Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- 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)
- Regional Sociology (1)
- Keyword
-
- University of Texas at El Paso. Institute of Oral History—interviews. (872)
- 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 451 - 480 of 1746
Full-Text Articles in Oral History
Interview No. 1200, Salvador Beltran Torres
Interview No. 1200, Salvador Beltran Torres
Combined Interviews
Mr. Beltran Torres remembers growing up in Cosalá, Sinaloa, México, and working from an early age with his father in agriculture; he recalls how he heard about the bracero program, and what the contracting process was like in Empalme, Sonora, México; in 1956, he joined the bracero program, and then returned to it in 1958, because his father was killed; he worked in Arizona and California picking cotton, spreading seed, and watering until 1962; furthermore, he describes what life on the farm was like, the work he did, and the pay he received; he explains what his living arrangements were …
Interview No. 1195, Rodolfo J. López
Interview No. 1195, Rodolfo J. López
Combined Interviews
Mr. López remembers his childhood growing up in Angamacutiro, Michoacán, México; he completed five years of formal schooling, and worked in agriculture at an early age; furthermore, after completing his military service, he joined the bracero program in 1957; he worked in California picking cotton and driving tractors; he describes the contracting process in Empalme, Sonora, México, the trip to the border he endured in a freight train, and the fumigation and medical exams he went through at El Centro, California, México; moreover, he recounts the names of different farms in Blythe, California, as well as how his life there …
Interview No. 1196, Jose S. Magana
Interview No. 1196, Jose S. Magana
Combined Interviews
Mr. Magana remembers growing up in Hierbabuena, Michoacán, México; he is oldest sibling in his family, and remembers how hard it was to grow up poor in a ranch in México; he recalls that his father was a bracero from 1956 to 1960, and worked in California cutting lettuce; furthermore, he recounts the memories his father shared with him about the bracero program; he highlights the hardships his father endured, and how his father refused to work in United States again after returning to México, because of the bad treatment he received; moreover; he describes how his father arranged for …
Interview No. 1201, Severiano G. Villarreal
Interview No. 1201, Severiano G. Villarreal
Combined Interviews
Mr. Villarreal remembers growing up in Saguaripa, Sonora, México; he states that his father worked in agriculture, and after his death, he had to find work in the U.S.; he recounts that he worked in Yuma, Arizona planting and growing trees as an undocumented worker from 1951 to 1954; in 1954, his boss helped him become a bracero, and he worked for him until 1961; moreover, he recalls that he did not go to contracting centers in México, because he was contracted as a special bracero in San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, México through the La Asociación, a group in …
Interview No. 1187, Luis C. Marín
Interview No. 1187, Luis C. Marín
Combined Interviews
Mr. Marín states that he was contracted in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, and he entered the United States through El Paso, Texas: he recalls the process he went through in El Paso, and how he was medically examined; additionally, he remembers that most braceros did not want to work in Texas due to the harsh treatment they received; he describes being at Rio Vista processing center; moreover, he recounts that he worked as a bracero until 1955 with only one farmer in New Mexico; he relates what his family life was like as a bracero, and how his children were born …
Interview No. 1231, Cipriano Moreno
Interview No. 1231, Cipriano Moreno
Combined Interviews
Mr. Moreno briefly speaks about his family; in 1960, when he was twenty-three years old, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he signed up in his hometown of Irapuato, Guanajuato, but he was sent to Empalme, Sonora; he was assigned a number based on his home state, and once he was called, he was transferred to Mexicali, Baja California, México, and then to El Centro, California; while there, he was stripped, medically examined and deloused; as a bracero, he completed two contracts and labored in the fields of California, cleaning, pruning and picking beets, cantaloupe, grapes, lettuce and …
Interview No. 1216, Catarino J. Durán
Interview No. 1216, Catarino J. Durán
Combined Interviews
Mr. Durán briefly talks about his family and adolescence; several people in his community worked as braceros and returned home with new clothes and money, which was what he wanted for himself; in 1954, when he was twenty years old, he took a bus from his hometown to Mexicali, Baja California, México, where he enlisted in the bracero program; his first contract took him to Sacramento, California, to pick tomatoes for a cannery; later he worked in Stockton and Tracy, California; he goes on to describe how tiring it was to stay hunched over all day working in the fields; …
Interview No. 1221, Judith García
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, …
Interview No. 1242, Juan Rosanes
Interview No. 1242, Juan Rosanes
Combined Interviews
Mr. Rosanes briefly talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; for a brief time, he worked in the United States without proper documentation; later, he picked cotton in Sonora, México, to obtain the necessary papers to enlist in Empalme, Sonora, México, where he was medically examined; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Michigan, picking cucumbers, grapes, lemons, oranges and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the worksites, camp sizes, housing, accommodations, amenities, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, friendships, payments and recreational activities, including trips into town; on occasion, Mexican officials visited …
Interview No. 1247, Melitona M. Santacruz
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 …
Interview No. 1202, Jesus Aceves Gutierres
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 …
Interview No. 1203, Jose Aguilar
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, …
Interview No. 1204, Juan Aguilar Lopes
Interview No. 1204, Juan Aguilar Lopes
Combined Interviews
Mr. Aguilar Lopes remembers his childhood growing up in Jiquilpan, Michoacán, México; he states he worked from an early age in agriculture, resulting in him never attending a formal school; as an adult, he taught himself to read and write, and his wife helped him learn to manage his finances; in 1950, he entered the United States as an undocumented worker, and shortly thereafter decided to join the bracero program; he explains he was contracted the first time in Mexicali, Baja California, México and details what the contracting process was like; specifically, he describes how officials performed medical exams, which …
Interview No. 1205, Agustín Alvarez
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 …
Interview No. 1208, Efraín Benítez Satana
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 …
Interview No. 1207, Mario P. Beltran
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 …
Interview No. 1217, Anselmo Gamez
Interview No. 1217, Anselmo Gamez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Gamez briefly talks about his family and childhood; initially, he learned about the bracero program through word of mouth, because people were often given the necessary credentials for the program in town; he went through contracting centers in Guadalajara, Jalisco, and Empalme, Sonora; while in Empalme, a representative from an American company was there to recruit workers; he also describes the journey from the centers to the border; as a bracero he worked primarily in California picking cantaloupe, cotton, dates, and lettuce, and he also used to water the crops; he goes on to detail the various worksites, duties, …
Interview No. 1210, Gregorio Canseco
Interview No. 1210, Gregorio Canseco
Combined Interviews
Mr. Canseco talks about several of his family members serving in the bracero program; in 1948, he also enlisted in the program out of necessity; he went through contracting centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Irapuato, Guanajuato and Empalme, Sonora, México; in Chihuahua, soldiers kept order at the center, and if the men did not follow instructions, they were beaten; they suffered greatly just to be braceros, including being stripped, medically examined and deloused; although he went to the centers with family and friends, they were inevitably separated; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arkansas, California …
Interview No. 1219, Manuel Garcia
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 …
Interview No. 1214, Alfonso Ceja
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 …
Interview No. 1215, Leonardo Chavira Carrillo
Interview No. 1215, Leonardo Chavira Carrillo
Combined Interviews
Mr. Chavira briefly mentions his family; in 1948, he came to the United States as an undocumented worker, but he was later able to work for the same employer through the bracero program, and yet again later when he permanently immigrated; he initially paid a coyote to help him go through the process at the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato; in addition, he later went to centers in Empalme, Sonora, and Mexicali, Baja California; he also describes the physical examinations he underwent while at these centers and transportation from there to the border; while in the program he worked in …
Interview No. 1218, José García Díaz
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, …
Interview No. 1227, Guillermo C. Manzo
Interview No. 1227, Guillermo C. Manzo
Combined Interviews
Mr. Cervantes recalls his family and childhood; initially, the thought of working as a bracero was intimidating to him, because he knew how hard the work would be; when he was eighteen he traveled to Empalme, Sonora, México, with his father to enlist in the bracero program, but he became ill and had to go back home; in 1959, he returned to Empalme and began the contracting process; from Empalme he was transported by train to Mexicali, Baja California; oftentimes, he was treated poorly when he underwent physical exams and delousing procedures; he goes on to describe the various worksites, …
Interview No. 1224, J. Cruz Gonzalez
Interview No. 1224, J. Cruz Gonzalez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Gonzalez talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; in 1947, he learned about the bracero program and decided to enlist; he describes the contracting process he underwent, including medical exams and fumigation procedures, as well as the centers he went through in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua and Mexicali, Baja California, México; once he obtained a contract under a different name and was sent back, because they recognized who he was; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona, California and New Mexico, picking alfalfa, beets, cotton, lettuce, pears, plums and tomatoes; he completed …
Interview No. 1235, Vicente Nuñez Morales
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 …
Interview No. 1226, Eusebio Hernandez
Interview No. 1226, Eusebio Hernandez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Hernandez briefly mentions his family, childhood, and adolescence; while working at a gas station in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, he heard about contracts for the bracero program; in order to receive the proper documentation for the program he had to pick two thousand kilograms of cotton before being sent to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora; he describes the journey from the centers to the border and the physical exams and delousing process he underwent as rude and embarrassing; as a bracero he worked in the fields with crops such as beets, cotton, lettuce, and onions; furthermore, he details the …
Interview No. 1234, Lucio Nuñez
Interview No. 1234, Lucio Nuñez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Nuñez briefly talks about his family; he was working in Culiacán, Sinaloa, México, when he first heard about the bracero program; he decided to enlist, and three months later, he went to Empalme, Sonora, México, where he waited a week and a half to obtain a contract; he offers a detailed description of the entire process he underwent in México and the United States, including being stripped, medically examined and fumigated, which was especially humiliating and discriminatory; many men even broke out into rashes from the poison used during fumigation; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of …
Interview No. 1240, Ezequiel R. Serrano, María Serrano
Interview No. 1240, Ezequiel R. Serrano, María Serrano
Combined Interviews
Mr. Serrano remembers his older brother convincing him that they should join the bracero program together; they went to Distrito Federal, México to obtain a contract, because they were looking for railroad workers; Ezequiel said he was twenty-two years old, when he was really only eighteen to meet the age requirement for enlisting; as part of the contracting process, he was stripped, medically examined and deloused; moreover, he mentions that when some men had hemorrhoids, they would go to the bathroom immediately before they were examined and not wipe in order to hide the hemorrhoids; they would get in trouble …
Interview No. 1237, Juan H. Perez
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 …
Interview No. 1239, Gonzalo Quiroz
Interview No. 1239, Gonzalo Quiroz
Combined Interviews
Mr. Quiroz talks about getting married in 1957 and having his first child shortly after; the following year, in 1958, he decided to enlist in the bracero program, because he was not earning enough money; he was able to get on the list of available workers, and he went through the center in Empalme, Sonora, México, where he suffered greatly due to the long wait and scarcity of food; from there, he was transported by train to Mexicali, Baja California, México, before going through Calexico, California, where he was stripped, medically examined and deloused; as a bracero, he labored in …