José Isidro Vidaña Canales

Title

José Isidro Vidaña Canales

Description

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José Vidaña was born on February 15, 1923, in Cuencamé, Durango, México; he was an only child; at the age of two, his father died; he worked in agriculture from age eight until he was twenty; in 1942, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he worked in Arkansas, California, Michigan, Texas, and Washington; he picked apples, cotton, grapes, pears, peas, pickles, potatoes, prunes, strawberries, and sugar beets; he did these activities until 1960.


Summary of Interview: Mr. Vidaña grew up with his mother after his father, a general in the Mexican Revolution, died; he remembers the Cristero Revolution, and explains why the conflict began; a bracero from 1942 to 1960, he worked in Arkansas, California, Michigan, Texas, and Washington; he describes the hiring process at the contracting center in Durango, Durango, México; additionally, he discusses the medical exams he endured, a train trip he took to the border, and his time at Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; he recalls their arrival at a military camp in Washington state, their daily activities on a pea cannery, and their work on farms; furthermore, he states what kind of clothing they had, their housing, and the food they prepared; he also details the fears braceros had about World War II; moreover, he explains the good treatment they received from Americans during weekend outings, the relationship braceros had with Japanese workers, and visits from representatives of the Mexican consulate to their camps; he discusses feeling homesick, the benefits of being a bracero, his decision to stay in México, and his positive memories of the program.

Creator

Martínez, Laureano
Vidaña Canales, José Isidro

Date

2003-06-03

Subject

Bracero

Rights

Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso

Language

spa

title (Spanish)

José Isidro Vidaña Canales

creator (Spanish)

Martínez, Laureano

Rights Holder

Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso

Online Submission

No

Original Format

Mini Disc

Duration

1:26:55

Bit Rate/Frequency

24 bit
96k

Interviewer

Martínez, Laureano

Interviewee

Vidaña Canales, José Isidro

Location

Durango, Durango, México

File Name Identifier

Vidaña_Canales_DGO035

Citation

Martínez, Laureano and Vidaña Canales, José Isidro, “José Isidro Vidaña Canales,” Bracero History Archive, accessed November 5, 2024, https://braceroarchive.org/items/show/211.