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Unfortunately my dad, who was a bracero during 1958-63, does not have any proof or evidence that he was actually a bracero worker back then. My dad recalls that after he became a legal US resident one time he was traveling from Tamaulipas to Houston, an immigration agent from the border in Hidalgo saw his bracero ID card in my dad’s wallet and kindly asked if he could have it for his personal collection purposes, so my dad gave him his card (I still cant believe my dad did this). My dad says the agent convinced him by saying he would never need it since the program was over and he was now a legal resident. He never knew the name of this agent. Now my dad has no other way to prove his background as bracero since he never imagined he would sometime in his life need his id, check stubs or contracts from these companies that were enrolled in the bracero programs back then. He can’t recall the names of the companies he worked for since he would work for a company for a month and then work for another one the next month and since the companies names were in English it would be more difficult for him to remember the names. My Dad is currently living in Houston Texas. If you have a family member who had his bracero id card collected by an Hidalgo border agent perhaps together we can investigate about this person or testify about this as a group. Does anyone out there knows anything about immigration agents who got these bracero id cards for personal collection purposes please contact me at tamu50@hotmail.com.. Is there a place here in texas or in mexico that perhaps has records of all these bracero people who worked in the US back then?

Lamentablemente mi padre que fue bracero desde 1958-63 no cuenta con ningun tipo de evidencia para probar que fue uno de estos trabajadores. Mi padre dice que despues de haber arreglado su residencia y al cruzar el puente hacia los estados unidos,un oficial de la immigracion (nunca supo su nombre) en hidalgo texas le pidio cortesmente la identificacion de bracero al versela en su cartera diciendole que el las estaba coleccionando y que ya no la iba a necesitar lo cual mi papa hizo (que se me hace increible que mi padre haya hecho esto ya que es una persona muy desconfiada con documentos importantes sobre todo tarjetas de identificacion) y ahora no sabe como mostrar evidencia ya que jamas imagino que iba a necesitar sus talones de cheques o contratos alguna ves en su vida, mi padre vive en Houston, Texas, Si tienes algun familiar que le paso lo mismo con su tarjeta con algun agente de Hidalgo, alomejor juntos podemos averiguar o testiguar que hubo alguien en immigracion coleccionando estas tarjetas de identificacion..Alguien tiene informacion sobre trabajadores de imigracion que estuvieron coleccionando estas tarjetas porfavor contacteme a tamu50@hotmail.com??...hay algun lugar aqui en texas que hayan guardado records de toda esta gente que venia a trabajar aca?
Analui

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My father, Refugio Villalobos Perez came to the US via the Bracero Program in 1955. He left five of my brothers/sisters and my mother in Santa Maria Transportina, Jalisco for the opportunity to get to 'El Norte' via the Bracero Program. Once established, my father broughy my brothers/sisters and mohter to the US. Three siblings were born in the US.

My father worked many diferent jobs to support his nine children. He ended up working in the SF laborers union until his retirement. He and my mother spend his retiremtn between his ranch in Mexico and his hom ein northern CA.

I am proud of my jefe and the sacrifices he made to make a better life for his famila.

Four of his children attended UC Berkeley and the other five children took on union trades/careers. His oldest daughter, born in Mexico, is a year away from obtaining her PHD. He is the proud grandfather of over 20 grandchilren and recnetly welomed great grand children to the familia. Several of his grandchildren are in college and a grandchild recently graduated from UC Berkeley.

My fathers favorite sayings are:

1. Como un rio, siempre para delante!
2. Tiene uno que trabajar con coraje!
3. Nunca pienses que se te va cerrar el mundo.
4. No tengas miedo dejar un trabajo, el nuevo trabajo va ser mejor.
5. Hay que tener fe.

I carry my fathers bracero card in my wallet as a reminder that I can never give up on bettering what my jefe started.

I am proud of my father and mother and what they did for thier familia.

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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.

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A couple of days ago I found out that my father had been part of the Bracero Program. He passed away when I was about four years old, so I would like to know about him. Hopefully I can find some sort of information here. His name was Manuel Lopez Hurtado he was from Jalisco and was probably about twenty years around the time. He was a cotton picker and worked mostly in Texas until his boss help him and some other men immigrate and he then moved to McFarland, CA. It would be nice to know a little about his life during this time since what my mom has told me is very little.

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My Dad, Celedonio Galaviz came to the United States of America in 1951.He came to paticipate in the Bracero program.He did't have enough money to make the journey from Jalisco to the US border so my Grandmother(on my Mom's side) gave them a cow.They looked at it as an investment in thier feurure,so they sold the cow for 80 pesos which was alot of money in that time,and used the money to make the long trip to the US.He had 2 contracts with the Barcero program.The first time he went to Texas,the second time to California.He did faced racio descrimination in Texas,like having to use the back entrance at restuarants to eat and drinking out of a water hose insted of a fountain.He didn't mind or complain much,he was just glad to be working and making money to help support his family in Mexico.He tells about a time when they were asking all the short men to line up on one side.But they left him out, so step in line with the short men. Until they noticed him and made him get back in line with the other men.He questioned them and they said that all the short men were going to pick lettus,celery,strawberies...and that the taller men were going to pick lemons,ornges...he was 6ft tall.By the time he came to California he was known as a hard worker and was asked to return to work in the US when his contract expired. He was sponcered to come here and work by his boss.He got his Green card,and later his US citizenship.He sent for his family,all seven of us in 1965.He used to say "I don't have alot of mony to leave you, but what I do leave you is a land where you can do or be anything you want".We all made good in the United States and are thankful to our Mom and Dad for bringing us to this land of oppertunity.Thank You Dad. April,10,2010.RIP

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Hello, My name is Carla. I was given up at birth by my Biological Mother, Patricia Phares. She will not tell me who my father is. I only know a few things other than I look like him so here is the information I have about him:

1. My father worked on Herbert Phares Farm in Indiana
planting & harvesting tomatos
2. He worked the 1965 tomato season
3. He & my mother dated a few times
4. He stayed in Indianapolis, Indiana at the housing unit
4. I was born in May of 1966

So I am looking for any information &/or records from this time period for this area. Maybe I can find someone who knew of their relationship or possibly find my father.

I really would like to know him. No expectations other than knowing him. I have a lot of health problems and family information would be helpful.

Please lead the way to finding my DAD.

Sincerely,

Carla

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I a son of a California farmer--in Chula Vista, CA (Otay Valley) we had a Bracero "camp" of about 40-50 Mexican workers for several years . I was born in 1948--after my family was released from Poston internment camp since we were detained as Japanese Americans.

Memories were that as a kid--I woud run down to the camp during lunch to get burritos from the workers--the workers seem to love to share their food.

Years and Years late--1990's---I was working as a lobbyist in Sacramento....I had the opportunity to meet new members of the California State Assembly. I had a meeting to meet a new member from Chula Vista--Juan Vargas a young Harvard trained new elected Legislator. During our meet and greet--Juan told me that his dad came to California as a Bracero working with a farmer named Takashima. I told him that farmer was my dad.

What wonderful turn of events---I am lobbyist seeking votes from person (Juan Vargas) that would not be in California but for his dad having the opportunity to come to California

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“Bracero Memorial Highway”
Whereas, The United States was attacked on December 7, 1941 a day which will live in Infamy and the beginning of World War II. Mexico joined The Allied Forces against tyranny and oppression around the world; and
Whereas, The United States and Mexico initiated The Bracero Program in 1942 to 1964, and for 22 years, 4.5 million skilled laborers worked on America’s dams, railways, roadways, assembly plants, mines and help to developed America’s agricultural lands, many joined the U.S. military; and
Whereas, Braceros helped to feed and nourish The Allied Forces during the War and the Reconstruction that followed, lifting many nations from rubble and raising the standard of living for millions around the world; and
Whereas, the following two tragic and preventable accidents illustrate the callous negligence and disregard for safe working conditions; and
Whereas, June 17, 1958, the Holocaust in Soledad Ca. when in an illegally converted vehicle being used to transport 50 Braceros, a worker lit a cigarette igniting two gas cans placed beneath benches in the passenger’s compartment; and
Whereas, 14 Braceros died as they fought desperately to escape the flames and 17 other Braceros were hospitalized in very critical condition; and
Whereas, The driver failed to remove the danger and neglected to inform any of the passengers of the hazard. The National Safety Council considered this fire the worst non-collision vehicle tragedy in the nation; and
Whereas, Sept.17, 1963 the Catastrophe at Chualar Ca. the north bound Southern Pacific train at the Thomas Ranch Road & Highway 101 railroad crossing collated with the unregistered vehicle transporting 58 farm workers. The wreckage was everywhere 56 men lay dead or dying. The train stopped 3,050 feet from the point of impact. 32 Braceros were killed and 24 others were seriously injured; and
Whereas, Our two nations were in shock. National and State leaders passed Safety laws citing both these two preventable tragedies. National Safety Council called it the biggest fatal vehicle accident in our nation’s history, and
Whereas, Braceros helped to feed many nation’s around the world. They sacrificed so much, for so long, for so many, for so little, yet, were segregated from those they helped to feed, while often times they had little for their own table; and
Whereas, for 22 years, Braceros strong arms and backs contributed to helping make... The United States of America the Most Powerful Nation in the World. We acknowledge the many forgotten Braceros as proud members of America’s Greatest Generation; and
Whereas, it is a long overdue tribute and honor to designate a 16 mile portion of the historic Juan Bautista De Anza National Trail, the famous El Camino Real and the California’s Golden State Highway 101, in the Heart of Steinbeck Country, in the center of the Salad Bowl of the World, between Soledad and Chualar as,
“Bracero Memorial Highway”
Juan D. Martinez Jr. 3-10-10

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MY DAD WAS A BRACERO BACK IN THE DAYS HES GOT A MICA AND A FEW PHOTOS. HES 80 YEARS OLD LIVING WITH ME HIS YOUNG SON LIVING IN CA,

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My father, Domingo Ruiz, Sr., was 12 when in 1915 he walked completely alone
from San Luiz Potosi, Mexico, then a small village, and now the capital of a
state in Mexico by the same name, to San Antonio, Texas. The trip was dangerous
from many aspects: There was hardly any infrastructure to speak of at the time,
the area was full of bandits robbing the various mines in the region, and the
Mexican Revolution was in full force. My father inadvertently went northeast,
instead of due north, and had to cross first the treacherous Panuco river that
traverses a deep tropical valley at the edge of the plateau on which the state
sits, and then the formidable Sierra Madre. He had no money on his journey, and
he knew no one in San Antonio when he arrived. My father died in an automobile accident at a relatively young age, but not before leaving a family firmly established in this country.