Hipólito Burrola Ruiz

Hipólito Burrola Ruiz

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Hipólito Burrola Ruíz was born on November 25, 1936, on a ranch in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he is one of fourteen children; as a child, he would help his uncles in the fields; when he was twelve years old, he dropped out of school in order to begin working and helping his family financially; he was married in 1958, and the following year, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he worked in New Mexico and Texas; he continued working with the program until 1961.

Summary of Interview: Mr. Burrola briefly discusses his family and childhood; in1958, he was married; the following year he enlisted in the bracero program at a contracting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he mentions the long waiting lines, the required documents, examinations, and how callused hands were essential to obtaining a contract; from there, he was transported by train to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where he underwent further assessments and was deloused; in addition, he describes the poor conditions at the center; as a bracero, he worked in Artesia, New Mexico and O Brien and Pecos, Texas; he recalls how some men had to be tricked into going to Pecos, Texas; no one wanted to go there, because they were paid poorly and the harvest was usually not very good; he goes on to discuss his living and working conditions, wages, provisions, and recreational activities; when his contracts ended, he was returned to Rio Vista by bus, given food, and left on his own to return to México; he continued working with the program until 1961; he concludes by reflecting on the program overall and what it meant to him to be a bracero.

Acosta, Anais

Burrola Ruiz, Hipólito

2005-11-12

Bracero

Cristóbal Borges

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

spa

Hipólito Burrola Ruiz

Acosta, Anais

Cristóbal A. Borges

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

Mini Disc

35:39

24 bit
96 k

Acosta, Anais

Burrola Ruiz, Hipólito

El Paso, Texas

[Mins 0:00-3:08; Introduction] Hipólito Burrola Ruíz was born on November 25, 1936 in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México on a ranch named El Aguaje which is located on the eastern side of the Ejido la Haciendita neighborhood. His father worked in agriculture and his mother stayed at home. He is one of fourteen children. He speaks about his grandparents’ nomadic agricultural practices. Hipólito has six children and many grandchildren.

[Mins 3:09-6:50; Early Life] Hipólito recounts two scenes from his childhood that he remembers. He began helping his uncles in the field when he was seven years old. He would help them during his breaks from school. When he was twelve years old he worked at a mine collecting manganese. Hipólito recalls a rough period around 1954 when there were no more good beans. He states that he and his family became accustomed to poverty, understanding that if there was nothing to eat it would have to be tolerated. Hipólito quit school when he was twelve in order to help his father monetarily. He found work at a creamery feeding pigs whey and milking cows. He worked there until he was nineteen. He was paid twenty pesos [Mexican currency] a week. Hipólito married in 1958.

[Mins 6:51-9:57; Processing] Hipólito describes how some Braceros used to cut their hands with the intention of making calluses so that they would be selected to become a Bracero. Calluses were a requirement to be selected. In 1959, Hipólito became a Bracero, excited by all of the talk around town. He states that he did not receive many calluses from milking cows, but that his hands still looked as if they were the hands of a worker. He describes how he entered the United States for the first time using his father-in-law’s identification card. The contracting center was in Chihuahua. Some Braceros waited for months in line to be interviewed. He describes an incident in which one Bracero went crazy because he had been waiting for so long. There was security while the Braceros were waiting. Hipólito entered quickly the first time, but had to wait a little while the rest of the times.

[Mins 9:58-11:03; Last Contract—O’Brien, Texas] The last time he was contracted, Hipólito did not have to wait long as it was December. He expected to be sent to California but instead was sent to O’Brien, Texas to pick cotton via Eagle Pass, Texas. He describes how he suffered there with the freezing weather. While he was in O’Brien, his daughter was born ill. He received letters from his mother-in-law documenting her condition, and he returned home to México without money. His daughter was in the hospital for five months and Hipólito had to take whatever work he could find. Much later, he moved to Ciudad Juárez.

[Mins 11:04-16:31; Processing Continued] The requirements to become a Bracero were the military record and birth certificate. After a Bracero was contracted, he was undressed and placed in a line. An American man, who Hipólito thinks was a doctor, examined each Bracero’s anus. If a Bracero had hemorrhoids, he was not allowed to continue being processed. The Braceros that passed the examination were transported via train to the Río Vista Processing Center in El Paso, Texas for more examinations. At the United States-México border, the Braceros were sprayed with DDT. Hipólito describes the bad smells in the contracting centers because Braceros were without bathrooms and showers and had traveled long distances. He remembers that they would urinate in corners for lack of a bathroom. He describes an incident in which his hat was stolen while he was being examined. He describes where Río Vista is. At Río Vista there were bunk beds stacked four beds high. The room was about thirty meters long. Braceros arrived at all hours of the night. He remarks on the types of rude comments that occurred among the Braceros at night. Hipólito does not remember showering at Río Vista. In the cafeteria at Río Vista, there were large tubs of beans with bacon and ham. The Braceros were served by the cooks. They were also served a juice that acted as a purgative in order that their bodies be completely clean upon arrival at the worksite. In another processing center, Hipólito explains that the cafeteria was very pretty and elegant with plates that were partitioned.

[Mins 16:32-19:59; Pecos, Texas] Hipólito describes how Braceros were tricked and forced to accept contract work in Pecos, Texas. Calling it “Pecos mentado” [fucking Pecos], he explains that the Braceros were scared of Pecos because as pickers, it paid little and had a poor harvest as the cotton was not of high quality. Hipólito’s first contract was picking cotton in Pecos. He explains how unending picking cotton seems the first time one does it. One hundred pounds of cotton cost $1.05 or $1.50, and the Braceros would pick between two hundred and four hundred pounds of cotton per day. He states that it was tiring work because they were kneeling down all day. He describes working in a ranch in Pecos where there were many snakes.

[Mins 20:00-21:53; Living Conditions] In Pecos, more than 150 Braceros lived together in the barracks. It was a long room containing many beds and stoves. Beneath each bed was a box of clothes and their locked luggage. Each Bracero cooked for himself. Hipólito had a stove next to his bed, and he and another Bracero cooked together. They would eat beans, potatoes, sopa [pasta dish], and eggs, among other things. In O’Brien, Hipólito lived in a small apartment with three other Braceros. There were four bunk beds stacked on top of each other and Hipólito was in the top bunk. He recalls how cold it used to get at night, explaining the measures he would take to deal with the cold.

[Mins 21:54-25:45; Working Conditions] Hipólito explains how some Braceros used to pick cotton when the dew had not yet dried even though they were not allowed to, in order to yield more profit from the weight of the bag. An official weight-taker was appointed to record how much each Bracero picked daily, but Hipólito expresses that there may have been mis-weighed harvests. Hipólito was paid every eight days in cash and then transported to the supermarket. He would send the rest of the money home to his wife via money order. Hipólito explains how he would always have to ask another Bracero to fill out the money order form for him, but states that the money did always arrive in México. Hipólito’s first two contracts were for three months each, but his contract in O’Brien was for a longer period of time. He describes how he always intended to get a job in a creamery in the United States but never did.

[Mins 25:46-26:59; Returning to México After Contracts] When their contracts were completed, the Braceros were returned to Río Vista via bus. Once there, they received a bag of food containing some sandwiches and drinks. They were then transported to the United States-México border. Each Bracero was then on his own to travel home. Hipólito would always take a bus from the border to Chihuahua. When he returned to Chihuahua, his life had not improved much economically. He explains that cotton is not the most lucrative harvest. He states that other Braceros that had different types of contracts received more money and returned home with extra money. Hipólito would milk cows while he was in México between contracts.

[Mins 27:00-28:05; Reflections] Hipólito feels proud to have been a Bracero because he fought and suffered for his family.

[Mins 28:06-29:14; Missing Home and Food] Hipólito most missed his wife’s chili when he was in the United States. As Braceros, they would make potatoes, roasted and refried beans, and eggs. Hipólito also missed his house and his wife.

[Mins 29:15-30:08; Recreation] On Saturdays the Braceros would buy groceries, and on Sundays they would wash their clothes and shave. Some Braceros would travel from worksite to worksite to play cards on Sundays. Hipólito never played cards, expressing his disdain for gambling.

[Mins 30:09-33:32; Memories] Hipólito recounts a time when he was sick with dysentery as a Bracero. He told his superior that he did not feel well and he was given Pepto Bismol. He was sick for a while. Hipólito recalls an incident in which a mouse was stuck in the water faucet, and states that afterwards, no Braceros wanted to drink water from the faucet. Hipólito recalls that the time that the bus that took them to the grocery store broke down he and another Bracero fixed it.

[Mins 33:33-End; Reflections Continued] Hipólito states that the Bracero Program was a good thing because he knows Braceros that drove tractors who were able to buy land in Ciudad Camargo, Chihuahua, México, and Namiquipa, Chihuahua México to set up their own farms. He speaks about an ongoing legal dispute over a piece of land he owns. Hipólito’s children and grandchildren are United States citizens.

Burrola_Ruiz_NMAH012