Interview no. 838 (original) (raw)
Related papers
2006
was born in Villamar, Michoacán, México, on February 22, 1939; he was the eldest of his nine siblings; as a boy he often helped his father work the land, which left him little time for school; in 1959, he enlisted in the bracero program, like his father; he continued working with the program until it ended in 1964; as a bracero he labored in the fields of Arizona, California, and Kansas, picking beets, carrots, cotton, garlic, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Summary of Interview: Mr. Cervantes recalls his family and childhood; initially, the thought of working as a bracero was intimidating to him, because he knew how hard the work would be; when he was eighteen he traveled to Empalme, Sonora, México, with his father to enlist in the bracero program, but he became ill and had to go back home; in 1959, he returned to Empalme and began the contracting process; from Empalme he was transported by train to Mexicali, Baja California; oftentimes, he was treated poorly when he underwent physical exams and delousing procedures; he goes on to describe the various worksites, duties, provisions, treatment, payment, deductions, and recreational activities; in addition, he provides a detailed description of the meals they received, which were often poor, and how they had to wake up early in order to eat before the food finished; furthermore, he explains how risky it was to walk into town, because braceros were often beaten or even killed by people who wanted to steal their money; he was later able to work with his father in El Centro, California, and from there they went to Merced, California; when he heard that the program was ending he decided to stay rather than return to México so that he could continue working; ultimately, he was able to obtain citizenship; he also talks about how the meaning of the term bracero has changed from something that was simply descriptive to something negative; he concludes by stating that although he suffered greatly, he still has good memories of the program, because it gave him the opportunity to work. Length of interview 52 minutes Length of Transcript 27 pages Nombre del entrevistado:
2007
he had one brother and one sister; his parents were campesinos on an hacienda; when he was still very young, his father passed away; by the time Félix was five years old, he was working in the fields by helping sow the seeds; for a time, he worked without documents in the United States, but he returned to México and eventually married; during the late fifties, he enlisted in the bracero program and labored in the fields of Arizona, Arkansas, California and Mississippi. Summary of Interview: Mr. Loera briefly describes his family and how they worked on an hacienda, but they did not live there; when he was seventeen years old, he came to the United States to work, without documents, in the hope of having a better life; after two years, he returned to México and shortly thereafter married; by the late fifties, he and his wife had two children and were struggling to make ends meet, which led to his decision to enlist in the bracero program; although most men had to pay to get on the list of available workers, he knew someone in charge who helped him; he describes the various methods of transportation he used to get to Mexicali, Baja California, México, where the medical exams he underwent were especially grueling; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona, Arkansas, California and Mississippi, cleaning, pruning and picking cotton, lemons, lettuce and oranges; he goes on to chronicle the various worksites, camp sizes, living conditions, amenities, provisions, duties, treatment, payments, deductions, remittances, contract lengths, working relationships, correspondence, and recreational activities; moreover, he mentions that it was difficult to save money to send home, because he worked for such a short amount of time; he explains that while in San Bernardino, California, his extended family in Los Angeles would pick him up at the camp for visits; after the program ended in 1964, he returned to México. Length of interview 50 minutes Length of Transcript pages Nombre del entrevistado:
2008
10, 1938,; he had two older brothers and one younger sister; his parents worked in agriculture; by the age of seven, he was already sowing seeds and working the land; during the early fifties, one of his older brothers enlisted in the bracero program and worked in Michigan; Nicolás decided to do the same, and in 1955, at the age of twenty-two, he become a bracero; he stayed in the program for eight years, until 1962; he picked crops and irrigated the fields in Arkansas and Texas. Summary of Interview: Mr. Grimaldo talks about his family and hometown; when he was growing up, his parents did not own the land they worked, which was problematic; during the early fifties, one of his older brothers enlisted in the bracero program and worked in Michigan; Nicolás would pick up the letters and money his brother sent home; in 1955, at the age of twenty-two, he decided to follow in his brother's footsteps and become a bracero; he describes the process and necessary paperwork to enlist at the contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; on two separate occasions, while passing though Chihuahua, México, he had to pay two thousand pesos for transportation to El Paso, Texas; he stayed in the program for eight years, until 1962; he picked crops and irrigated the fields in Arkansas and Texas; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, provisions, accommodations, duties, routines, treatment, payments, remittances, correspondence and contract lengths; in Lamesa, Texas he had to water the crops every two hours, night and day; he was ready to quit after a month of this, but his employer changed the schedule to daytime hours only; in addition, he explains that while in Arkansas he began to feel pain in his leg, which he later attributed to rheumatism from irrigating in Texas; he was given injections, but they did not help much; ultimately, he changed work locations and duties; he has both positive and negative memories of the program, because he suffered greatly, his body in particular, but he was also able to save a good amount of money.
2008
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Eduardo Saldaña was born in México City, Guanajuanto México on October 13, 1920. Both his parents lived until the age of a 105 and died in México. Eduardo's parents worked in agriculture. He had three brothers and one sister who lived past the age of 90. He became a bracero in 1943. Eduardo is married and has one son and one daughter. Summary of Interview: Eduardo was born in a town (rancho) called Ojos de Agua, located within the Greater México City urban area, in 1920. From the age of five, Eduardo worked with him father, brothers and uncles sowing and plowing in México. When he was 16, he moved to México City. In 1943 after hearing about the Bracero Program in a national ad, Eduardo took a chance to make more money and have a better opportunity through the program. Eduardo and one of his brothers came to the United States via train and were provided food during their travel, courtesy of their new employer. Everything was in order during the trip to the United States and for Eduardo everything was good and in order here in the United States as well. During the reception part of the process, their clothes were taken away and replaced with new clothes and the new braceros were able to wash up in showers provided for them; showers that according to Eduardo were very elegant. He earned $0.50 cents per hour, for a nine hour day, in cash. Eduardo and his brother were provided with a place to sleep as well as meals and if they were out and about with the employer and it came time to eat, the employer would pay for the meals. In addition, they were provided with medical insurance as per their contract with their employer. Eduardo and his brother worked for one employer who treated them very well. The employer, according to Eduardo, treated them like family, provided well for them, ate meals with them and greatly respected the wishes of the workers. Eduardo is very thankful for this employer and feels that due to the generosity of his employer, Eduardo was able to be more successful. Eduardo sent money to his parents as often as he could, while at the same time saving money as well. Since he was hired to work for a certain salary, Eduardo did not earn more than what he was contracted for. However, he states that he was never cheated out of the correct amount of earnings and 10% was deducted from their earnings and deposited in the National Bank in México. Eduardo and his brother were always together and were able to come and go as they pleased.
2006
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Juan Guerrero Nava was born on an hacienda in the municipality of Tocumbo, Michoacán, México; he had three sisters and three brothers; he was never formally educated; during the late 1950s, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Michigan, picking beets, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes; he completed a total of four contracts; while working as a bracero, he married and had four children; he later immigrated to the United States and was able to obtain legal documentation for himself and his family. Summary of Interview: 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 like it, he had no choice; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Michigan, picking beets, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes; he completed a total of four contracts; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, provisions, duties, routines, payments, deductions and contract lengths and renewals; while working as a bracero, he married and had four children, who were all under the age of five during his time with the program; he sent money home as often as he could, which in turn allowed the children to go to school; with the little money he kept, he bought a radio, but he could not find any Spanish stations; he later immigrated to the United States and was able to obtain legal documentation for himself and his family; overall, he has positive memories of his experiences as a bracero and would do it again if could. Length of interview 28 minutes Length of Transcript 24 pages Nombre del entrevistado:
1976
de reaas , 'de cr-eonctas , de cut tur-as , Ese at smo fenomeno tie sucedido y est; sucediendo en Mexico ec tuetnente. Aqul eramos exclustvament e hombres , del desierto, pur-decirl0 asi-hombres ar-ruqados per el sol y los aires y las tempe s tade s , l uchando con las unas para abrf rnos paso, cer-ente s de agua, c ar-ente s de ayuda , c arentes de comprension por-par te de nuestro , cobterno. Solos nos ebrimns paso, yaqui defendimos todo, los principios de 1a rnexicanidad en ]a frontera. Ahora hemos visto como las migraciones ,e han venido hach las fronteras. Gente de todas partes de Mexico-_de I..y per que~ce r-ece en Me;ico de ester < ,
2008
to be with his grandparents, because she was crippled; he was never formally educated, but he was already learning to work in the fields by the time he was eight years old; sometime later, he married and started a family, which ultimately included eleven children in total; he enlisted in the bracero program and labored in the fields of California picking almonds, cantaloupe, pecans, tomatoes and watermelon; afterward, he immigrated to the United States. Summary of Interview: Mr. Rodríguez briefly talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; he recalls recruiters for the bracero program going to Culiacán, Sinaloa, México and giving out papers to enlist in Empalme, Sonora, México; at the time, he had a wife and children to support, and he decided to join the program; he describes the entire process he underwent in Empalme, including necessary documents, waiting for fifteen days and being stripped and medically examined; from there he was sent to the border at Calexico, California by train, where he endured further exams, including x-rays, injections and several blood samples, which caused many men to faint; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California picking almonds, cantaloupe, pecans, tomatoes and watermelon; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, amenities, accommodations, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, payments, deductions, remittances, contract lengths, friendships and recreational activities, including trips into town; while working in Lemoore, California, his appendix ruptured, and he was rushed to the hospital by an ambulance; after his surgery, he was out of work for eighteen days; during this time, he and others that were ill stayed in a hotel; the men were encouraged to return to México, but Nicolás told the Mexican consul he wanted to go back to work, which he was able to do; he later immigrated to the United States and became a legal resident; overall, he had a positive experience with the program and is proud of his work as a bracero. Length of interview 52 minutes Length of Transcript 44 pages Nombre del entrevistado: Nicolás Rodríguez Fecha de la entrevista: 12 de enero de 2008 Nombre del entrevistador: Manuel Sanmiguel Esta es una entrevista con el señor Nicolás Ramírez, el día 12 de enero de 2008, en