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Articles 31 - 60 of 111
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Interview No. 1000, Agustín Flores Contreras
Interview No. 1000, Agustín Flores Contreras
Combined Interviews
Mr. Flores relives the hunger, sadness, and desperation that indelibly marked his childhood and adolescence; some of his uncles worked as braceros, and they had warned him that he would suffer greatly if he were to join them and work in the United States; in 1959, in spite of their admonitions, he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program with the hopes of alleviating some of his family’s financial burdens; he describes the long waiting periods during the hiring process he went through in Durango, Durango, México; in addition, he details the medical exams at the contracting center in Monterrey, …
Interview No. 995, Ramón Ávila Hernández
Interview No. 995, Ramón Ávila Hernández
Combined Interviews
Mr. Ávila briefly recalls his family and childhood; he worked in construction for a time before deciding to join his father as a bracero in 1960; together they traveled to Vicente Guerrero, Durango, México, to begin the enrollment process, and from there they were transported by train to a contracting center in Empalme, Sonora; he describes the entire hiring process and the medical exams they underwent both in México and at the processing center on the border; as a bracero, he worked in California, picking asparagus and harvesting chile and tomato; he goes on to narrate what daily life on …
Interview No. 1012, Agustín Martínez Olivares
Interview No. 1012, Agustín Martínez Olivares
Combined Interviews
Mr. Martínez worked in California, New Mexico, and Texas from 1942 to 1959; he recalls the hiring process at the bracero contracting centers in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México and Tlaquepaque, Jalisco, México; additionally, he describes his train trip to the border, the disinfecting process at the reception center in Eagle Pass, Texas, and the signing of his contract; he relates details about the types of contracts they had, their lengths, and contract extensions; furthermore, he discusses their daily activities, the work they performed, their wages, their housing, and the food they ate; he also recounts how he saved money to …
Interview No. 999, Salvador Esparza Carreño
Interview No. 999, Salvador Esparza Carreño
Combined Interviews
Mr. Esparza recalls his family, childhood, and adolescence; in spite of fears caused by rumors about World War II, he was encouraged by stories of successful first time braceros, and he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program in 1945; he went through the hiring process at a contracting center in Durango, México; from there, he was transported by train to Querétaro, then to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and finally to Chicago, Illinois; he describes his first impressions of Chicago and how well he was treated by the people there; in addition, he details the work, wages, payments, housing, food, and …
Interview No. 1009, Belizario Luna Pulido
Interview No. 1009, Belizario Luna Pulido
Combined Interviews
Mr. Luna worked in Arizona, California and Texas from 1951 to 1963; he recalls how he found out about the Bracero Program, the hiring process in rural areas, and the hardship braceros experienced outside contracting centers; additionally, he describes the medical examinations performed on him and the bracero facilities in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México, Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, and Empalme, Sonora, México; he also details his trip to the border and the disinfecting stations he went through; furthermore, he recounts his first farming activities, the different jobs he performed, the different kinds of cotton he picked, and the details of his …
Interview No. 1006, Roberto Heynes García
Interview No. 1006, Roberto Heynes García
Combined Interviews
Mr. Heynes recalls his childhood and adolescence; sometime later, he had heard of the Bracero Program and the rumors that Mexican workers could also be sent to fight in World War II; in spite of this, he and a friend enrolled in the program in 1944; they signed their contracts in Querétaro, Querétaro, México; from there, they were transported by train to the border; as a bracero, he worked in California and Illinois as a railroad line worker, shoveling gravel on roadbeds and repairing the rails; he goes on to explain, what his first activities for the railroad company were, …
Interview No. 1020, Jesús Sierra Espinoza
Interview No. 1020, Jesús Sierra Espinoza
Combined Interviews
Mr. Sierra grew up in Durango, Durango, México; he learned stonemasonry from his father; in 1956, he joined the Bracero Program due to economic hardship; he worked in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas; additionally, he describes the hiring process he went through, the legal requirements of the program, how the bracero reception centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México and Empalme, Sonora, México worked, and the different ports of entry to the United States; he recounts his experience at Rio Vista, a bracero processing center in Socorro, Texas; furthermore, he recalls his first activities farming, how work was distributed, their …
Interview No. 1004, Agustín González Flores
Interview No. 1004, Agustín González Flores
Combined Interviews
Mr. González briefly recalls his family, childhood, and early adolescence; the spreading rumors of first time braceros making a substantial amount of money aroused his curiosity in the Bracero Program; in 1943, he and one of his brothers enrolled in the program; together they went through the contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he describes the official documents that were required, the humiliating medical exams they underwent, and how some of the men suffered from cold and hunger while waiting outside of the center; the guards at the center were also particularly cruel and even killed some of the men; …
Interview No. 1008, José Guadalupe Jurado Pérez
Interview No. 1008, José Guadalupe Jurado Pérez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Jurado recalls crossing the United States-México border with his father; once there, they were hired as undocumented workers at a cotton field in El Paso, Texas; after one year, they both decided to enlist in the Bracero Program in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he describes the bracero contracting center there, the questioning process they endured, the medical exams performed on them and the reception center in El Paso, Texas; a bracero from 1951 to 1956, he worked in New Mexico and Texas; he remembers daily activities on the farms, their housing, the furniture they were provided, and the food they …
Interview No. 1023, Enrique Torres Sánchez
Interview No. 1023, Enrique Torres Sánchez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Torres grew up with his paternal relatives; he worked sowing beans and corn during his childhood; due to economic hardship and debts held by his family, he joined the Bracero Program in 1952; he worked in Arizona, Arkansas, and Texas; additionally, he describes how he found out about the program, and the hiring process he encountered at the processing center in Durango, Durango, México; at this center, he details the humiliation he experienced during the medical exams conducted by American doctors, and then he continues to outline his bus trip to Reynosa, Tamaulipas, México; while at a bracero reception …
Interview No. 1003, Javier García Robles
Interview No. 1003, Javier García Robles
Combined Interviews
Mr. García briefly recalls his family, childhood, and adolescence; in 1957, during his first year of marriage, he found himself out of work, and he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program; in order to begin the hiring process, he had to take a bus from Durango, Durango, to Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, and from there to the border; he details the various procedures of the hiring process at the contracting center in Guadalajara and the reception center in El Centro, California, as well as the medical examinations he underwent; as a bracero, he worked in California picking and packaging tomatoes; …
Interview No. 992, Rosendo Alarcón Carrera
Interview No. 992, Rosendo Alarcón Carrera
Combined Interviews
Mr. Alarcón briefly describes his childhood, adolescence, and family; he recalls that he initially heard of the Bracero Program through radio and newspaper advertisements; in 1957, he enrolled in the program with the hopes of earning money in order to return to México and open his own business; he details the different steps he went through at the contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; in addition, he provides a vivid description of the traumatic medical examinations, the delousing process, and the overall horrible treatment he received from the American doctors; as a bracero, he worked in California and Texas, …
Interview No. 997, Antonio Chávez Betancourt
Interview No. 997, Antonio Chávez Betancourt
Combined Interviews
Mr. Chávez briefly recalls his family and childhood; his yearning for a better life led him to enlist in the Bracero Program in 1950; he began the hiring process at a contracting center in Chihuahua, México; while there he presented legal documents, and he was interviewed and medically examined; from there, he was taken to a processing center in Ysleta, Texas; as a bracero, he worked in Nebraska and New Mexico, harvesting and picking cotton, cucumbers, and sugar beets; he describes his various jobs and how he carried them out, the hours he worked, the different types of contracts and …
Interview No. 1007, Miguel Jáquez López
Interview No. 1007, Miguel Jáquez López
Combined Interviews
Mr. Jáquez recalls his family, childhood, and adolescence; one of his brothers was a bracero and encouraged him to enroll in the Bracero Program; in 1953, he enlisted, and began the hiring process; he describes the contracting centers in Durango, Durango, Monterrey, Nuevo León, and Empalme, Sonora, México, and the entire hiring process, as well as the extensive medical exams; as a bracero, he worked in Arizona, Arkansas, and Texas, picking cotton; he goes on to explain what daily life was like on the farm, including work, wages, payments, contract amendments and extensions, housing, food, weekend outings, and common complaints; …
Interview No. 1015, Ignacio Pérez García
Interview No. 1015, Ignacio Pérez García
Combined Interviews
Mr. Pérez recalls crossing the México-United States border in 1949; later, he was hired as a bracero in Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; he worked in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas; additionally, he describes the farming activities of braceros, their work hours, the housing provided for them, and the food they prepared; he recalls the wages he was paid, the different contracts he had, and how he sent money to his family in México; furthermore, he relates what braceros did during the weekends, and how U.S. citizens in town treated them; he expresses his feelings about the …
Interview No. 1063, Juan Torres Briones
Interview No. 1063, Juan Torres Briones
Combined Interviews
Mr. Torres recalls his family and childhood; he also discusses his adolescence, and the various types of work he performed; in 1959, he decided to enlist in the Bracero Program; he signed his first work contract in Hidalgo, Texas, which took him to work in Raymondville, Texas; while there he picked cotton for the first time in his life; as a bracero, he worked in California and Texas, picking asparagus, beets, cotton, cucumbers, tomatoes, and strawberries; he goes on to describe the various things he would do in his free time, such as go to church, the movies, or into …
Interview No. 1010, Ignacio Magallanes Hernández
Interview No. 1010, Ignacio Magallanes Hernández
Combined Interviews
Mr. Magallanes describes the economic situation that led him to the Bracero Program in 1954; he worked in California, Michigan, and Texas; additionally, he details what the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México was like, the treatment he received from American doctors, and his train trip to the México-United States border; he recalls daily activities on farms, the work braceros did, and the way they were paid; furthermore, he discusses the different types of contracts they had and their lengths; he states what braceros did during weekends, and the racism they encountered in the United States; he remembers the benefits …
Interview No. 1002, Heriberto Galvez Saldívar
Interview No. 1002, Heriberto Galvez Saldívar
Combined Interviews
Mr. Galvéz recalls his childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood; he vividly relives his experiences with his abusive step-father; in spite of his step-father’s disapproval, he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program, in 1963; he describes what the hiring process was like in the rural areas of México, including how the hands of potential braceros were often examined for calluses as signs of hard work; upon arriving at the contracting center in Durango, Durango, he underwent similar questioning and had to present official documents; from there, he was taken to a reception center in Eagle Pass, Texas, where he was …
Interview No. 1024, Alonso Venegas Batres
Interview No. 1024, Alonso Venegas Batres
Combined Interviews
Mr. Venegas worked as a bracero in California from 1959 to 1964; he recalls the hiring process in rural areas and the bracero contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; additionally, he states how Sonora ranchers had agreements with workers to allow them to enlist in the Bracero Program; he describes daily activities, the extreme weather conditions they were exposed to, their housing, and the food they prepared; furthermore, he discusses the different contracts offered to them, the way they were paid, and how they sent money to México; he also relates an occasion when he suffered from dehydration; moreover, he …
Interview No. 1060, Paulino Martínez
Interview No. 1060, Paulino Martínez
Combined Interviews
Mr. Martinez briefly describes his family and childhood; he saw other men coming to work in the United States, and he wanted the chance to do the same; in 1959, he married, and his wife became pregnant soon after; in 1961, he enlisted in the bracero program; his father-in-law knew people in the local government, which greatly helped him with the contracting process; he went through centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Empalme, Sonora, and Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; while there, he was medically examined, which was painful; upon arriving in the United States, he underwent further assessments that were embarrassing, because …
Interview No. 1061, Jose Isabel Ortiz Hinojosa
Interview No. 1061, Jose Isabel Ortiz Hinojosa
Combined Interviews
Mr. Ortiz describes his childhood and adolescence; he initially learned about the Bracero Program through radio advertisements, and in 1954, he decided to enlist; in order to begin the hiring process, he and his brother traveled to the contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; he goes on to describe what he went through at the center, including the huge crowds, waiting time, medical exams, provisions, and transportation services; upon crossing the border in Eagle Pass, Texas, he underwent a second set of medical exams, which consisted of blood samples and a delousing process; as a bracero, he worked in …
Interview No. 1064, Cayetano Vasquez G.
Interview No. 1064, Cayetano Vasquez G.
Combined Interviews
Mr. Vasquez briefly discusses his childhood and family; he recounts his time working in the mines of his hometown, in Concepción de Oro, Zacatecas, México; in 1951, he crossed into the United States illegally in order to work, and he was deported shortly thereafter; two years later, in 1953, he decided to enlist in the Bracero Program, and he traveled to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, to begin the process; after paying for the trip there, he had very little money left, and he had to wait two weeks before being hired; as a bracero he worked picking various fruits and vegetables …
Interview No. 990, Tomás Zapata Castañeda
Interview No. 990, Tomás Zapata Castañeda
Combined Interviews
Mr. Zapata was hired as a bracero in 1956; his first work contract took him to New Mexico, where due to the rain, he was unable to work; in the various places he went, he worked in the cotton and beet fields; he recalls that the braceros would use signs to communicate with the ranchers; in Colorado, he was able to earn $12.00 per acre that he worked; he also recalls that during the month of December, work contracts were given for three months at a time, whereas during the month of May, work contracts were given for forty-five days …
Interview No. 975, Natibidad Mancinas
Interview No. 975, Natibidad Mancinas
Combined Interviews
Mr. Mancinas was married and living in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, when he learned about the Bracero Program; consequently his brothers also decided to become braceros; his decision to become a bracero was based on the financial difficulties he faced at the time; he was paid only two pesos per week in México; in El Trocadero, a processing center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexican soldiers kept order; many people were scared of the soldiers; his first work contract took him to Pecos, Texas, where he earned 75¢ a day for working in the cotton fields; he recalls that the African-Americans in Arkansas …
Interview No. 962, Guadalupe Balderrama
Interview No. 962, Guadalupe Balderrama
Combined Interviews
Mr. Baderrama briefly recounts his childhood, and how times were very hard for him and his family; he was only able to go to school for three years; he went to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, to begin the hiring process for the Bracero Program; in 1953, he was sent to El Paso, Texas; his first work contract took him to Canutillo, Texas; as a bracero, he worked in cotton, cucumber, and beet fields; he recalls that many braceros bought their groceries from the rancher’s stores; whenever the braceros had free time, they liked to play billiards.
Interview No. 976, Florencio Magallanes
Interview No. 976, Florencio Magallanes
Combined Interviews
Mr. Magallanes briefly recalls his childhood during which time he went to school for only three years; he was hired as a bracero in 1954, and worked in cotton and beet fields; he worked in Pecos, Texas, where the living conditions were harsh; there were between 200-300 braceros living in the same barracks; the food service was terrible as well; sometimes there was not enough food for all the braceros, but they had to pay for the food regardless of whether they ate or not; whenever they had free time, they liked to drink beer and have races.
Interview No. 982, Ignacio Nájera
Interview No. 982, Ignacio Nájera
Combined Interviews
When Mr. Nájera began the enrollment process in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México he showed his Mexican military ID and a letter of recommendation; he recalls that sometimes when traveling from Chihuahua to El Paso, Texas, the braceros had to pay in order to get a place on a train or bus; his first work contract took him to the lettuce fields of Hereford, Texas; while there, he was burned with a liquid that was used to disinfect the lettuce; he worked in Montana for three years, where they paid him $14.50 per acre that he picked; in Pecos, Texas the braceros …
Interview No. 965, Aurelio Delgado Moreno
Interview No. 965, Aurelio Delgado Moreno
Combined Interviews
In 1954, when Mr. Delgado became a bracero, he was married and had two children; he recalls that the officials from the United States chose braceros based on the way they walked and the condition of their hands; his first work contract took him to Pecos, Texas; the living conditions there were problematic because there were up to forty braceros per barracks; many of them stayed up late playing cards or talking; he remembers that there was one bracero that was particularly good at playing cards; as a result, this bracero and a rancher went from town to town playing …
Interview No. 968, Guadalupe Estrada Estrada
Interview No. 968, Guadalupe Estrada Estrada
Combined Interviews
Mr. Estrada initially learned of the Bracero Program while working the fields of his hometown in San Francisco de Borja, Chihuahua, México; his first work contract was in Lamesa, Texas, for twenty-eight days; he was paid $1.50 per pound of cotton that he picked; while working, he hurt his hand and a rancher took him to the hospital; he also worked in Dell City, Texas and Las Cruces and Deming, New Mexico; when he returned to México it was difficult for him to find work.
Interview No. 983, Roberto Orduño García
Interview No. 983, Roberto Orduño García
Combined Interviews
Mr. Orduño was hired as a bracero in 1956; in order to be hired, he lied about his working experience in the cotton fields; the rancher who hired him noticed that he did not have any experience working in the fields; instead he was put to weigh the cotton that each bracero picked; in 1958, he came back home to Cusihuiriachi, Chihuahua, México, because his father was very ill; he recalls how the ranchers would freely lend and borrow the braceros to each other depending on the amount of work to be done; during their free time, he and other …