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Oral History

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Articles 841 - 870 of 1185

Full-Text Articles in Oral History

Interview No. 993, Jesús Andrade Rodríguez Feb 2003

Interview No. 993, Jesús Andrade Rodríguez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Andrade briefly recalls his family and childhood; growing up, he and his family endured extreme economic hardships; in 1948, when he was eighteen years old, he enrolled in the Bracero Program; he describes the difficulties he went through during the hiring process as well as the humiliating medical examinations he and other braceros underwent at the reception center in Eagle Pass, Texas; as a bracero, he picked cotton in New Mexico and Texas, cleaned sugar beet fields in Montana, and he also worked in a pickle bottling factory in Michigan; he goes on to explain the daily activities on …

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Interview No. 1016, Jesús Rosales Ríos Feb 2003

Interview No. 1016, Jesús Rosales Ríos

Combined Interviews

Mr. Rosales remembers the Cristero Revolution from when he was four years old; he became a bracero in 1956, and recounts his work picking grapes in California and cotton in Texas; additionally, he recalls how he learned to irrigate crops; this duty became his primary job; he recounts how he was hospitalized once and had surgery paid for by his employer; furthermore, he expresses that he received good treatment from his employers, and that he is proud of having been a bracero.

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Interview No. 1018, Mauricio Salcido Hernández Feb 2003

Interview No. 1018, Mauricio Salcido Hernández

Combined Interviews

Mr. Salcido worked in the Bracero Program from 1957 to 1964; he recalls the hiring process for braceros, the medical exams they endured and how they were treated at the reception centers in Empalme, Sonora, México and the United States; additionally, he describes picking cotton in Arizona, cucumbers in Michigan, sugar beets in Montana, and irrigating cotton in Texas; he explains his pride in having been a bracero, the benefits of being a contracted migrant worker, and how his earnings during the Bracero Program helped him purchase the properties he owns.

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Interview No. 996, José Guadalupe Blanco Ortega Jan 2003

Interview No. 996, José Guadalupe Blanco Ortega

Combined Interviews

Mr. Blanco recalls his family, childhood, and adolescence; in 1948, he married his wife, and the following year, before the birth of their second child, he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program; he describes how he and a group of men walked through the mountains for three days to get to a town where they could take the train to Durango, Durango, México; from there they traveled to Chihuahua to officially begin the hiring process; he describes the entire hiring and contracting process including the medical exams and disinfecting procedures; as a bracero, he worked picking cotton in New …

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Interview No. 1001, Alfredo Fuentes Soto Jan 2003

Interview No. 1001, Alfredo Fuentes Soto

Combined Interviews

Mr. Fuentes briefly recalls his family, childhood, and adolescence; his family’s financial difficulties led him to enroll in the Bracero Program in 1956; he narrates the entire contracting process as well the medical exams he underwent beginning in Durango, Durango, México, and continuing through to Chihuahua; in addition, he describes how he was transported on a cargo train from the contracting center in Chihuahua to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; while there, he had to go through disinfecting procedures; in addition, he goes on to explain what daily life was like on the farm, including the work, …

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Interview No. 1569, Inez Rios Jan 2003

Interview No. 1569, Inez Rios

Combined Interviews

Ms. Rios recalls her childhood and what it was like growing up on a farm near Ysleta, Texas, where her father was the foreman; she recalls that prior to the Bracero Program, there were a number of undocumented workers on the farm; they were often caught by immigration services and returned to México; sometime later, roughly in 1948, braceros were hired to work on the farm; they were contracted through Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; she recalls how the braceros were chosen and transported to the farm; in addition, she remembers what their living conditions were like, …

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Interview No. 1334, Evangelina Basua Jan 2003

Interview No. 1334, Evangelina Basua

Combined Interviews

Ms. Basua describes her family and what her life was like growing up; when she was young, her brother José worked as a bracero, and he often brought her dolls from the United States; she goes on to discuss the circumstances surrounding her marriage to Virgen Beltrán Ochoa, when she was sixteen; they heard about the bracero program on the radio, and he went to Empalme, Sonora, México to enlist; as a bracero, he worked in Arizona and California picking cotton and cutting lettuce; his hands were ruined, especially because of all the thorns in the cotton; he was usually …

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Interview No. 987, Herminio Quezada Durán Dec 2002

Interview No. 987, Herminio Quezada Durán

Combined Interviews

Mr. Quezada briefly recalls having been born and raised in Satevó, Chihuahua, México; his entire family worked on ranches; when his father passed away in 1949, he and his family moved to Chihuahua, Chihuahua; prior to becoming a bracero, he worked illegally in the United States; in 1952, he was hired under the Bracero Program; he recalls that Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas, was the first reception center he encountered as a bracero; he was then taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas ; he remembers that none of the braceros wanted to go to Pecos, …

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Interview No. 1544, Consolacion Herrera Chaidez Nov 2002

Interview No. 1544, Consolacion Herrera Chaidez

Combined Interviews

He remembers being stopped by immigration after work but was released because he had money and was gainfully employed; he recalls returning in the 1930’s to Carreras; his first attempt to join the Bracero Program was unsuccessful, he waited in Mexico City for three months before returning to Carreras; he recalls many people returning from the program with bad experiences and no money, which did not discourage him; on his next attempt of the Bracero Program he was selected; he recalls receiving injections and having his hands inspected in Durango; he worked in the train and in the fields; on …

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Laukitis, Sally Oral History Interview: General Holland History, Geoffrey Reynolds Sep 2002

Laukitis, Sally Oral History Interview: General Holland History, Geoffrey Reynolds

General Holland History

No abstract provided.

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Interview No. 1041, Carlos Rosario Rosario Jul 2002

Interview No. 1041, Carlos Rosario Rosario

Combined Interviews

Mr. Rosario recalls growing up Mazatepec, Morelos, México in a catholic household; he remembers sowing rice and driving herds from an early age; in 1955; he joined the Bracero Program; he describes how the hiring process was conducted, how he had to pay bribes to be placed on the selection list, and the long train trip he took to the contracting center at Empalme, Sonora, México; additionally, he states that he worked in California and Texas picking cotton, grapefruits, green beans, lemons, oranges, and strawberries; furthermore, he details daily activities on the farms, the housing braceros had, the food they …

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Interview No. 1031, Rodolfo Cruz Figueroa Jul 2002

Interview No. 1031, Rodolfo Cruz Figueroa

Combined Interviews

Mr. Cruz recalls growing up near México City, México, and working in agriculture; he remembers moving to Miacatlán, Morelos, México at the age of sixteen, and joining the Bracero Program in 1946; as a bracero, he worked in California, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming picking apricots, broccoli, carrots, cotton, lemons, lettuce, onions, oranges, parsley, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes; he describes the hiring process he went through, his experiences at the contracting centers in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, and Empalme, Sonora, México, and the medical exams he endured; additionally, he details what daily life was like for braceros, what food and housing they …

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Interview No. 1034, Heriberto Flores Sotelo Jul 2002

Interview No. 1034, Heriberto Flores Sotelo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Flores recalls growing up in Guerrero, México, and working in agriculture from the age of eight to help his family; he remembers traveling to Mexico City, México in 1956, and enrolling in the Bracero Program; additionally, he describes the hiring process, and his experience at the contracting center in Mexico City, México; he worked in California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas picking cantaloupes, carrots, cherries, cotton, grapes, olives, peaches, sugar beets, tomatoes, and watermelons; furthermore, he details what the daily activities on the farms were like, the housing they had, and the treatment they received from foremen; he also …

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Interview No. 1032, Francisco Delgado Soto Jul 2002

Interview No. 1032, Francisco Delgado Soto

Combined Interviews

Mr. Delgado recalls growing up in Villa Jiménez, Michoacán, México, and working in agriculture from an early age; he states that he decided to join the Bracero Program in 1944, and worked in California, Michigan, Texas, and Washington picking apples, cherries, corn, eggplants, lettuce, pears, pumpkins, and sugar beets; additionally, he describes daily life as a bracero, the food they had and the housing they were provided; he details how work was carried out, and the treatment they received from foremen; furthermore, he recounts his experience in a bracero camp when the news arrived that World War II was over, …

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Interview No. 1044, Héctor Solís Fuentes Jul 2002

Interview No. 1044, Héctor Solís Fuentes

Combined Interviews

Mr. Solís recalls growing up in Hidalgo, México; at age fifteen, he remembers moving to Mexico City, México for school; he later decided to join the Bracero Program after hearing positive stories about it from his brothers; a bracero from 1953 to 1956, he worked in California picking almonds, cotton, peaches, and tomatoes; he describes enrolling in a small town, paying bribes to appear on a selection list, and what the hiring process was like at Empalme, Sonora, México; additionally, he recounts the long wait there, the routine questions he was asked, and his train trip to the United States …

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Interview No. 1043, Liborio Santiago Pérez Jul 2002

Interview No. 1043, Liborio Santiago Pérez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Santiago recalls growing up in Etla, Oaxaca, México, and being adopted by an aunt after his parents died; he remembers being forced to work in his aunt’s bakery; in 1944, he joined the Bracero Program; he states that he worked in California, Idaho, and Texas picking cotton, lettuce, onions, and sugar beets; additionally, he explains how he heard about the program, what the hiring process was like, and what he experienced at the contracting centers in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México and Empalme, Sonora, México; he recounts the physical exams he endured, and the long train trip he had to take …

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Interview No. 1033, Cirino Flores Pérez Jul 2002

Interview No. 1033, Cirino Flores Pérez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Flores recalls growing up in Tizayuca, Hidalgo, México, and that his mother died when he was four years old; he states that he labored in agriculture throughout his youth, and that he moved to Mexico City, México when he was nineteen; additionally, he remembers joining the Bracero Program in 1951 due to economic hardship; he describes the hiring process at contracting centers in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México and Empalme, Sonora, México, his train trip to the United States-México border, and the hardships braceros experienced at reception centers; furthermore, he details what daily life was like at the farms, the housing …

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Interview No. 1028, Gregorio Corrales Rojas Jul 2002

Interview No. 1028, Gregorio Corrales Rojas

Combined Interviews

Mr. Corrales recalls growing up in San Mateo, México, México, and how he worked from the age of eight cutting wood and sowing corn with his father; he remembers laboring in construction and factory work during his teenage years, and how his mother encouraged him to join the Bracero Program in 1951; additionally, he describes the hiring process at the contracting centers in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México and Empalme, Sonora, México, and the procedure he went through at the reception center in El Centro, California; he details how ranchers picked braceros for work, the different activities he did on the farms, …

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Interview No. 1029, Patricio Corrales Rojas Jul 2002

Interview No. 1029, Patricio Corrales Rojas

Combined Interviews

Mr. Corrales recalls growing up in San Mateo Atenco, México, México, and how he worked from the age of ten cutting wood and sowing corn with his father; he remembers laboring in construction and factory work, and how his family’s poverty pushed him to join the Bracero Program in 1952; additionally, he describes the hiring process at the contracting centers in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México and Empalme, Sonora, México, and the hardships braceros endured there; he states that he worked in California and Texas picking carrots, cotton, cucumbers, grapefruits, lemons, and oranges; furthermore, he details what daily life was like on …

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Interview No. 1026, Miguel Arroyo Castillo Jun 2002

Interview No. 1026, Miguel Arroyo Castillo

Combined Interviews

Mr. Arroyo speaks at length about his family, childhood, and adolescence; after his father died, his family moved to México Distrito Federal, with an older sister; while there, he began working as a baker, and he later continued to do so between bracero contract; in 1943, he learned about the bracero program as he was passing by a stadium where contracting was taking place; he decided to enlist in the program, rather than make his debut as a boxer, because he wanted to know what life was like in the United States; after passing physical examinations, he was transported by …

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Interview No. 1046, Miguel Zavala López Jun 2002

Interview No. 1046, Miguel Zavala López

Combined Interviews

Mr. Zavala recalls growing up in Agua Caliente, Michoacán, México, and working from an early age sowing beans, corn, garbanzos, and wheat; he joined the Bracero Program in 1955, and remembers picking asparagus, cotton, grapes, lemons, limes, peppers, strawberries and tomatoes in California and Texas; additionally, he describes the hiring process in rural areas, the bribes he had to pay to be on a selection list, his experience at the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México, and the long waits there; he details the hardships braceros suffered waiting to be contracted, the humiliation of the medical exams, and the bad …

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Interview No. 1042, Manuel Sandoval Espino Jun 2002

Interview No. 1042, Manuel Sandoval Espino

Combined Interviews

Mr. Sandoval recalls growing up in Mexico City, México, and working from an early age as a street vendor, a factory employee, and a mechanic; he joined the Bracero Program in 1943, and worked in Kansas as a railroad line worker; he describes the hiring process in Mexico City, México, the help he received, the medical exams he endured, and the contract he signed; additionally, he discusses the long train trip to Kansas, and the feelings of uncertainty the braceros felt; he explains what daily life was like in Kansas, how the work was carried out, the housing they had, …

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Interview No. 1040, Ignacio Ochoa Jun 2002

Interview No. 1040, Ignacio Ochoa

Combined Interviews

Mr. Ochoa recalls growing up in Petatlán, Guerrero, México, his mother dying when he was twelve years old, and working from an early age cutting wood; he states that he moved to Mexico City, México at the age of fifteen, and that he started working on a Mexican naval boat in 1943; he remembers joining the Bracero Program in 1957, and working in California and Washington; there he picked asparagus, avocadoes, grapes, green beans, lemons, peas, pumpkins, oranges, strawberries, and watermelon; additionally, he details what the hiring process in Empalme, Sonora, México was like, the contract he signed, and how …

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Interview No. 1039, Servando Peñaloza Muñoz May 2002

Interview No. 1039, Servando Peñaloza Muñoz

Combined Interviews

Mr. Peñaloza recalls growing up in Guayameo, Guerrero, México, and working in agriculture from an early age; he remembers moving to Mexico City, México at age nineteen, and working at the Chapultepec Castle; additionally, he relates that he had to take care of his younger brother during this time; he states that he joined the Bracero Program in 1955 with an older brother, and worked in Arizona and California picking broccoli, celery, green beans, lemons, lettuce, strawberries, and tomatoes; furthermore, he describes the hiring process, his time at the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México, and the contracts he signed; …

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Interview No. 1037, Homerlo López May 2002

Interview No. 1037, Homerlo López

Combined Interviews

Mr. Lopéz recalls growing up in Petatlán, Guerrero, México, and learning from his stepfather how to work in agriculture; he remembers planting beans, corn, and peppers from the age of eight until he was seventeen; additionally, he relates how he moved to Mexico City, México, and why he decided to join the Bracero Program in 1954; he describes the hiring process he went through, the legal requirements he needed to fulfill, the train trip to the border, and the different contracts he had; as a bracero, he worked in Arkansas, California, New Mexico, and Texas picking cantaloupes, cotton, sugar beets, …

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Interview No. 1038, Heleodoro Martínez Solís May 2002

Interview No. 1038, Heleodoro Martínez Solís

Combined Interviews

Mr. Martínez recalls growing up in Metepec, Hidalgo, México, and working from an early age in agriculture and construction; he remembers that, in 1951, he joined the Bracero Program after suffering economic hardships; additionally, he describes the hiring process in rural areas, the legal requirements he needed to fulfill to get on a list of people who could become braceros, and the bribes he had to pay to get on that list; he details what the contracting centers were like in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México and Empalme, Sonora, México, the physical exams he endured, his experience in the reception center in …

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Interview No. 1035, José Santos Guevara Rodríguez May 2002

Interview No. 1035, José Santos Guevara Rodríguez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Guevara Rodríguez recalls growing up in Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, México, and sowing beans and corn from the age of eight; he relates how, when he was eighteen, he traveled to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, and later crossed into the United States to work as an undocumented laborer; additionally, he recounts being hired by a rancher in Texas, and taken to the border to become a bracero; he describes the hiring process in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México and Empalme, Sonora, México, how braceros slept in the streets before being hired, the medical test they got, and the disinfection process they …

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Interview No. 1027, Guadalupe Cano Quiroz May 2002

Interview No. 1027, Guadalupe Cano Quiroz

Combined Interviews

Mr. Cano recalls growing up in Valle de Santiago, Guanajuato, México; he remembers working with his family in agriculture until he was nineteen years old; additionally, he explains how his family’s poverty pushed him to join the Bracero Program in 1955; he details the different steps he had to fulfill to obtain a bracero contract, what his experience at the bracero processing center in El Centro, California was like, and how the disinfection process was carried; he also states that he worked in California, Nevada, and Texas picking asparagus, cantaloupes, cotton, grapes, lemons, olives, peaches, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelons; furthermore, …

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Interview No. 1030, Heriberto Cortez Cortez May 2002

Interview No. 1030, Heriberto Cortez Cortez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Cortez recalls growing up in San Isidro, Oaxaca, México; he relates how he worked planting beans, corn, and peanuts as a child, and, at age seventeen, moved to Oaxaca de Júarez, Oaxaca, México; additionally, he remembers being advised by a friend to travel to Mexico City, México to join the Bracero Program; he worked as a bracero from 1957 to 1960 in Arkansas, Minnesota, and Texas; there, he picking apples, peppers, cotton, cucumbers, and watermelons; he describes his experience at the bracero contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, and the legal requirements he needed to fulfill for the …

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Interview 2002.01 Dr. Theresa Clark, Theresa Clark Dr. Apr 2002

Interview 2002.01 Dr. Theresa Clark, Theresa Clark Dr.

Civil Rights in Prince Edward County

Dr. Theresa Clark discusses her memories of the closings of public schools in Prince Edward County, and teaching her children to speak up for themselves. Additionally, she talks about the Free Schools and the attitudes in Farmville at the time of her interview. As a professor at Longwood she also discusses Longwood's role in segregation. Interviewers include Jerry F. Little Jr. and Amir Abbassy.

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