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Articles 31 - 60 of 213
Full-Text Articles in Oral History
Interview No. 1308, Roberto Oceguera Licea
Interview No. 1308, Roberto Oceguera Licea
Combined Interviews
Mr. Oceguera Licea briefly recalls his hometown; he moved to Calexico where he heard about the bracero program; in 1955, he traveled to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; his first contract was in Newman, California where he labored in the melon fields; he briefly discusses and compares the camp size, living conditions and provisions at El Centro, California and Newman, California; he worked in the tomato fields of Imperial Valley, California; he labored in the asparagus fields in Stockton, California; he labored in the grape and pear orchards of Geyserville, California; Mr. Oceguera Licea mentions that many braceros …
Interview No. 1323, Ramón Bravo García
Interview No. 1323, Ramón Bravo García
Combined Interviews
Mr. Ramón Bravo García briefly recalls his childhood; his parents relocated to Baja California, Mexico to work in the agricultural fields; he recalls going through the contracting center of Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; his first contract took him to work in the asparagus fields of Stockton, California; he did not complete the contract; in 1948, he married a childhood acquaintance; shortly thereafter, he obtained his second bracero contract in Pueblo Nuevo, Mexico; he describes the medical exams and required documents; as part of the process, he was stripped and deloused, which he found humiliating; his second contract took him to work …
Interview No. 1067, Roberto García
Interview No. 1067, Roberto García
Combined Interviews
Mr. García talks about going to school as a young boy and the different cities he traveled to in order to continue his education; eventually, he had to stop going to school, because the family did not have the money, and he began working instead; shortly after, he married, and in 1959, he enlisted in the bracero program; he explains that he signed up on the list of available workers in Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, which in turn allowed him to get to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; he waited there for over a month with thousands of other …
Interview No. 1068, Higinio López
Interview No. 1068, Higinio López
Combined Interviews
Mr. López talks about his family and what his life was like growing up on a ranch; in 1947, he came to work in the United States without proper documentation; after three years, immigration officials sent him back to México; during the early 1950s, he married and started raising a family; by the time he enlisted in the bracero program he had two children; he went through the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; oftentimes, he went with groups of other men so the process would not be as bad; even so, he describes crossing into the United States as …
Interview No. 1069, Ignacio I. Álvarez
Interview No. 1069, Ignacio I. Álvarez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Álvarez briefly talks about his family; one of his uncles worked with the bracero program, which later led him to do the same when he was twenty-five years old; he describes getting on the list of available workers before going to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México, where his hands were examined for signs of manual labor; from there, he was sent by bus to Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, where he was given a thorough medical examination; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona and California, irrigating and picking cotton, cucumbers, lemons, oranges and tomatoes; …
Interview No. 1072, Juan Contreras
Interview No. 1072, Juan Contreras
Combined Interviews
Mr. Contreras initially learned about the bracero program through a friend and went to enlist; a few weeks later, he received a telegram telling him to go to the Buena Vista station in México, Distrito Federal, where he volunteered for Exterior Relations; later, he traveled by train to the United States; Mexican soldiers watched over the seven cars with roughly eighty men in each; by the time they reached El Paso, Texas, only three or four cars were left; he did not have to endure any physical exams; however, he later went through the center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, and …
Interview No. 1070, Luz Maria Ayala
Interview No. 1070, Luz Maria Ayala
Combined Interviews
Ms. Ayala talks about her father, and how prior to enlisting in the bracero program, he worked with mules and sold cheese in México; he went through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México, where he waited up to nine months for a contract; while waiting, he and a group of men put up an overhead covering where they could sleep and have shade; as a bracero, he labored in the fields and on the railroads when she was a young girl; while he was gone, the family suffered greatly, because there was often no food or money; he returned …
Interview No. 1074, J. Jesus Gomez L.
Interview No. 1074, J. Jesus Gomez L.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Gomez talks about coming to the United States without documents and working in Texas for a year and a half when he was sixteen years old; later, during the 1950s, he returned to the United States with the bracero program; he talks about what he endured in order to obtain a bracero contract, including physical exams and delousing procedures; the men who did not pass the exams were sent back; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, provisions, routines, treatment, payments, deductions, friendships, correspondence and …
Interview No. 1081, Margarita López
Interview No. 1081, Margarita López
Combined Interviews
Ms. López talks about her hometown in Calvillo, Aguascalientes, México, and how much it has grown since she was a child; in 1950, when she was fifteen years old, she married Higinio López; he was twenty-four at the time; they grew up in the same town, but on different ranches; Higinio had begun working as a bracero prior to their marriage, before he and Margarita had even met; after they married, they lived on his ranch, and he continued working as a bracero; in 1952, they had their first daughter; by 1956, they had two children and moved to Mexicali, …
Interview No. 1082, Alejo López
Interview No. 1082, Alejo López
Combined Interviews
Mr. López briefly talks about his family; one of his older brothers enlisted in the bracero program, and in 1954, Alejo also joined; to begin the contracting process, he went through the center in Mexicali, Baja California, México, where he was stripped and examined; moreover, he offers a detailed description of the exams he endured; he later went through the center in Empalme, Sonora, México; from there he was transported by train to Mexicali, where he was deloused like an animal; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, cleaning, pruning and picking asparagus, lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes; …
Interview No. 1073, Pedro De Alba G.
Interview No. 1073, Pedro De Alba G.
Combined Interviews
Mr. de Alba recalls that people went into town to recruit for the bracero program; his parents encouraged him to join, and in 1955, he enlisted; one of his brothers was also a bracero, and they worked together twice; Pedro went through contracting centers in Monterrey, Nuevo León and Empalme, Sonora, México; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Texas, cleaning, pruning and picking carrots, cotton, lettuce and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, accommodations, amenities, provisions, duties, treatment, payments, deductions, remittances, correspondence and recreational activities, including trips into town …
Interview No. 1084, Roberto Silva M.
Interview No. 1084, Roberto Silva M.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Silva talks about his family and childhood, and how they all suffered due to poverty; the lack of rain and crops prompted the family to move from Calvillo, Aguascalientes to Jalpa, Zacatecas, México; they lived on a ranch by a large lake, which greatly improved their situation; during the mid-1950s, when he was eighteen years old, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; in order to join, he had to complete his military service, which he was able to do early by altering the dates on his papers, pay two hundred pesos and pick two thousand kilograms of …
Interview No. 1083, Isaura Covarrubias
Interview No. 1083, Isaura Covarrubias
Combined Interviews
Ms. Covarrubias talks about her childhood and early adolescence; her father worked in agriculture, but it was not enough to support their family of twelve, which lead to his decision to enlist in the bracero program; at the time, she was thirteen years old; she weeps at the memories of how much she and her family suffered while her father was gone; he endured a great deal as well and often told her stories; it was very difficult while waiting to obtain a contract, but it was often worse when he began laboring in the fields of the United States; …
Interview No. 1147, Jesus Campos Ortiz
Interview No. 1147, Jesus Campos Ortiz
Combined Interviews
Mr. Campos describes his hometown, family, and childhood; in the early sixties, when he was roughly seventeen years old, he enlisted in the bracero program using false papers that his father had acquired for him; he explains various aspects of the contracting process in México, including organization by municipalities, necessary paperwork, exams, and travel methods; moreover, he notes that his uncle was injured as a result of the medical assessments he underwent; Jesús goes on to detail worksites, duties, hours, housing, provisions, treatment, payments, remittances, recreational activities, and working relationships; in addition, he describes being in the United States for …
Interview No. 1145, María C. Ayon
Interview No. 1145, María C. Ayon
Combined Interviews
Ms. Ayón discusses her family and childhood at length; she begins to sob upon recollecting the abusive relationship of her parents; her mother died when she was roughly fifteen years old; consequently, as the eldest of the five children still living at home, she was forced to care for the rest of her siblings; she later married and had twelve children of her own, nine of whom survived; moreover, she talks about each of her children, their careers, and how she lost three of them; in 1990, her husband passed away, and shortly thereafter, she immigrated to the United States; …
Interview No. 1152, Francisco Gutiérrez, María Guadalupe, Leticia Gutiérrez
Interview No. 1152, Francisco Gutiérrez, María Guadalupe, Leticia Gutiérrez
Combined Interviews
Leticia, and her mother, María, offer a detailed description of Francisco’s family and parents; he and two of his brothers traveled to Empalme, Sonora, México, in order to pick two thousand kilograms of cotton and get the cards they needed to enlist in the bracero program; they then returned to Mexicali, Baja California, where they were medically examined and fumigated; one of his brother-in-laws chose to return to México rather than endure being stripped and deloused; Francisco worked as a bracero in California picking pecans, tomatoes, and other fruits; he describes treatment, provisions, and free time, including trips into town; …
Interview No. 1149, Herminio Estrada, Librada Estrada
Interview No. 1149, Herminio Estrada, Librada Estrada
Combined Interviews
Librada talks about how she and Herminio met and courted for a year before getting married in 1942; later that same year, he traveled to Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, to enlist in the bracero program; his first contract took him to Phoenix, Arizona, where he picked lettuce for eighteen months; while in Arizona, he also worked in Aguila, Somerton, and Yuma; his contracts in California took him to work in Salinas and Yuba City; a friend of his wrote letters to Librada for him, because he did not know how to write; he sent home what little money he could; sometimes, …
Interview No. 1150, Roberto Garcia S.
Interview No. 1150, Roberto Garcia S.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Garcia gives a detailed description of his parents, siblings and children; he recalls his father becoming a bracero and the difficulties he and his family faced; they had to work the land and care for the animals on their own; in addition, he describes the various tasks his mother had to perform as well; he later began working illegally in Arizona against his father’s wishes; during the midfifties he went with a coyote in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, and later to Empalme, Sonora, México, to enlist as a bracero; on average, he had to wait there for at least fifteen …
Interview No. 1151, Lorenzo González
Interview No. 1151, Lorenzo González
Combined Interviews
Mr. González recalls writing letters to his mother while he was in the United States; he states there was always a lot of work to be done, which always led to a chance to make money; as a bracero, some of his duties included working with machines that picked lettuce and driving tractors and transportation buses; in addition, while he was in Fresno, California, he was a foreman, and he was responsible for picking up braceros at the processing centers; it was difficult, because oftentimes more men than they needed loaded themselves into the truck in the hope of getting …
Interview No. 1153, Froylan Huerta
Interview No. 1153, Froylan Huerta
Combined Interviews
Mr. Huerta briefly describes his family and what it was like growing up in a small town; he recalls that in order to get on the list of available workers in Empalme, Sonora, México, he had to pay between six and eight hundred pesos and wait one or two months to be called; while there he worked washing dishes at a restaurant in exchange for food; he explains the entire process he underwent, including medical exams; from there he was transported in a train, like an animal, to Mexicali, Baja California, México; he also describes the centers he passed through …
Interview No. 1159, Ignacio Serna Gallardo
Interview No. 1159, Ignacio Serna Gallardo
Combined Interviews
Mr. Serna recalls the small town he grew up in and how it changed over the years; he also talks about his life on the ranch; his uncles and cousins who worked as braceros told him it was easy money; during the late forties, he came to the United States illegally, and while he was in Harlingen, Texas, he was able to obtain a bracero contract; he chronicles the process he went through, including the necessary documentation and medical examinations; furthermore, he was stripped and deloused in public, which he describes as something embarrassing that took away his dignity; although …
Interview No. 1155, Herminio Martinez
Interview No. 1155, Herminio Martinez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Martinez recalls learning about the bracero program through the television; in 1962, he decided to enlist in the program; his father borrowed five hundred pesos to help him on the condition that he would in turn pay fifty dollars; Herminio describes going through a processing center in Chihuahua, México, where there were many people; he then went to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, where there were so many people that they all slept on the floor; from there, the men were transported by bus to a reception center where they were medically examined, which included blood samples, x-rays, and being …
Interview No. 1156, Maria L. Menchaca
Interview No. 1156, Maria L. Menchaca
Combined Interviews
Ms. Menchaca describes growing up in a small town; in 1942, the year she was born, her father, Antonio Ortega Estrada, went to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, to enlist in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in Arizona, California, and Texas on the railroads and in the fields picking carrots, cotton, grapes, lettuce, and tomatoes; although María was too young to remember her father being in the program, he frequently spoke of his experiences; Antonio endured being stripped and fumigated out of necessity; oftentimes, he worked from sun up to sun down, which was especially difficult; he slept on …
Interview No. 1163, Apolonio Venegas
Interview No. 1163, Apolonio Venegas
Combined Interviews
Mr. Venegas talks about his family and how they all worked hard to make ends meet; they moved around before settling in Zitácuaro, Michoacán, México; he later went to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, with a group of thirty-five men to enlist in the bracero program; at the time, he was very naïve and thought that the work would be easy, but it was extremely difficult; as a bracero, he worked throughout California picking apples, beets, carrots, cucumbers, green beans, pears, and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, housing, living conditions, provisions, daily routines, duties, treatment, correspondence, payments, and …
Interview No. 1075, Juan Guerrero Nava
Interview No. 1075, Juan Guerrero Nava
Combined Interviews
Mr. Guerrero explains that during the late 1950s, he enlisted in the bracero program; in order to get the necessary papers, he had to pick a given amount of cotton; he also talks about the various contracting centers he went through, including Monterrey, Nuevo León, Irapuato, Guanajuato and Empalme, Sonora, México; as part of the process, he was stripped, medically examined and deloused; he also went through centers in Calexico, California and McAllen, Texas; from these centers he was transported by bus to the worksites and given a bologna and cheese sandwich for the ride; although he did not really …
Interview No. 1071, Tarsicio Ortíz
Interview No. 1071, Tarsicio Ortíz
Combined Interviews
Mr. Ortíz talks about his father’s time as a bracero; he initially enlisted in the bracero program during the 1940s, before he married; some of his friends were hesitant to join, because they were afraid of being sent off to war; even so, he had to take the chance; he went through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; his hands were checked for calluses; some of the men that did not have any work experience rubbed sticks together in their hands to make calluses; he often talked to Tarsicio about how difficult life in México was and how working …
Interview No. 1078, Arturo Berumen
Interview No. 1078, Arturo Berumen
Combined Interviews
Mr. Berumen talks about his father becoming a bracero, in the early 1950s; because he was very young, he changed the dates on his papers so he could complete his military service early and get a contract sooner; just as he finished his service, he learned a bus was already leaving for Guanajuato, México; he gathered his things and left without even saying good-bye to his mother; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California picking and packing tomatoes; he also made friends that he traveled with to and from México; one of his employers helped him send …
Interview No. 1076, Luis Estrada E.
Interview No. 1076, Luis Estrada E.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Estrada explains that the year after he was born, his father, Miguel, enlisted in the bracero program; Luis recalls his father leaving for the United States; the family went to the bus station in town that was three hours away; he would not let go of his father, which he knows made him feel bad; his father left in order to find better opportunities for his children; Miguel traveled by bus from Michoacán to Sonora, México, with his brother, where they suffered greatly to get the necessary papers to enlist; his brother regretted ever going, because they endured so …
Interview No. 1077, Elsa Murillo Rodríguez
Interview No. 1077, Elsa Murillo Rodríguez
Combined Interviews
Ms. Murillo describes her childhood as very sad without her father; he was a bracero until the early 1960s; he labored in the fields of Texas picking apples and oranges; several of her other family members were also braceros; there were times while her father was away that they did not have enough money for food, and their grandparents helped care for them; while he was gone, her oldest brother was killed; they did not have enough money to bury him, but her father was able to return home quickly and help them; her father returned home roughly every two …
Interview No. 1146, Jesus Bautista R.
Interview No. 1146, Jesus Bautista R.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Bautista briefly discusses his family and childhood; he was married in 1947, and he and his wife later had four children; by 1956, his wife became very ill, which prompted him to enlist in the bracero program in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México; from there he was transported to Empalme, Sonora, México, then to Mexicali, Baja California, México, where he underwent medical examinations; as a bracero, he labored primarily in California, picking blackberries, cherries, pears, strawberries, and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the different worksites, duties, schedules, living conditions, provisions, housing, accommodations, payments, and remittances; in addition, he describes an …