there, people often paid for the necessary documentation and were left without any money, but they still had to wait for months to be called; from Monterrey he was taken by bus to a reception center at the border where he was discriminated against and treated poorly; moreover, he describes the delousing process where the men were treated like animals, and the medical examinations, which included collections of blood samples, that were very …

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Interview No. 1264, Arturo Álvarez Padilla Aug 2005

Interview No. 1264, Arturo Álvarez Padilla

Combined Interviews

Mr. Álvarez briefly discusses his family and childhood; he talks about growing up on a ranch and helping his father work the land; in 1963, a wealthy woman from a neighboring ranch gave him the necessary permits and papers to enlist in the bracero program; he went through the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, México; his first contract took him to Salinas, California, where he continued renewing his contract and remained there for one year and nine months; from there he went on to Stockton, California, where he stayed for a little over a year; he goes on to give …

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Interview No. 1272, Luis Guzmán Aug 2005

Interview No. 1272, Luis Guzmán

Combined Interviews

Mr. Guzmán briefly discusses his family, childhood, and adolescence; in 1956, he enlisted in the bracero program at a contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, and he later went through a center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; as part of the hiring process, he had to have a letter of recommendation from a judge or authority stating that he was a good worker; in addition, he was physically examined, and he had to give blood samples as well; as a bracero, he worked in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, picking beets and cotton; he goes on to describe the various …

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Interview No. 1270, María Félix Mota Aug 2005

Interview No. 1270, María Félix Mota

Combined Interviews

María Félix discusses her family and childhood; her father, Leopoldo Mota Serrano, worked with the bracero program during the fifties in Colorado, Michigan, and Texas, picking various fruits and vegetables; María talks about how sad she and her sister were whenever he left and how they were too young to understand why he had to go away; while he was gone, he would send letters, money, and small gifts; these items, however, were sent to a family friend in town, and his wife, María’s mother, would pick everything up from him; upon one of his return trips to México, he …

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Interview No. 1277, Juana Ortíz Moreno Gómez Aug 2005

Interview No. 1277, Juana Ortíz Moreno Gómez

Combined Interviews

Mrs. Juana Ortíz vividly describes her childhood and the troubles she faced as a child born out of wedlock; she remembers her mother tried to sell her to someone, which consequently led to her grandmother deciding to raise her; soon after, her mother married and started a new life after leaving her behind; when she was sixteen years old, she married Jesús Ortíz Torres [See also No. XX]; he struggled to find work, which led to his decision to enlist in the bracero program against her wishes; as a bracero, he worked in California, Idaho, Michigan, and Texas, picking cotton, …

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Interview No. 1273, Juan Loza Aug 2005

Interview No. 1273, Juan Loza

Combined Interviews

Mr. Loza recalls his childhood in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México; he explains that he had little formal schooling, and he began working at age eight; additionally, he states that he heard of the bracero program from his godfather, and he approached the mayor of his town to be placed on the bracero list; he recounts his experiences while waiting to be contracted in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, and how he had to work in order to have a place to stay while waiting for his name to be called; moreover, he relates what the process was like, the rough treatment …

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Interview No. 1271, Saturnino González Díaz Aug 2005

Interview No. 1271, Saturnino González Díaz

Combined Interviews

Mr. González briefly recalls his family and childhood; he remembers hearing stories about his dad working in the United States, which made him want to do the same; as a young man he acquired a secure job with the federal electricity commission in México, mounting high tension cables; when he was nineteen he heard about a call for braceros, and he decided to quit his job for the chance to work in the United States; he traveled to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, México, but he ended up being in debt before ever obtaining a contract; moreover, he details …

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Interview No. 1278, Jesús Ortíz Torres Aug 2005

Interview No. 1278, Jesús Ortíz Torres

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ortíz recalls the humble beginnings of his childhood and how much he and his family suffered; in 1960, he married Juana Moreno Gómez [See also No. XX], and shortly thereafter he began working as a bracero; he initially traveled to border cities in México on his own, where the only requirement was to pick a certain amount of cotton in order to cross into the United States; there were times, however, that he still had to wait for days or weeks to be called even after picking cotton, but some men were never called; he talks about not having …

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Interview No. 1101, J. Jesus Hernandez Medrano Jul 2005

Interview No. 1101, J. Jesus Hernandez Medrano

Combined Interviews

Mr. Hernandez briefly recounts his childhood and adolescence growing up on a farm; he would often help his father work the land and care for the animals; in 1944, he went to México, Distrito Federal, to begin the enrollment process for the Bracero Program; he describes the processing center and the various procedures he underwent there, including the medical exams and the train trip to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México; as a bracero, he picked cotton as well as a range of fruits and vegetables; he goes on to describe his daily routine, the living arrangements, what he did during his …

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Interview No. 1103, Pedro Del Real Jul 2005

Interview No. 1103, Pedro Del Real

Combined Interviews

Mr. Del Real describes how he initially heard of the Bracero Program through word of mouth; in 1952, when he began the enrollment process, he was already married and had children; he went through contracting centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, and Empalme, Sonora; there were huge crowds of people at these centers, which proved to be problematic due to the long waiting periods; he explains the procedures he underwent, including the medical exams and the delousing process; furthermore, he describes the delousing procedures as discriminatory; as a bracero, he was able to obtain eight working contracts, which took him to …

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Interview No. 1104, Ma. Irma Davalos Jul 2005

Interview No. 1104, Ma. Irma Davalos

Combined Interviews

Ms. Davalos recalls her childhood, and how she learned about farming from her father when she was only five years old; he was very strict with her, and she would often get in trouble or yelled at for not doing things correctly; when she was about six years old, her father came to the United Stated to work as a bracero because they were in desperate need of money; she remembers that while he was away, he would often send letters, but not necessarily money; on the occasions when he was able to send money, it was a great help; …

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Interview No. 1105, Audmaro G. Zepeda Jul 2005

Interview No. 1105, Audmaro G. Zepeda

Combined Interviews

Mr. Zepeda recalls his childhood and adolescence; because his uncles had worked as braceros, he knew that would be his one chance for a better future; in 1957, he began the hiring process by paying $300.00 to go on the county’s list of eligible workers; he then went to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México, and he was sent by train to Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, where he was medically examined and deloused; as a bracero, he worked throughout California, picking beets, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, chile, and cotton; when he worked in Salinas, California, there were between 400 and …

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Interview No. 1102, Ismael Z. Nicolás Osorio Jul 2005

Interview No. 1102, Ismael Z. Nicolás Osorio

Combined Interviews

Mr. Osorio briefly discusses his childhood and adolescence; he went to school only through the sixth grade, because there were no secondary schools in his hometown; while searching for a school, he became aware of the bracero contracting center in México, Distrito Federal; in spite of the rumors he had heard that he might have to fight in the war as a bracero, he decided to begin the enrollment process in 1944; he initially began the procedures by paying to get his name on the county’s list of workers in Oaxaca, México; from there, he traveled to Ciudad México, and …

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Interview No. 1106, Juan Baez Barragán Jul 2005

Interview No. 1106, Juan Baez Barragán

Combined Interviews

Mr. Baez briefly describes his family and childhood; later, he worked in the United States illegally for a short time before returning to México through Mexicali, Baja California, and obtaining a bracero contract in 1949; he goes on to explain the requirements, including how their hands were checked, physical exams, x-rays, and blood samples; consequently, he underwent similar procedures when going through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora; he also talks about transportation from the centers to the border by bus and train; as a bracero he worked in Arizona and California; he also details the various worksites, daily routines, …

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Interview No. 1112, Alberto Montes Jul 2005

Interview No. 1112, Alberto Montes

Combined Interviews

Mr. Montes recalls growing up in Huejuquilla el Alto, Jalisco, México with seven siblings; he states that at age eleven he began working in agriculture; he explains that he heard about the Bracero Program in 1952, and decided to enlist in 1953; additionally, he details what the hiring process was like in Empalme, Sonora, México; he describes what the medical exams were like, the process he went through, and his trip to the border; furthermore, he remembers working in New Mexico picking cotton, and what his daily work day was like; he presents what food braceros had, what their living …

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