María Félix Mota
Title
María Félix Mota
Creator
Fernández, Lilia
Félix Mota, María
Date
2005-08-31
Subject
Daughter of bracero
Contributor
Cristóbal Borges
Rights
Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
Language
spa
title (Spanish)
María Félix Mota
creator (Spanish)
Fernández, Lilia
contributor (Spanish)
Cristóbal A. Borges
Rights Holder
Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
Original Format
Mini Disc
Duration
1:02:11
Bit Rate/Frequency
24 bit
96 k
96 k
Interviewer
Fernández, Lilia
Interviewee
Félix Mota, María
Location
Chicago, Illinois
Time Summary
[Mins 0:16-3: 06 Introduction and Early Life] Maria was born in Palapa, Guerrero in 10-20-1942. Her father, Leopoldo Mota Serrano, was a bracero born in Acatapetlaguaya, Guerrero on 11-15-1918. He started coming to the United States as a bracero in the 1950s. Maria’s parents had one other daughter. When Maria’s father left the sisters were very hurt. Although they knew that he had gone to the Untied States they did not know his exact location. Initially, he sent money but stopped doing so after he separated from Maria’s mother. Maria describes the abject poverty in which she lived after her father’s departure but insists that he suffered too.
[Mins 3:06-5:23 Sister’s life after parents’ divorce] After he went to the US Maria’s father moved to Tapachula where he married another woman. He visited Maria’s family for a last time in 1957 and took her sister, who was only 14 or 15 at the time, away because he thought she was becoming sexually disreputable. The sister was sent to live near Acapulco with the new wife’s brothers who were old and single. One of these men impregnated her and she was then thrown out of the home. This was extremely painful.
[Mins 5:23-10:36 Current affairs relating to Bracero’s compensation money] Maria talks about the importance of oral history type projects so that people remember braceros. She insists that braceros should be paid the money that was robbed from them. Unfortunately, she argues, that money was taken by people who are no longer in power. Maria would like to help her father financially but cannot find work even though she is willing to work very hard, because she is old. She now lives in Chicago.
[Mins 10:36-14:37 Grandfather’s death and father’s early life] Maria’s father was an orphan. Her grandfather was a general brigadier who was killed in the 1910 war [Mexican Revolution]. Before dying her grandfather had asked General Castrejon to help his son. Yet, nobody took Maria’s father to see Castrejon so that he could help him. Once her father managed to reach Castrejon, the latter gave him work. However, Castrejon’s business soon closed down and Maria’s father received only 100,000 pesos.
[Mins 14:37-17:15 Maria’s education and her Father’s early work] Maria’s mother paid for her to study. She finished primary school when she was 18. Her father worked with Castrejon who died suddenly (crashed by a tree) and left no testament. Thus, very little money was given to her father who had worked for years with Castrejon looking after his estate. He used to took care of Castrejon’s pool and grew avocados and cacao. When Castrejano died his son in law gave Maria’s father a little money to buy a small terrain.
[Mins 17:15-18:23 Parent’s Marriage and life] Maria’s parents married around 1940-41 and lived in Palapa. Guerrero. Her father worked growing various things including tobacco and watermelon. He then came to United States in 1949-50. Maria was around nine years old.
[Mins 18:23-20:16 Life of Maria’s mother] Maria’s mother, Analia Aguilar Baena, was born in El Trapichal, Guerrero. Before meeting Maria’s father she moved to Palapa with her first husband. When her first husband died she married Maria’s father.
[Mins 20:16- 21:02 Family life] Maria’s sister, Maria de Jesus Mota, was born in 1945. In 1950 Maria’s parents separated.
[Mins 21:02- 22:12 Father’s marriage and sister’s life] The second or third time her father came back from the United States he moved to El Carmen, Chiapas in Tapachula and took Maria’s sister away. Her sister no longer thinks of herself as being from Guerrero.
[Mins 22:12-23:27 Maria’s memories of her father’s departure as a bracero] Maria remembers when her father first left with images of him going away in “yellow arrows.”
When her father left she and her sister missed him and asked their mother to take them with him. There was great pain involved in his departure which occurred because of the family’s poverty.
[Mins 23:27-25:9 Father’s condition and results of the bracero program in the present] She describes that her father is currently losing his memory and hearing. She has heard that in Mexico they are going to give visas to braceros’ children and she wants her sister to get one. She has also heard that the government was also going to give them some money back.
[Mins 25:9-25:30 Family’s immigration status] The first time her father came it was under the bracero program. He never came as a “mojado” [“wetback”]. She came without proper documentation in 1977 but managed to regularize her papers in 1986.
[Mins 25:30-27:19 Father’s life as a bracero and family’s knowledge of him] When her father came to the United States he sometimes sent letters back telling them in what city he was located, but never told them the exact address. As a bracero her father grew beets, grapes, oranges, amongst other things. Maria discusses a document that shows that her father was in Montana and Texas in 1956, in Michigan in 1957 and Denver in 1958. This was a document that he made in front of her from his memories.
[Mins 27:19-30:25 Experiences after Maria’s sister is taken away from her mother’s house] When Maria’s parents separated her mother washed and ironed clothes for a living and then sold food. Maria was about 14. Maria finished school when she was 18 after they moved to Acapetlaguaya. They then moved to Iguala, Guerrero. Maria’s father took her sister away. The father’s new wife began to tell Maria’s sister that she was her real mother and did would not allow Maria or their mother to see Maria’s sister. The family thus disintegrated. Their half brother, Trinidad Baena, went to El Carmen, Chiapas to see what he could do for their sister and came back with news that she was treated poorly.
[Mins 30:25-32:14 Problems that arose because they were single women] Maria and her mother could not visit her sister because her mother got ill taking busses and didn’t dare to ride on a donkey as a single woman or with Maria. In fact, they were often scared as single women. They moved a lot and every time they heard noises while moving they hid because Maria’s mother was scared of getting sexually harassed and of having someone steal Maria away.
[Mins 32:14-35:08 Life in Iguala] Maria’s mother never remarried and lived in Iguala with Maria, who got married the year of her graduation in 1958. She had ten children in total.
[Mins 35:08-37:19 Maria’s migration to the US] When Maria came to the United States her mother stayed with her kids. She came with six other women. The other women were going to Chicago but Maria didn’t have enough money to go with them and was going to stay in LA. However, the other women lent her enough money to get all the way up to Chicago. Many of the other women had their parents, husbands or uncles here but Maria didn’t.
[Mins 37:19-38:09 Maria’s work in the US] Once in the United States Maria worked in various different factories including ones that produced textiles and videocassettes. However, in 1984 she lost her job and found it hard to find another one. The year in which the interview took place she had another factory job but quit it because she spent her time fighting to get the compensation from the Bracero program.
[Mins 38.09-40:16 Maria’s migration and family life] When Maria came to the United States her kids were small (the youngest one was six years old). In 1979 she went back for them. She also returned to Mexico in 1981 because her mother had a car accident. She left the US and came back without papers twice. Then, 1986 Maria managed to fix her immigration status and to get most of her kids to the US. Maria’s mother didn’t want to be responsible for her grandchildren anymore.
[Mins 40:16-42:00 Maria’s life in the US] in the United States Maria got involved with a man, and had two daughters with him (both US citizens) but he has since left her. The first one was born a year after she arrived and the second one in 1984. Maria now has to live with her daughters, which finds very hard.
[Mins 42:00-44:21 Father sends money until parent’s separation] When Maria’s father first came as a bracero he sent money and letters to Miguel Mojica (she doesn’t explain who he is). He also sent hats and towels. However, he then remade his life and stopped sending things. The physical distance between Maria’s parents contributed their separation. This, Maria asserts, is common amongst people who are separated, this type of thing happens to everyone.
[Mins 44:21-46:20 Raising her kids] It was hard to raise kids by herself. Her daughters, despite finding a man—which is “the law of life”—did not really fall into “vices.”
[Mins 46:20-47:49 Maria’s memory of her father’s departure] Her father sent letters, money, towels and a hat. She sometimes heard her mother saying that she was going to see Miguel Mojica—to whom her father sent the money. Sometimes her mother had to pick the money in a different town. This is Maria’s main memory. She also remembers her parents talking about the lack of support from Castrejon (see minutes 10:36-17:15).
[Mins 47:49- 48:19 Complaining about her father’s lack of compensation] Maria wants to go to a state governor (probably of Guerrero) and ask him to support her father but she doesn’t dare to.
[Mins 48:19-50:09 Family life in relation to father] Her father worked with Casterjon before he came as a bracero. When he came back the second time he brought a hat as a present. At this time, her parents were no longer together. In 1957 her sister was sent with the brothers of Maria’s father’s new wife. At this point Maria was already married.
[Mins 50:09-52:26 Knowledge about the Bracero Program] The bracero program was announced in public. Many people from Acatapetlaguaya came as braceros. People talked everywhere about it. Rumors run about with people stating that 20 or 50 men were going as braceros to El Empalme, Sonora or to Monterrey. Rumors about the program were Maria’s source of information. She heard women talking about their husbands leaving, etc. There were thousands of people who left in busses that came from Mexico City and would take the men to Nayarit, Sonora, and Monterrey.
[Mins 52:26-53:10 Joining the Program] Maria remembers that many men lied about their age saying they were 18 when they were truly 15 in order to be allowed to come to the United States. They came out of economic necessity.
[Mins 53:10-01:01:17 Talks about her views on the present] She talks about the administration of President Fox. She does not blame him for what happens. Today’s young people no longer want to work hard or in the fields. Maria argues that it is important to teach Mexican children about their heritage so that they remember it and feel pride about it. Mexicans shouldn’t feel ashamed about having been poor.
[Mins 01:01:17-01:02:27 How braceros ought to be remembered, present immigration and her current situation] Maria asserts that we should be proud of braceros and remember that they were treated as dogs, even though they came here to work. She argues that braceros were the best generation that came to work and help the US. The situation back then was very different from the today’s when, she argues, there is an overabundance of workers like herself who cannot find jobs. She wouldn’t be able to survive without her children’s help because she doesn’t even have access to social security services.
[Mins 3:06-5:23 Sister’s life after parents’ divorce] After he went to the US Maria’s father moved to Tapachula where he married another woman. He visited Maria’s family for a last time in 1957 and took her sister, who was only 14 or 15 at the time, away because he thought she was becoming sexually disreputable. The sister was sent to live near Acapulco with the new wife’s brothers who were old and single. One of these men impregnated her and she was then thrown out of the home. This was extremely painful.
[Mins 5:23-10:36 Current affairs relating to Bracero’s compensation money] Maria talks about the importance of oral history type projects so that people remember braceros. She insists that braceros should be paid the money that was robbed from them. Unfortunately, she argues, that money was taken by people who are no longer in power. Maria would like to help her father financially but cannot find work even though she is willing to work very hard, because she is old. She now lives in Chicago.
[Mins 10:36-14:37 Grandfather’s death and father’s early life] Maria’s father was an orphan. Her grandfather was a general brigadier who was killed in the 1910 war [Mexican Revolution]. Before dying her grandfather had asked General Castrejon to help his son. Yet, nobody took Maria’s father to see Castrejon so that he could help him. Once her father managed to reach Castrejon, the latter gave him work. However, Castrejon’s business soon closed down and Maria’s father received only 100,000 pesos.
[Mins 14:37-17:15 Maria’s education and her Father’s early work] Maria’s mother paid for her to study. She finished primary school when she was 18. Her father worked with Castrejon who died suddenly (crashed by a tree) and left no testament. Thus, very little money was given to her father who had worked for years with Castrejon looking after his estate. He used to took care of Castrejon’s pool and grew avocados and cacao. When Castrejano died his son in law gave Maria’s father a little money to buy a small terrain.
[Mins 17:15-18:23 Parent’s Marriage and life] Maria’s parents married around 1940-41 and lived in Palapa. Guerrero. Her father worked growing various things including tobacco and watermelon. He then came to United States in 1949-50. Maria was around nine years old.
[Mins 18:23-20:16 Life of Maria’s mother] Maria’s mother, Analia Aguilar Baena, was born in El Trapichal, Guerrero. Before meeting Maria’s father she moved to Palapa with her first husband. When her first husband died she married Maria’s father.
[Mins 20:16- 21:02 Family life] Maria’s sister, Maria de Jesus Mota, was born in 1945. In 1950 Maria’s parents separated.
[Mins 21:02- 22:12 Father’s marriage and sister’s life] The second or third time her father came back from the United States he moved to El Carmen, Chiapas in Tapachula and took Maria’s sister away. Her sister no longer thinks of herself as being from Guerrero.
[Mins 22:12-23:27 Maria’s memories of her father’s departure as a bracero] Maria remembers when her father first left with images of him going away in “yellow arrows.”
When her father left she and her sister missed him and asked their mother to take them with him. There was great pain involved in his departure which occurred because of the family’s poverty.
[Mins 23:27-25:9 Father’s condition and results of the bracero program in the present] She describes that her father is currently losing his memory and hearing. She has heard that in Mexico they are going to give visas to braceros’ children and she wants her sister to get one. She has also heard that the government was also going to give them some money back.
[Mins 25:9-25:30 Family’s immigration status] The first time her father came it was under the bracero program. He never came as a “mojado” [“wetback”]. She came without proper documentation in 1977 but managed to regularize her papers in 1986.
[Mins 25:30-27:19 Father’s life as a bracero and family’s knowledge of him] When her father came to the United States he sometimes sent letters back telling them in what city he was located, but never told them the exact address. As a bracero her father grew beets, grapes, oranges, amongst other things. Maria discusses a document that shows that her father was in Montana and Texas in 1956, in Michigan in 1957 and Denver in 1958. This was a document that he made in front of her from his memories.
[Mins 27:19-30:25 Experiences after Maria’s sister is taken away from her mother’s house] When Maria’s parents separated her mother washed and ironed clothes for a living and then sold food. Maria was about 14. Maria finished school when she was 18 after they moved to Acapetlaguaya. They then moved to Iguala, Guerrero. Maria’s father took her sister away. The father’s new wife began to tell Maria’s sister that she was her real mother and did would not allow Maria or their mother to see Maria’s sister. The family thus disintegrated. Their half brother, Trinidad Baena, went to El Carmen, Chiapas to see what he could do for their sister and came back with news that she was treated poorly.
[Mins 30:25-32:14 Problems that arose because they were single women] Maria and her mother could not visit her sister because her mother got ill taking busses and didn’t dare to ride on a donkey as a single woman or with Maria. In fact, they were often scared as single women. They moved a lot and every time they heard noises while moving they hid because Maria’s mother was scared of getting sexually harassed and of having someone steal Maria away.
[Mins 32:14-35:08 Life in Iguala] Maria’s mother never remarried and lived in Iguala with Maria, who got married the year of her graduation in 1958. She had ten children in total.
[Mins 35:08-37:19 Maria’s migration to the US] When Maria came to the United States her mother stayed with her kids. She came with six other women. The other women were going to Chicago but Maria didn’t have enough money to go with them and was going to stay in LA. However, the other women lent her enough money to get all the way up to Chicago. Many of the other women had their parents, husbands or uncles here but Maria didn’t.
[Mins 37:19-38:09 Maria’s work in the US] Once in the United States Maria worked in various different factories including ones that produced textiles and videocassettes. However, in 1984 she lost her job and found it hard to find another one. The year in which the interview took place she had another factory job but quit it because she spent her time fighting to get the compensation from the Bracero program.
[Mins 38.09-40:16 Maria’s migration and family life] When Maria came to the United States her kids were small (the youngest one was six years old). In 1979 she went back for them. She also returned to Mexico in 1981 because her mother had a car accident. She left the US and came back without papers twice. Then, 1986 Maria managed to fix her immigration status and to get most of her kids to the US. Maria’s mother didn’t want to be responsible for her grandchildren anymore.
[Mins 40:16-42:00 Maria’s life in the US] in the United States Maria got involved with a man, and had two daughters with him (both US citizens) but he has since left her. The first one was born a year after she arrived and the second one in 1984. Maria now has to live with her daughters, which finds very hard.
[Mins 42:00-44:21 Father sends money until parent’s separation] When Maria’s father first came as a bracero he sent money and letters to Miguel Mojica (she doesn’t explain who he is). He also sent hats and towels. However, he then remade his life and stopped sending things. The physical distance between Maria’s parents contributed their separation. This, Maria asserts, is common amongst people who are separated, this type of thing happens to everyone.
[Mins 44:21-46:20 Raising her kids] It was hard to raise kids by herself. Her daughters, despite finding a man—which is “the law of life”—did not really fall into “vices.”
[Mins 46:20-47:49 Maria’s memory of her father’s departure] Her father sent letters, money, towels and a hat. She sometimes heard her mother saying that she was going to see Miguel Mojica—to whom her father sent the money. Sometimes her mother had to pick the money in a different town. This is Maria’s main memory. She also remembers her parents talking about the lack of support from Castrejon (see minutes 10:36-17:15).
[Mins 47:49- 48:19 Complaining about her father’s lack of compensation] Maria wants to go to a state governor (probably of Guerrero) and ask him to support her father but she doesn’t dare to.
[Mins 48:19-50:09 Family life in relation to father] Her father worked with Casterjon before he came as a bracero. When he came back the second time he brought a hat as a present. At this time, her parents were no longer together. In 1957 her sister was sent with the brothers of Maria’s father’s new wife. At this point Maria was already married.
[Mins 50:09-52:26 Knowledge about the Bracero Program] The bracero program was announced in public. Many people from Acatapetlaguaya came as braceros. People talked everywhere about it. Rumors run about with people stating that 20 or 50 men were going as braceros to El Empalme, Sonora or to Monterrey. Rumors about the program were Maria’s source of information. She heard women talking about their husbands leaving, etc. There were thousands of people who left in busses that came from Mexico City and would take the men to Nayarit, Sonora, and Monterrey.
[Mins 52:26-53:10 Joining the Program] Maria remembers that many men lied about their age saying they were 18 when they were truly 15 in order to be allowed to come to the United States. They came out of economic necessity.
[Mins 53:10-01:01:17 Talks about her views on the present] She talks about the administration of President Fox. She does not blame him for what happens. Today’s young people no longer want to work hard or in the fields. Maria argues that it is important to teach Mexican children about their heritage so that they remember it and feel pride about it. Mexicans shouldn’t feel ashamed about having been poor.
[Mins 01:01:17-01:02:27 How braceros ought to be remembered, present immigration and her current situation] Maria asserts that we should be proud of braceros and remember that they were treated as dogs, even though they came here to work. She argues that braceros were the best generation that came to work and help the US. The situation back then was very different from the today’s when, she argues, there is an overabundance of workers like herself who cannot find jobs. She wouldn’t be able to survive without her children’s help because she doesn’t even have access to social security services.
File Name Identifier
Felix_Mota_CHIC011
Citation
Fernández, Lilia and Félix Mota, María, “María Félix Mota,” Bracero History Archive, accessed April 29, 2024, https://braceroarchive.org/es/items/show/172.