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Oral History Commons™

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2006

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Institution
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Articles 91 - 120 of 213

Full-Text Articles in Oral History

Interview No. 1320, Juan Virgen Díaz May 2006

Interview No. 1320, Juan Virgen Díaz

Combined Interviews

Mr. Virgen Díaz recalls his childhood; he remembers hearing stories about his father working as a bracero in the United States; his father encouraged him to join the bracero program; they traveled to the processing center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; he recalls the entire process, including lists of eligible workers, waiting times and transportation; he details the harsh conditions he and other men endured while waiting there; the center was overcrowded, they slept in barracks constructed of cardboard and on the floor; both he and his father were stripped, examined, and deloused on both sides of the border; in addition, …

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Interview No. 1316, Alejandro S. Arredondo May 2006

Interview No. 1316, Alejandro S. Arredondo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Arredondo briefly talks about his hometown and what life was like growing up; he initially learned about the Bracero Program in Cosalá, Sinaloa, Mexico; his brother was already in the United States and he wrote to him about the program; Mr. Arredondo travelled to Culiacán, Mexico in search of employment; from there, he traveled to Mexicali, Mexico; while in Mexicali, Mexico, he worked in the fields picking cotton; he crossed into United States illegally and he picked cotton as an undocumented worker; on several occasions, he and other undocumented workers were detained by immigration officials and were sent back …

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Interview No. 1318, Juan Topete May 2006

Interview No. 1318, Juan Topete

Combined Interviews

Mr. Topete recalls the humble beginnings of his childhood and how much he suffered; at the age of eighteen he and Margarita Becerra set out to Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico; along the way, he met a man who knew his father and he traveled to meet him; his father told him to return Margarita to her home and he sent him to the U.S.; he crossed into the U.S. through Mexicali, Mexico; he paid a man $125.00 to take him to Oakland, California; he worked for the railroad while in Oakland; he was deported to Mexicali, Mexico where he sold secondhand …

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Interview No. 1324, Tomás Pelayo May 2006

Interview No. 1324, Tomás Pelayo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Tomás Pelayo briefly recalls his childhood and the financial difficulties he and his family endured; as a young man, he traveled to the United States in search of adventure; he heard about a call for braceros and he returned to Mexico in order to join the program; he recalls the process, including lists of eligible workers, waiting times, and transportation to and from the center; in addition, he mentions going through the center in Empalme, Sonora, Mexico; on another occasion, he traveled to Hermosillo, Mexico where he picked two thousand kilos of cotton in order to obtain a letter …

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Interview No. 1322, Antonio Molina Rodríguez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1326, Roberto M. González May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1325, Antonio García B. May 2006

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; …

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Interview No. 1321, Alfredo Angulo Castro May 2006

Interview No. 1321, Alfredo Angulo Castro

Combined Interviews

Mr. Alfredo Angulo Castro recalls his childhood and the financial difficulties he and his family endured; he was a racehorse jockey at the age of five; in 1949, at the age of nineteen, he traveled to the United States; his godfather was the foreman for a company in Holtville, California; in order to work for the company, he returned to Mexico and joined the bracero program; he recalls going through the processing center in Mexicali, Mexico; as part of the process, he was medically examined, shaved, and deloused; he worked twelve to twenty-four hour shifts as an irrigator in the …

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Interview No. 1290, José Mario Arredondo Salas May 2006

Interview No. 1290, José Mario Arredondo Salas

Combined Interviews

Mr. Arredondo worked on picking lettuce, pears and peaches as well as being a cook and gardener; he worked from 1949 to 1950 in Imperial Valley and from 1953 to 1961 in Yolo; Mr. Arredondo talks about working in agriculture on his father’s land; his father became ill when he was very young, forcing him to work the fields to help support his family; he discusses how he was married to his first wife for 5 months and had his first child; he talks about undergoing medical examinations and being stripped of his clothes and sprayed down as well as …

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Interview No. 1293, Manuel Chávez Romo May 2006

Interview No. 1293, Manuel Chávez Romo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Romo describes moving at a young age to San Juan de los Lagos because his father was going to help them get residency in the United States; he talks about growing up poor and that 11 of his siblings died because of the harsh winter conditions; at the age of 16 Mr. Romo attended school in Zacatecas where he studied to become a welder; he talks about his mother raising him and taking care of the few chickens and cows they had in order to survive; Mr. Romo speaks highly of his father and is very proud that his …

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Interview No. 1301, Bacelicia Meza De Peraza May 2006

Interview No. 1301, Bacelicia Meza De Peraza

Combined Interviews

Ms. Bacelicia Meza de Peraza recalls growing up in the most rural of areas, a ranch with no electricity and cars were never seen to pass by; both of her parents worked in agriculture and as a young teen she helped by harvesting carrots; at the age of 17 she moved to Mexicali with her aunt, where she worked selling magazines and books; it was in Mexicali where Ms. Bacelicia met her husband who had been a bracero for the past 10 years; she talks about them going on dates to the movies and around town; she mentions that her …

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Interview No. 1303, Federico Navarro Duran May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1213, Francisco Ceceña May 2006

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; …

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Interview No. 1222, Ignacia Godinez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1229, Higinio Muñoz Martínez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1223, Jose Gomez C. May 2006

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, …

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Interview No. 1225, Esteban Gutierrez S. May 2006

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; …

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Interview No. 1230, Jose R. Montañez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1236, Juan Padilla May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1232, Mateo Murillo Lamas May 2006

Interview No. 1232, Mateo Murillo Lamas

Combined Interviews

Mr. Murillo vividly recalls being in México, Distrito Federal, in 1942, when he was taken at gunpoint by Mexican officials and loaded into a train; there were roughly one thousand men aboard, and by the time they reached California, there were only two hundred men, at most, because so many had jumped off the train; as he was about to be transported to his worksite, American officials asked if he would be willing to take arms and help the United States should the need arise; he agreed and signed a paper that put him on a reserve list, but he …

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Interview No. 1245, Martha Gutiérrez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1250, Virginia Solorzano Sanchez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1253, Arturo Vargas Rios May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1255, Estela V. Cervantes May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1307, Gregorio Nuñez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1228, Leocadio Marquez May 2006

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 …

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Interview No. 1186, Raul Cardenas M. May 2006

Interview No. 1186, Raul Cardenas M.

Combined Interviews

Mr. Cardenas briefly recalls his childhood and having to move to México City, México, to start working; when he was seventeen years of age he heard about a call for braceros; he decided to leave his job for the chance to work in the United States; he traveled to the processing center in Calexico, México; he details the harsh conditions he and other men endured while waiting there; in addition, he talks about how painful the physical exams were and how rudely they were conducted; his first contract took him to work in the tomato fields of Yolo, California; he …

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Interview No. 1194, Asterio L. León May 2006

Interview No. 1194, Asterio L. León

Combined Interviews

Mr. León remembers growing up in Palmar de Sepúlvedas, Sinaloa, México; he discusses how he started working in agriculture at an early age, and how he was able to get formal school until the third grade; furthermore, he recalls how he heard about the bracero program, how he got his first contract after being an undocumented worker in Blythe, California, and how his boss there helped him acquire the contract; he explains how contracting occurred in Empalme, Sonora, México, how potential braceros waited sometimes for months to get contracted, and how he paid coyotes to get on the list for …

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Interview No. 1198, Jose B. Sanchez May 2006

Interview No. 1198, Jose B. Sanchez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Sanchez remembers growing up in San Miguel Epeja, Michoacán, México, and leaving home when he was thirteen years old because his father was very rough; he recalls working in agriculture throughout México; in 1953, he recounts how he was contracted in Gómez Palacio, Durango, México, the process he went through, and his trip to the border; furthermore, he describes crossing into the United States, and the medical exams he endured; he worked in Arizona and California picking cotton, lettuce, and melons; his last year as a bracero was in 1963; moreover, he states what the housing they received was …

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Interview No. 1189, Ramon Flores Gonzales May 2006

Interview No. 1189, Ramon Flores Gonzales

Combined Interviews

Mr. Flores Gonzales remembers growing up in Juquillo, Jalisco, México, and having to work from the age of five; he recalls hearing about the bracero program from his brother who worked in Blythe, California; in 1956, he joined the bracero program and worked in California until 1960 picking carrots, cotton, and watermelon; he relates what it was like to be contracted in Empalme, Sonora, México, the process they went through, the papers he needed, and the brief medical exams they received; furthermore, he describes his bus ride to Mexicali, Baja California, México, and how the contracts were created in El …

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