José Baltazar Sánchez
Title
José Baltazar Sánchez
Description
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José Baltazar Sánchez was born in San Miguel Epeja, Michoacán, México, on April 8, 1926; his parents worked in agriculture and masonry; he had twelve siblings; at age 13, he left home and worked throughout México in agriculture; he joined the bracero program in 1953, and worked in Arizona and California picking cotton, lettuce, and melons; his last year as a bracero was in 1963; he returned to the United States when amnesty was offered, and is now a resident of the country.
Summary of Interview: Mr. Sánchez remembers growing up in San Miguel Epeja, Michoacán, México, and leaving home when he was thirteen years old because his father was very rough; he recalls working in agriculture throughout México; in 1953, he recounts how he was contracted in Gómez Palacio, Durango, México, the process he went through, and his trip to the border; furthermore, he describes crossing into the United States, and the medical exams he endured; he worked in Arizona and California picking cotton, lettuce, and melons; his last year as a bracero was in 1963; moreover, he states what the housing they received was like, what food they were given, and the work that they did; he relates what they did for entertainment, and a time when policemen went to the farm to search for women that had been taken to a dance by braceros; additionally, he explains how he was paid, and how he renewed his contracts by picking cotton in México and getting contracted again in Empalme, Sonora, México; he states that he became a resident when amnesty was offered, and concludes by stating that he feels good about having been a bracero, because it allowed him to put food on the table.
Summary of Interview: Mr. Sánchez remembers growing up in San Miguel Epeja, Michoacán, México, and leaving home when he was thirteen years old because his father was very rough; he recalls working in agriculture throughout México; in 1953, he recounts how he was contracted in Gómez Palacio, Durango, México, the process he went through, and his trip to the border; furthermore, he describes crossing into the United States, and the medical exams he endured; he worked in Arizona and California picking cotton, lettuce, and melons; his last year as a bracero was in 1963; moreover, he states what the housing they received was like, what food they were given, and the work that they did; he relates what they did for entertainment, and a time when policemen went to the farm to search for women that had been taken to a dance by braceros; additionally, he explains how he was paid, and how he renewed his contracts by picking cotton in México and getting contracted again in Empalme, Sonora, México; he states that he became a resident when amnesty was offered, and concludes by stating that he feels good about having been a bracero, because it allowed him to put food on the table.
Creator
Cortez, Veronica
Sánchez, José Baltazar
Date
2006-05-22
Subject
Bracero
Contributor
Cristóbal Borges
Rights
Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
Language
spa
title (Spanish)
José Baltazar Sánchez
creator (Spanish)
Cortez, Veronica
contributor (Spanish)
Cristóbal A. Borges
Rights Holder
Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
Original Format
Mini disc
Duration
33:06
Bit Rate/Frequency
24 bit
96 k
96 k
Interviewer
Cortez, Veronica
Interviewee
Sánchez, José Baltazar
Location
Blythe, CA
File Name Identifier
Sanchez_BLY016
Citation
Cortez, Veronica and Sánchez, José Baltazar, “José Baltazar Sánchez,” Bracero History Archive, accessed November 18, 2024, https://braceroarchive.org/items/show/298.