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Description:

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Filiberto Villaseñor was born on July 25, 1928, in Tizapotla, Morelos, México; at age twelve, he began working with his father in the fields; he was a bracero from 1955 to 1964; he picked cotton and tomatoes in California, Nebraska, and Wyoming.


Summary of Interview: Mr. Villaseñor recalls growing up in Tizapotla, Morelos, México; his father was a baker, but he remembers never having had an interest for the profession; at the age of twelve, he states that he helped his father work in the fields; he describes his childhood as being very hard economically, and talks about the work he did as a youth; he details how he found out about the bracero program, and what the hiring process was like when he went through it in 1955; additionally, he relates his experience at the contracting centers in Empalme, Sonora, México, Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, and Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he expresses what his life was like while working as a bracero in California, Nebraska, and Wyoming; furthermore, he states that he picked cotton and tomatoes in those places, and that he performed these duties until 1964; after the program was terminated, he says that he returned to the United States as an undocumented worker; he explains that he did this work for about ten years and then returned to México; later, he states that he has since received documents to enter the U.S., and uses them to return for work from time to time.

Description:

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Felipe Corona was born on May 1, 1922, in Mazatepec, Morelos, México; his father died when he was eight years old of asthma; at an early age, he worked with his mother selling rice; later, he worked as a laborer in sugar cane fields; he joined the bracero program in 1955, and picked cotton and lettuce in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Montana, and Texas.


Summary of Interview: Mr. Corona recalls the death of his father when he was eight years old, and how he helped his mother to sell rice in towns around Mazatepec, Morelos, México; he states that later he labored in sugar cane fields; additionally, he remembers that, in 1943, he was hired as a bracero, but decided to stay in México out of fear of what would happen in the United States due to the Second World War; he details why he signed up again for the bracero program in 1955, and discusses the treatment he received as a bracero; additionally, he details how braceros were sprayed with pesticides, and the bad treatment they received from employers; he relates that he worked in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Montana, and Texas picking cotton and lettuce; he expresses that, after the end of the program, he returned to México and settled in Miacatlán, Morelos; he states that, during his time as a bracero, he sent money to his family, and was able to build a house.

Description:

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Eleuterio Flores was born on February 20, 1935, in Miacatlán, Morelos, México; he grew up in a family of farm workers, and labored in sugar cane plantations near his hometown; due to a lack of formal schooling, he learned basic reading and writing from his father; he worked as a bracero from 1956 to 1963 in California and Texas.


Summary of Interview: Mr. Flores describes his childhood in Miacatlán, Morelos, México, and his lack of formal schooling; he relates that his father taught him to read and write; he also recalls his time in the Ingenio Azucarero, a sugar cane plantation; additionally, he discusses how his experience with the plantation helped him secure work as a bracero; furthermore, he remembers that, in 1956, he got permission from his work to join the bracero program; he details the work he did in California and Texas, and states that he picked cotton and gathered several other crops.

Description:

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Bernardo Treviño on September 2, 1936, in Saltillo, Coahuila, México; he grew up in a family of farm workers; at an early age, he worked in the fields with his family; he worked as a bracero until 1964 in Michigan and Texas; there, he picked cotton and cut cucumbers.


Summary of Interview: Mr. Treviño recalls his childhood in Saltillo, Coahuila, México, and his work as a child on the farm; he remembers going through the hiring process in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, México, and signing his contract in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; additionally, he describes his trip to the border, and being sprayed with pesticide at the United States-México border; he states that he worked as a bracero until 1964 in Michigan and Texas; there, he picked and irrigated cotton and cut cucumbers; furthermore, he details what his daily activities were like, and the good treatment he received in the United States; he relates that sometimes he spent his free time on the Mexican side of the border; moreover, he discusses how he wished he would get his bracero savings funds back, and that more attention needs to be given to the bracero cases; he concludes by stating that once the program was over he did not wish to return to the U.S.

Description:

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Alberto Mendoza was born on September 7, 1933, in Tizapotla, Morelos, México; his father fought in the Mexican Revolution under Emiliano Zapata’s army; he inherited land from his father, but suffered many hardships with it due to droughts and floods; later, he worked in a chalk factory; he joined the bracero program in 1959, and worked in Arizona, California and Texas.


Summary of Interview: Mr. Mendoza recalls his childhood in Tizapotla, Morelos, México, and memories of his father, a soldier in Emiliano Zapata’s army during the Mexican Revolution; he remembers the hardships he suffered while working the land his father left him, and the impact bad weather had on his farming; additionally, he details how he worked in factories, and his decision to join the bracero program; he enlisted in 1959, and relates the process he went through to get hired in Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, as well as the fumigation performed on him at the United States border; he describes working in Arizona, California, and Texas picking strawberries and other crops; he discusses his life in the program, and how he was forced to return to México when he became ill due to the food they received in the camps; furthermore, he states that he returned to the U.S. as an undocumented worker after the program was terminated; he concludes by expressing his disappointment at not having made the most of his opportunities during the program, and not having saved more money.

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.

Description:

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Aida Bareda Torres was born on July 31, 1934, and her sister, Tula Bareda Sánchez, was born on December 1, 1935; they were both born in Mission, Texas; their father worked as a local doctor, and coincidentally delivered Aida; during the 1950s, both girls began working as typists, during the summers, at a bracero processing center in Hidalgo, Texas.


Summary of Interview: Aida and Tula recall their time working as typists at a bracero processing center in Hidalgo, Texas, during the 1950s; they initially learned about the job through word of mouth; upon being hired, they were contracted with the federal government, and given government classifications; although there were different shifts because the center was open twenty-four hours a day, they worked the morning shift, which lasted eight hours; the girls were allowed to take brakes, and they often brought a sack lunch; the braceros were brought into the center, which was a huge warehouse, and they were taken into holding rooms; they were then brought into a big hall and grouped according to where they came from so that they could stand in line and wait for their information to be taken at the screening station where the girls worked; the braceros would hand a paper to the girls, and they would ask basic biographical questions and type out the answers; the girls would then hand the paper back to the workers so they could take it to the next station; oftentimes, the girls would get bored of asking the same questions, and they would ask about the men’s scars or wives to break the monotony; although the girls never saw much of what happened beyond their station, they had heard about the braceros being fumigated; the girls also mention that their uncle had a store downtown, which was often frequented by braceros.

Description:

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Aida Bareda Torres was born on July 31, 1934, and her sister, Tula Bareda Sánchez, was born on December 1, 1935; they were both born in Mission, Texas; their father worked as a local doctor, and coincidentally delivered Aida; during the 1950s, both girls began working as typists, during the summers, at a bracero processing center in Hidalgo, Texas.


Summary of Interview: Aida and Tula recall their time working as typists at a bracero processing center in Hidalgo, Texas, during the 1950s; they initially learned about the job through word of mouth; upon being hired, they were contracted with the federal government, and given government classifications; although there were different shifts because the center was open twenty-four hours a day, they worked the morning shift, which lasted eight hours; the girls were allowed to take brakes, and they often brought a sack lunch; the braceros were brought into the center, which was a huge warehouse, and they were taken into holding rooms; they were then brought into a big hall and grouped according to where they came from so that they could stand in line and wait for their information to be taken at the screening station where the girls worked; the braceros would hand a paper to the girls, and they would ask basic biographical questions and type out the answers; the girls would then hand the paper back to the workers so they could take it to the next station; oftentimes, the girls would get bored of asking the same questions, and they would ask about the men’s scars or wives to break the monotony; although the girls never saw much of what happened beyond their station, they had heard about the braceros being fumigated; the girls also mention that their uncle had a store downtown, which was often frequented by braceros.

Description:

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Carol Norquest Jr. was born on November 27, 1934, in Edinburg, Texas; her father owned about 100 acres of farm land, and the primary crop was cotton; as a child she helped work the land, and later as an adult, she ran the farm; in the late 1940s and all through the 1950s, her father hired braceros to help with the crops.


Summary of Interview: Ms. Norquest recalls growing up as a child on her father’s farm; her family owned 100 acres of land, and they rented another 200 acres; their primary crop was cotton, but they also had carrots, citrus, corn, grain, and tomatoes; she and her siblings would help during the harvest by picking and weighing cotton; in the late 1940s and all through the 1950s, her father hired braceros to help with the crops; there was an average of five to ten workers that stayed on year round, and more during the harvesting season; her father hired a number of skilled laborers, such as irrigators and tractor drivers, on a permanent basis, and a few of them later became United States citizens; she mentions that her father had to abide by strict government standards with regard to housing, pay, and medical insurance; some of the braceros preferred going to doctors in México, and her father would drive them across the border if necessary; he would also give workers bonuses at the end of a season as an incentive for them to come back and work for him; she recalls one instance when her father did not have enough money to pay everyone the minimum wage, but the they agreed to work for him anyway; one worker reported him to government officials, but he was shunned by the bracero community for having made such a statement; she goes on to recall other specific incidents with braceros as well; overall, her family developed great relationships with the braceros, and a number of them stayed in touch with the family long after they stopped working together.