"The lemons are Freezing!"

Title

"The lemons are Freezing!"

Creator

Mario Perez

Contributor

Mario Perez

Rights

You are being asked to contribute your story to the Bracero History Archive, which is developing a permanent digital record of the Bracero program. Your participation in the project will allow future historians, and people such as yourself, to gain a greater understanding of this program and its effect on the people involved.
You must be 13 years of age or older to submit material to us. Your submission of material constitutes your permission for, and consent to, its dissemination and use in connection with the Bracero History Archive in all media in perpetuity. If you have so indicated on the form, your material will be published on the Bracero History Archive website (with or without your name, depending on what you have indicated). Otherwise, your response will only be available to approved researchers using the Bracero History Archive. The material you submit must have been created by you, wholly original, and shall not be copied from or based, in whole or part, upon any other photographic, literary, or other material, except to the extent that such material is in the public domain. Further, such material must not violate any confidentiality, privacy, security or other laws.
By submitting to the Bracero History Archive you release, discharge, and agree to hold harmless the Bracero History Archive and persons acting under its permission or authority, including a public library to which the collection might be donated for purposes of long-term preservation, from any claims or liability arising out of the Bracero History Archive's use of the material, including, without limitation, claims for violation of privacy, defamation, or misrepresentation.
The Bracero History Archive has no obligation to use your material.

Contributor is Creator

Yes

Online Submission

Yes

Text

I am now 56 years old, and although my memories are a little sketchy, I have very pleasant memories of the Limoneira in Ventura. My father was a Brazero, he started out picking lemons and became a Foreman under Mr. Jenkins. My father went by the nickname "Goyo", his real name was Gregorio Perez (Rodriguez). He was the first of his family to come from Mexico as part of the guest worker program, eventually bringing his 3 brothers (Alfredo, Daniel and Mauro) with him. My father died in 1962 at the age of 42, he was a hard working man and I miss him.

I am interested in learning more about his life and if someone reading this story recognizes his name or this story, I would love to hear from you.

The title, by the way, is from the memories of waking in the wee hours of the morning in the "2nd house" where we all slept in a baracks type setting, to a loud horn and the stirring of vehicles and workers lighting the oil pots to warm the lemon groves.

I am proud to be the son of a migrant farm worker, and I hope to hear from you.

Citation

Mario Perez, “"The lemons are Freezing!",” Bracero History Archive, accessed March 28, 2024, https://braceroarchive.org/es/items/show/3229.