Lorenzo Maynes Castillo
subject: Foreman
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Lorenzo Maynes was born on August 10, 1924, in Clint, Texas; he grew up on a ranch where his father was the foreman, and he consequently learned the agricultural trade from his father; eventually, he himself became a foreman, and he was often put in charge of hiring braceros as workers. Summary of Interview: Mr. Maynes recalls his childhood and early adolescence; he briefly describes what life was like for him during World War II; eventually, he became the head foreman on a farm whose primary focus was cotton; he was periodically sent to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, to pick up braceros and bring them back to the farm; oftentimes, he was responsible for hiring anywhere from 50 to 200 braceros; he explains what Rio Vista was like and how the farmers would choose which men to hire; in addition, he describes what the farm where they lived was like, what their daily activities were, and what they did for fun in their spare time; the farmers would often tell any of the workers who had not already done so to go to Rio Vista and officially register as braceros; he concludes that during World War II the bracero program was beneficial both agriculturally and economically; in his opinion, such a program would again be welcomed for agricultural purposes.
creator: Martinez, Laureano
creator: Maynes, Lorenzo
date: 2003-02-10
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Juan Cossio
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Juan Cossio was born on January 11, 1932, in San Pedro del Gallo, Durango, México, but he grew up in Rodeo, Durango; he was the fourth of nine brothers to be born; his father died when he was only four years old; he had to start working at a very young age in order to provide for his family; in 1952, he was hired as a bracero and continued to work as such until 1964; he worked in Texas picking cotton and irrigating crops and in Colorado and Montana cleaning sugar beet fields. Summary of Interview: Mr. Cossio recounts the difficulties he faced as a child and during his adolescence; when he heard about the opportunities the bracero program provided, he decided to become a bracero; he recalls the hiring process and the contracting center he went through in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, as well as the procedures and medical examinations he underwent in Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; in addition, he relates his experiences living on the farms, including what they cooked and ate, what happened when someone was sick, what they did in their spare time and on weekends, the different wages he earned, and what he did when his contracts expired; his various jobs included picking cotton and green beans, irrigating crops, and cleaning sugar beet fields; after the Bracero Program ended, he was forced to cross illegally into the United States to work; he concludes that having worked as a bracero enabled him to support and educate his family.
creator: Martinez, Laureano
creator: Cossio, Juan
date: 2003-02-13
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Gámez
subject: Bracero
description: Nombre del entrevistado: José Gámez Fecha de la entrevista: 12 de marzo de 2003 Nombre del entrevistador: Myrna Parra Mantilla El día de hoy es 12 de Marzo del 2003, en Fabens, Texas. Entrevistando al señor José Gámez para el departamento de Historia Oral de la Universidad de Texas en El Paso, Myrna Parra Mantilla. MP: Buenos días señor Gámez. JG: Buenos días. MP: Para empezar la entrevista, quisiera que me dijera, ¿dónde y cuándo nació? JG: Yo nací en el [19]27. Febrero 17 del [19]27. MP: ¿En dónde nació? JG: En el estado de Coahuila en eh, se llama Francisco I. Madero, Coahuila. MP: También quisiera que me platicara algo de su familia cuando estaba chiquito. Sus papás, ¿a qué se dedicaban su papá, su mamá, sus hermanos, si tuvo algunos estudios? JG: No pos yo, eh, yo eh, mi papá era él trabajador jornalero, mi abuelito. Mi amá no la conocí, yo jui huérfano. Y mi papá, mi apá después se casó por eso pues yo me crié con mi abuelito. Y yo, bueno a mi amá, yo por familia de mi amá yo no conocí a nadie, ni abuelos, ni a nadie. Y luego ya, pues ahí estando aquí, íbanos aquí en Guadalupe, estaba aquí en el Valle de Juárez, nos venimos de allá porque yo, yo vine de allá de chico y él estaba, pues nos trajeron pues el 1929, aquí pal pueblo de Guadalupe, aquí al Valle de Juárez. Y luego, pos de la familia no, no le puedo decir más porque, porque no conocí, eh. Familiares de mi mamá no conocí a nadie, yo me crié con mi abuelito, él nomás. Y de hermanos ahí nomás yo, nomás yo solo. El matrimonio ese, matrimonio, el primer matrimonio, nomás. MP: Aquí en, cuando se vinieron ya para acá para, para el Valle de Guadalupe, ¿usted tuvo alguna educación?, bueno, ¿fue a la escuela? JG: Fui nomás hasta segundo año, nomás en la escuela primaria, nomás fue todo. Y ahí ya, no pues ya me puse a trabajar y el [19]42. El 20 de enero me pasé para este lado, ahí pa Tornillo, pal rancho de Tornillo, ahí rancho del melón. MP: Y, ¿se pasó de mojado? JG: De mojado, sí. MP: ¿Qué le hizo a usted mot…
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Gámez, José
date: 2003-03-12
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Encarnación Chavarria
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Jose Encarnación Chavarria was born in San Pedro de las Colonias, Coahuila, México, but grew up in Torreón, Coahuila; when he was very young, his father killed his mother, and he fled from home; he went to live with his grandmother, but the rest of his family soon split up; in 1947, he became a bracero and remained working as such until 1950; he worked in New Mexico and Texas picking cotton. Summary of Interview: Mr. Chavarria briefly describes his childhood; when he was very young, his father killed his mother, and he fled from home; he went to live with his grandmother, but the rest of his family soon split up; shortly thereafter, he went to work on a dairy farm where the rancher not only employed him, but treated him like a son; in 1947, he went through the hiring process and became a bracero; upon being hired, he was sent to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where he underwent medical examinations; he details his first job picking cotton and what that entailed; in addition, he describes the housing conditions and the various foods that they cooked and ate; many braceros would play cards, drink, and gamble nearly every weekend; he was invited to play, but lost all of his money, which later developed into a bad habit for him and other braceros as well; he later recounts how some braceros were tricked and often stolen from.
creator: Martinez, Laureano
creator: Encarnación Chavarria, José
date: 2003-03-11
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José de la Luz Mares
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José de la Luz Mares was born on May 15, 1918, in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; his father was a shoemaker, and he learned the trade from his father; in 1955, his family’s financial strains led him to the bracero program; he worked primarily in the cotton fields. Summary of Interview: Mr. Mares recalls being trained as a shoemaker by his father; due to financial difficulties, he had to leave his father’s shoe store to look for work elsewhere; in 1955, he began the hiring process for the bracero program in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he and other braceros were transported from Chihuahua, to El Paso, Texas, in freight cars that had previously been used to carry concentrated amounts of lead and zinc; the boxcars were not cleaned prior to being used to transported the braceros; in addition, the braceros were sealed in the cars and left there for the entirety of the trip, which took nearly two days; once they reached the port of entry in El Paso, they were taken to a basement and medically examined and deloused; from there they were taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where they had to wait for eight days before being taken to work; he recalls that there were many teachers, engineers, and other professionals working as braceros; he spent most of his time as a bracero working in cotton fields.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: de la Luz Mares, José
date: 2003-02-13
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

John L. Augustine
subject: Doña Ana County Farm Bureau
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: John L. Agustine was born in El Paso, Texas, on August 29, 1914; his father worked in the mines of Lordsburg, New Mexico; he received a degree in agriculture from New Mexico State University and taught for a brief time; from there, he went on to become an assistant agent for Doña Ana County, where he served as a liaison for the bracero program. Summary of Interview: Mr. Augustine’s first working experience was teaching vocational agriculture in the Farmington Public School System; from there, he went on to become an assistant agent for Doña Ana County under Mr. Lee Gould; upon Mr. Gould’s retirement, Mr. Augustine served as county agent for about ten years; these ten years roughly coincide with the first decade of the bracero program; as an acting liaison for the bracero program, it was his job to ensure that things ran smoothly; he would report the number of necessary workers the farmers needed to the contracting agency; in addition, he intervened and settled disputes between farmers and braceros, and he also required farmers to provide adequate housing according to the program standards; he also recalls the specific harvest seasons braceros were hired and their corresponding duties; to the best of his recollection, there were never any major problems with the program; the use of the braceros provided a symbiotic relationship in which the needs of both the braceros and the farmers were met.
creator: Morgan, Beth
creator: Augustine, John L.
date: 2003-04-28
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: eng

Ismael Díaz de León
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Ismael Díaz de León was born on June 17, 1926, in El Paso, Texas; he and his family moved to Aguascalientes, México, when he was only two years old; in 1943, he became a bracero, and he worked primarily in the cornfields and picking apples in Washington; he continued to work as a bracero for the next fifteen years. Summary of Interview: Mr. Diaz briefly recounts his childhood; his father worked on the railroads in El Paso, Texas; when he was still young, his father became very ill and moved the family to Aguascalientes, México; his grandfather set up a business for his father there, and the family decided to stay; in 1943, he began the hiring process for the bracero program; at that time, the El Paso County Coliseum was the reception center for incoming braceros; his worst job was working in the cotton fields of Texas; while working in the fields he recalls that the workers would often sing songs to help pass the time.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Díaz de León, Ismael
date: 2003-02-04
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Isidro Peña Millan
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Isidro Peña Millan was born on May 15, 1937, in Rancho de Peñas, in the municipality of Satevó, Chihuahua, México; he was the eldest of his nine siblings; when he was nine years old, he and his family moved to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, where he worked odd jobs whenever he could; later, in 1957, he enrolled in the bracero program; as a bracero, he picked cotton in Texas and New Mexico, and continued to do so until 1961. Summary of Interview: Mr. Peña describes his early adolescence and the various kinds of work he did; in 1957, he decided he wanted to work as a bracero; the first thing he had to do was pay someone to put his name on the county’s list of people to be called as workers; he then went to El Trocadero, a processing center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, in order to officially begin the hiring process for the program; after this, he was transported from Chihuahua to the border by train and then taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where he was medically examined; he goes on to describe his first job picking cotton, the wages he received, the living conditions on the farms where he lived, the food they cooked and ate, their hobbies, and what they did on weekends and in their spare time; in addition, he also explains how braceros were able to extend their working contracts without having to leave the country; years later, he became a United States resident.
creator: Martinez, Laureano
creator: Peña Millan, Isidro
date: 2003-02-26
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Herminia Reza Contreras
subject: Department of Labor
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Herminina Reza Contreras was born on May 5, 1920, in Douglas, Arizona; she had eight brothers and sisters; because her father worked for the railroads, her family moved to El Paso, Texas, when she was thirteen years old; in 1951, she began working with immigration services; later, in 1953, she went to work for the Department of Labor, and stayed there until 1963; both jobs entailed working closely with the bracero program. Summary of Interview: Ms. Reza briefly recounts her childhood; when she was thirteen years old, she moved with her family from Douglas, Arizona to El Paso, Texas; in 1951, she began working with immigration services, where she was in constant contact with braceros; her boss recommended that she look for work with the Department of Labor, and later, in 1953, she did; while there, she worked for the administrative offices of Rio Vista, a processing center for braceros in Socorro, Texas; she provides a detailed description of the buildings and offices and of the processing procedures; her primary responsibility was to oversee the contracting aspect of the program; she was in charge of making sure the appropriate permits were in place in order for farmers and ranchers to hire braceros and that the proper amount of money for the contracts was received as well; the contractors were primarily from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming; in addition, she mentions the names of several employees she worked with, including Mr. Carlos Corella [See also No. XX]; she continued to work for the Department of Labor until 1963.
creator: Carrillo, Fernanda
creator: Reza Contreras, Herminia
date: 2003-03-18
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: eng

Gregorio Trejo
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Gregorio Trejo was born on May 9, 1925, in Sánchez Román, Zacatecas, México; he began working with his father in the fields at a very young age and consequently never received any formal schooling; later in 1947, he became a bracero and worked in the corn, potato, and cotton fields of Illinois, Nebraska, and New Mexico. Summary of Interview: Mr. Trejo very briefly recalls his childhood; when he was nine years old, he and his family moved to Plateros, Zacatecas, México; from there they moved to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, before returning to Zacatecas; because one of the recruiting and contracting centers was in Zacatecas, Zacatecas, he was aware of the bracero program; he recalls that the governor of Zacatecas did not want workers from the cities of Fresnillo or Plateros to be hired as braceros because there was plenty of work for them to stay and do in the mines; in spite of this, he managed to have his name put on the county’s list of workers in Zacatecas; he and other braceros were transported from Zacatecas to Irapuato, Guanajuato, for medical exams and vaccinations; while being transported to Illinois by train, they had to stop because the railroad workers were on strike; he also mentions that he and other braceros had a very good insurance plan; in addition, he goes on to describe how one of his coworkers passed away while working in the cornfields of Illinois, and how the ranchers behaved both during and after the tragic accident.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Trejo, Gregorio
date: 2003-03-25
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

George H. Veytia
subject: Insurance adjuster
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: George H. Veytia was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, on October 1, 1931; he had two sisters and one brother; when he was only a month old, his family moved to El Paso, Texas, which is where he grew up; he graduated from Texas Western in 1954, and he served in the Army from 1954 to 1956; after being released from the Army, he began working as a claims adjuster for an insurance company that serviced a number of braceros. Summary of Interview: Mr. Veytia briefly recalls his family and childhood; he graduated from Texas Western in 1954, and shortly thereafter joined the Army, where he served until 1956; after being released from the Army, he came to work as a claims adjuster for an insurance company; his primary responsibility was to receive all the claims from the bracero program in Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas; he describes his position with the company, the various types of policies that were applicable in different situations, their coverage, the company’s range of action, and the average number of insured braceros during a harvesting season; in addition, he details what his professional relationships with the Mexican authorities, farmers, doctors, and braceros were like; he explains what many of the common claims were and what the normal procedures were in the event of an illness.
creator: Martinez, Laureano
creator: Veytia George H.
date: 2003-04-01
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: eng

Esteban Saldaña
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Esteban Saldaña was born on December 25, 1929, in San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México; as a child, he often helped his father work on their ranch and care for the animals; he never received any formal schooling; when he was twenty-one years old, he stopped working for his father and began the hiring process for the bracero program; he worked on and off as a bracero from 1949 to 1954. Summary of Interview: Mr. Saldaña spent his childhood and adolescence helping his father work the land and care for the animals they owned; he married when he was only seventeen years old, and he had children shortly thereafter; when he was twenty-one years old, he stopped working for his father in order to become a bracero and make more money to support his family; he had heard of the bracero program through media and news advertisements; for this first contract, he went to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, which in turn took him to work in Lovington, New Mexico, for three months; he later went through contracting centers in Durango and Monterrey México to find work; from 1949 to 1952, he worked as a bracero; he recalls that their meals consisted of a sandwich and an apple each day, for which they had to pay $12.00 per week; in 1953, he worked illegally in the United States, and a year later, in 1954, he was again able to work legally as a bracero; he comments that there were no differences in salary or duties while he worked illegally; that same year, while working in Arkansas, he organized a strike for workers to get paid 10¢ more per pound of cotton that they picked.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Saldaña, Esteban
date: 2003-02-14
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Emilio Solis Pallares
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Emilio Solis Pallares was born in 1923, in San Miguel Chihuahua, México; his father died when he was eleven years old, and he had to start working in order to help support his family; he was the only one of five siblings to stay with his mother after his father’s death; in 1947, he began working as a bracero, and continued working as such until 1962. Summary of Interview: Mr. Solis briefly recalls his childhood; after his father’s death, he began working in the fields when he was only eleven years old; he continued working in agriculture throughout his adolescence and young adulthood; in 1943, financial difficulties coupled with a shortage of work led him to the United States to work illegally; he had great difficulties while working in the U.S. because he was often caught by immigration; although by this point he had learned of the bracero program, he could not afford to go to Chihuahua, Chihuahua to begin the hiring process; in 1947, he was finally able to afford the trip to Chihuahua in order to enroll in the bracero program; the following year, in 1948, he comments that they were not allowed to work as braceros; he recalls that in 1949, the El Paso County Coliseum was used as a reception center for incoming workers; he worked on and off as a bracero from 1947 to 1962.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Solis Pallares, Emilio
date: 2003-03-12
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Eduardo De Santiago
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Eduardo De Santiago was born in Jerez, Zacatecas, México; he had seven sisters and only one brother; his father took him out of school when he was in third grade because he needed help working the land; he worked as a bracero form 1954 to 1960; while a bracero he was promoted to ranch foreman. Summary of Interview: Mr. De Santiago worked on a ranch in Zacatecas, México, prior to becoming a bracero; in 1954, when he learned of the bracero program, he made a list of all the people who worked with him that wanted to go to the United States as braceros; he was of course included on that list; upon beginning the hiring process in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, the braceros were asked to undress for physical examinations; they were then vaccinated and deloused; in Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, ranchers from Pecos, Texas, came to hire braceros; none of the workers wanted to go with them because they had heard about a number of bad experiences there; Mr. De Santiago worked primarily in the cotton fields of Texas; he recalls how many braceros would use tricks to weigh down their cotton in order to get paid more; over time, he was promoted to head foreman of the ranch where he worked; he worked as a bracero from 1954 to 1960.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: De Santiago, Eduardo
date: 2003-03-03
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Delia Montero de Tiscareño
subject: Processing braceros
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Delia Montero de Tiscareño was born on October 4, 1928, in Durango, Durango, México; when she was two years old, she and her family moved to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, which is where she grew up; although she was raised in Juárez, she went to school in El Paso, Texas; upon graduating from high school in 1945, she began working for an American immigration office in Ciudad Juárez. Summary of Interview: Ms. Montero briefly describes her childhood; when she was two years old, she and her family moved from Durango, Durango, México, to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México; she went to school in El Paso, Texas and in 1945, she graduated from high school; shortly thereafter, she began working as a clerk and typist at an American immigration office in Ciudad Juárez; her job was to help the incoming braceros fill out the necessary paper work for their contracts; she describes how the ranchers would wait for the braceros to finish filling out the papers so they could immediately take them back to their ranches to work; in addition, she comments that the braceros were taken directly from there to the ranches to work, and there was no processing center involved.
creator: Carrillo, Fernanda
creator: Montero de Tiscareño, Delia
date: 2003-02-22
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Carlos Sánchez Montoya
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Carlos Sánchez Montoya was born on September 11, 1918, in Gómez Palacio, Durango, México; his family moved to Guadalupe Victoria, Durango, which is where he grew up; later as a teenager, his family moved to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua; while living in Juárez, he began working in construction; he later worked as a bracero in New Mexico and Colorado from 1945 to 1963. Summary of Interview: Mr. Sánchez recalls his childhood and early adolescence; he began helping his father work in the fields when he was fourteen years old; a severe draught at that time caused his family to move from Guadalupe Victoria, Durango, México, to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua; while there, he began working in construction; he explains how he learned of the bracero program and the hiring process he went through at the contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua; from there, he was taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where he was medically examined; he describes what the living conditions on the farms were like, the kinds of food they cooked, what their hobbies were, and what they did on weekends and during their spare time; his work duties included picking cotton and lettuce, irrigating cotton fields, and cleaning sugar beet fields in New Mexico and Colorado; he also explains the different wages he earned and how he was able to extend his contract without having to leave the country; in addition, he concludes that the bracero program is what enabled him to obtain legal residency in the United States and ultimately citizenship.
creator: Martinez, Laureano
creator: Sánchez Montoya, Carlos
date: 2003-02-25
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Carlos Corella
subject: Department of Labor
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Carlos Corella was born on October 2, 1933, in Clint, Texas, where he grew up; he graduated from high school and was drafted into the Army; he served from 1953 to 1955; after being discharged, he went to work for the United States Department of Labor, at Rio Vista, a processing center for braceros in Socorro, Texas. Summary of Interview: Mr. Corella briefly recalls his time in the Army and the various places he traveled; upon being discharged in 1955, he went to work for the United States Department of Labor, at Rio Vista, a processing center for braceros in Socorro, Texas; while there, he was put in charge of escorting the braceros through immigration on both sides of the border; he remembers a particular form for the braceros called a 414, which they needed to have when going through immigration; it included their name, address, height, weight, and a brief physical description; the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Immigration, and U.S. Public Health were the three governmental agencies present at the reception center; he describes their first order of business, which was to disinfect or delouse the braceros, and he goes on to explain what each agency was responsible for; later, he became part of the on-site crew at the reception center; he worked for a total of three years at Rio Vista; to the best of his knowledge, the Bracero Program began sometime in 1949 or 1950 and one of the original reception centers was at the El Paso County Coliseum; it was not until two or three years later that the reception/processing center was moved to Rio Vista.
creator: Craver, Rebecca
creator: Corella, Carlos
date: 2003-02-05
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: eng

Anastacio Montalvo Salazar
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Anastacio Montalvo Salazar was born on January 22, 1916, in Villanueva, Zacatecas, México; he was the second of six brothers to be born; at the age of six, he began sowing corn and beans in order to help his family; in 1942, he enrolled in the bracero program using someone else’s name. Summary of Interview: Mr. Montalvo briefly recalls his childhood and the Cristero War, which took place during that time; later, in 1942, he began the hiring process for the Bracero Program in Querétaro, México, using someone else’s name; while there, he was medically examined and then sent to the border by train; upon arriving at the reception center, he and other braceros saw movies that gave them information regarding their rights and obligations; he describes his first job in the United States, which was hammering the rail road tracks in California, and his second job, which was picking cotton in Texas; in addition, he also explains what the living and sleeping arrangements were like, what they were given to cook and eat, what their hobbies were, and what they did on weekends and in their spare time; he would periodically send money to his family in México; after the bracero program ended, he was illegally hired in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, by an American rancher who took him to work in New Mexico, where he consequently spent the next four years; he finally returned to México, and has remained there ever since.
creator: Martinez, Laureano
creator: Montalvo Salazar, Anastacio
date: 2003-03-29
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Alvaro Hernández
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Alvaro Hernández was born on September 21, 1928, in Julimes, Chihuahua, México; his father worked in agriculture and his mother was a teacher; he moved to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, where he went to school for a short time, but he returned to his hometown to help his father work in the fields; in 1943, when he was only fourteen years old, he came into the United States illegally; a few years later, in 1946, he became a bracero and worked primarily in the cotton fields of New Mexico and Texas. Summary of Interview: Mr. Hernández briefly recalls his childhood and the financial difficulties he and his family endured; he moved from Julimes, Chihuahua, to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, where he went to school up to the sixth grade, but he left school in order to go back to his hometown of Julimes to help his father work in the fields; in 1943, when he was fourteen years old, he crossed into the United States illegally; he spent a few months working in the cotton fields of Mesquite, New Mexico, and soon returned home; in 1944, he crossed again to work with the same rancher, and the following year, he went back home; two years later, in 1946, he went through the hiring process to become a bracero; he recalls that one of the requirements for the braceros was to have calloused hands; as part of the process, he was medically examined, vaccinated, and deloused; his first contract took him to work in the cotton fields of Pecos, Texas; in 1947, a new working contract took him to Doña Ana where he stayed working until 1949; later that same year, he married and was able to bring his wife with him to the ranch in Doña Ana; he eventually learned how to work the cotton machines and was in charge of one of them; Mr. Hernández concludes that he is very proud to have worked with the bracero program.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Hernández, Alvaro
date: 2003-02-05
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Tomás Zapata Castañeda
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Tomás Zapata Castañeda was born in Ejido el Faro, Chihuahua, México in 1937; although he did help his father in the fields, he also went to school; in 1956, he was hired as a bracero at the age on nineteen; he worked as a bracero in Texas, Montana, New Mexico, and Colorado. Summary of Interview: Mr. Zapata was hired as a bracero in 1956; his first work contract took him to New Mexico, where due to the rain, he was unable to work; in the various places he went, he worked in the cotton and beet fields; he recalls that the braceros would use signs to communicate with the ranchers; in Colorado, he was able to earn $12.00 per acre that he worked; he also recalls that during the month of December, work contracts were given for three months at a time, whereas during the month of May, work contracts were given for forty-five days at a time.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Zapata Castañeda, Tomás
date: 2003-05-12
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Socorro Flores Pando
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Socorro Flores Pando was born in Delicias, Chihuahua, México in 1942; while his father worked in the fields he helped as a water boy; in 1960, he learned of the bracero program and went to Chihuahua, Chihuahua to enroll; he worked in the fields of Texas. Summary of Interview: When Mr. Flores began the hiring process in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, he was asked for a Mexican military ID and a recommendation letter; he came to the United States as a bracero when he was only eighteen years old; upon entering the United States, he was sent to El Paso, Texas, and then to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, for a physical examination; while there, he signed a job contract and was sent to the ranch where he would work; he worked in Fort Stockton, Texas, for seven months watering the fields; his weekly salary was $116.00.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Flores Pando, Socorro
date: 2003-06-13
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto Ponce Covarrubias
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Roberto Ponce Covarrubias was born in Camargo, Chihuahua, México in 1929; he helped his father work the land; his father was 108 years old when he passed away, and his mother was 104 years old when she passed; both he and his brother decided to enroll in the bracero program; he worked for ten years as a bracero in Texas and New Mexico. Summary of Interview: Mr. Ponce and his brother decided to enroll in the bracero program due to their family’s financial difficulties; when they were taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, they were deloused and given a blood test; they were offered help when filling out work contracts; Mr. Ponce’s first work contract took him to Las Cruces, New Mexico; the worst place he worked was Lamesa, Texas; he recalls that the graveyards near the ranch were said to have been for the braceros; he sent money to his family via certified mail.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Ponce Covarrubias, Roberto
date: 2003-06-12
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto Orduño García
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Roberto Orduño García was born in Cusihuiriachi, Chihuahua, México, in 1931; he had fifteen siblings, and his father worked in the mines; he was formally schooled for four years; when he was fourteen years old, he began working by selling newspapers and magazines, shining shoes, and selling tacos to eat; he heard of the bracero program through an advertisement on the radio; he worked in Tularosa, New Mexico, for two years. Summary of Interview: Mr. Orduño was hired as a bracero in 1956; in order to be hired, he lied about his working experience in the cotton fields; the rancher who hired him noticed that he did not have any experience working in the fields; instead he was put to weigh the cotton that each bracero picked; in 1958, he came back home to Cusihuiriachi, Chihuahua, México, because his father was very ill; he recalls how the ranchers would freely lend and borrow the braceros to each other depending on the amount of work to be done; during their free time, he and other braceros liked to play baseball, listen to the radio, or go to a bar where they used to get together with the Mescalero Indians.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Orduño García, Roberto
date: 2003-05-10
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Refugio Pérez Lolla
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Refugio Pérez Lolla was born in Gran Morelos, Chihuahua, México, in 1944; he began helping his father work the fields when he was only eight years old; due to his family’s financial difficulties, his father applied and was hired to work as a bracero; Refugio however, worked illegally in the United States. Summary of Interview: When Refugio was only nine years old, he was put in charge of his father’s land because he was in the United States working as a bracero; his father worked in Dell City and Pecos, Texas, picking cotton and watering the fields; every six months his father would visit his family; Refugio decided to go to the United States to work because his father worked there; Refugio was unable to work for very long because he was apprehended by Immigration officials twice; he entered the United States through Palomas, Chihuahua, México, and walked for several days; he was hired in Deming, New Mexico, in 1966 when the bracero program finished.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Pérez Lolla, Refugio
date: 2003-05-09
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Raúl Enríquez González
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Raúl Enríquez González was born in Julimes, Chihuahua, México, in 1927; he worked in construction until he came to the United States under the bracero program; he had a wife and children at the time. Summary of Interview: Mr. Enríquez recalls the privileges the people from Chihuahua, México, enjoyed during the hiring process; he raised cattle and worked in the cotton fields of the same ranch for six years; the ranchers he worked for spoke Spanish, and the rancher’s wife would bring him lunch while he was out working in the fields; although he also worked in Arizona and Texas, working in Colorado was the best experience he had as a bracero.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Enríquez González, Raúl
date: 2003-06-13
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa