Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

2003

University of Texas at El Paso

Articles 31 - 60 of 134

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Interview No. 1021, Gonzalo Soto Núñez Jun 2003

Interview No. 1021, Gonzalo Soto Núñez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Soto grew up in Otáez, Durango, México; in 1954, he joined the Bracero Program; he worked in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas; recalling the hiring process, he discusses the contracting center in Mexicali, Baja California, México; he describes the medical exams performed by Mexican and American doctors, and the bracero reception center in El Centro, California; additionally, he remembers their daily activities, their housing, the food they ate and their curfew; he also details the kinds of contracts they had, the wages they got, and the treatment they received from foremen; furthermore, he relates what the relationship between braceros …

Go to article

Interview No. 1019, David Salcido Martínez Jun 2003

Interview No. 1019, David Salcido Martínez

Combined Interviews

Mr. Salcido remembers a hard childhood that forced him to work at an early age so he could help his family economically; these hardships led him to enlist in the Bracero Program in 1964; he worked in Colorado cleaning sugar beet fields; additionally, he describes the hiring process, the contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, the difficulties he endured there, and the train trip to the México-United States border in cattle cars; furthermore, he explains how the reception center in El Paso, Texas worked, the disinfection procedures they endured and the signing of his contract; he continues to recount the …

Go to article

Interview No. 1025, José Isidro Vidaña Canales Jun 2003

Interview No. 1025, José Isidro Vidaña Canales

Combined Interviews

Mr. Vidaña grew up with his mother after his father, a general in the Mexican Revolution, died; he remembers the Cristero Revolution, and explains why the conflict began; a bracero from 1942 to 1960, he worked in Arkansas, California, Michigan, Texas, and Washington; he describes the hiring process at the contracting center in Durango, Durango, México; additionally, he discusses the medical exams he endured, a train trip he took to the border, and his time at Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; he recalls their arrival at a military camp in Washington state, their daily activities on a …

Go to article

Interview No. 998, José Isabel Domínguez Hernández Jun 2003

Interview No. 998, José Isabel Domínguez Hernández

Combined Interviews

Mr. Domínguez briefly relates what his family and childhood were like; the extreme economic hardships his family faced convinced him to join the Bracero Program in 1952; as a bracero, he worked in California, Colorado, Michigan, and Texas, picking apples, cucumbers, grapes, oranges, and sugar beets; he describes the hiring process he went through at the contracting centers in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, and Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, as well as the long waiting periods and the disinfecting procedures; some of the braceros at these centers preferred working only in certain states; he details what life was like on the farms including the …

Go to article

Interview No. 995, Ramón Ávila Hernández Jun 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1012, Agustín Martínez Olivares Jun 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 991, Isidro Abrego Alvarado Jun 2003

Interview No. 991, Isidro Abrego Alvarado

Combined Interviews

Mr. Abrego briefly recalls his childhood and family; he remembers the financial difficulties he and his family faced; in light of their economic situation, he decided to enroll in the Bracero Program in 1953; he describes the various stages of the hiring process he underwent at the contracting center in Chihuahua, México, and later at Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; as a bracero, he worked in various places across the United States, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming; he details the various types of work he performed in each location, the wages he earned, and contract …

Go to article

Interview No. 1000, Agustín Flores Contreras Jun 2003

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, …

Go to article

Interview No. 999, Salvador Esparza Carreño May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1009, Belizario Luna Pulido May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1006, Roberto Heynes García May 2003

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, …

Go to article

Interview No. 1020, Jesús Sierra Espinoza May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1004, Agustín González Flores May 2003

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; …

Go to article

Interview No. 1023, Enrique Torres Sánchez May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1008, José Guadalupe Jurado Pérez May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1003, Javier García Robles May 2003

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; …

Go to article

Interview No. 992, Rosendo Alarcón Carrera May 2003

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, …

Go to article

Interview No. 997, Antonio Chávez Betancourt May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1015, Ignacio Pérez García May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1007, Miguel Jáquez López May 2003

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; …

Go to article

Interview No. 1063, Juan Torres Briones May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1024, Alonso Venegas Batres May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1002, Heriberto Galvez Saldívar May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1010, Ignacio Magallanes Hernández May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1060, Paulino Martínez May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1061, Jose Isabel Ortiz Hinojosa May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 1064, Cayetano Vasquez G. May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 990, Tomás Zapata Castañeda May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 975, Natibidad Mancinas May 2003

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 …

Go to article

Interview No. 982, Ignacio Nájera May 2003

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 …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last