Jesse Treviño
Title
Jesse Treviño
Description
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Jesse Treviño was born on December 25, 1925, in Harlingen, Texas; he was employed by the Department of Labor as a compliance officer; his office was in San Benito, Texas, but he also went to the bracero processing center in Harlingen, Texas, on a regular basis; he later worked for an insurance company that catered to the bracero community.
Summary of Interview: Mr. Treviño recalls being employed by the Department of Labor as a compliance officer; his office was in San Benito, Texas, but he also went to the bracero processing center in Harlingen, Texas, on a regular basis; as a compliance officer, he ensured that the contracts between farmers and braceros were adhered to while working on behalf of the farmers; on average, it cost between seven and eleven dollars to process each worker, and the farmers had to pay them at least minimum wage or adequately based on the weight of cotton they picked; in addition, the farmers were required to provide medical and life insurance, clean beds, transportation, utensils with which to cook, and other such things; he goes on to describe how he often worked closely with members of the Mexican consulate, who worked on behalf of the braceros, to investigate cases; together, they were able to handle cases quickly and easily; while working as a compliance officer, he was discriminated against, and he was continually passed over for raises and promotions even though he was the only one with a college degree; in light of this, he left his job there, and began working with an insurance company that catered to the bracero community; there were a number of braceros who died due to sunstroke, and the company had to pay the families several thousands of dollars in compensation; he goes on to describe other experiences he had while working with the company.
Summary of Interview: Mr. Treviño recalls being employed by the Department of Labor as a compliance officer; his office was in San Benito, Texas, but he also went to the bracero processing center in Harlingen, Texas, on a regular basis; as a compliance officer, he ensured that the contracts between farmers and braceros were adhered to while working on behalf of the farmers; on average, it cost between seven and eleven dollars to process each worker, and the farmers had to pay them at least minimum wage or adequately based on the weight of cotton they picked; in addition, the farmers were required to provide medical and life insurance, clean beds, transportation, utensils with which to cook, and other such things; he goes on to describe how he often worked closely with members of the Mexican consulate, who worked on behalf of the braceros, to investigate cases; together, they were able to handle cases quickly and easily; while working as a compliance officer, he was discriminated against, and he was continually passed over for raises and promotions even though he was the only one with a college degree; in light of this, he left his job there, and began working with an insurance company that catered to the bracero community; there were a number of braceros who died due to sunstroke, and the company had to pay the families several thousands of dollars in compensation; he goes on to describe other experiences he had while working with the company.
Creator
Vera, Homero S.
Treviño, Jesse
Subject
Department of Labor; Insurance adjuster
Contributor
Cristóbal Borges
Rights
Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
Language
eng
title (Spanish)
Jesse Treviño
contributor (Spanish)
Cristóbal A. Borges
Rights Holder
Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
Original Format
Mini Disc
Duration
30:44
Bit Rate/Frequency
24 bit
96 k
96 k
Interviewer
Vera, Homero S.
Interviewee
Treviño, Jesse
Location
McAllen, Texas
File Name Identifier
Treviño_LRG006
Citation
Vera, Homero S. and Treviño, Jesse, “Jesse Treviño,” Bracero History Archive, accessed April 26, 2024, https://braceroarchive.org/es/items/show/100.