Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Nicolás Carreón Vega was born in Villa Aldama, Chihuahua, México, in 1933 [in 1995, the Mexican Congress changed the name from Villa Aldama to Ciudad Aldama]; as the eldest of the family, upon his father’s death he began working in the fields when he was only eight years old; he learned about the bracero program in 1953 and came to the United States. Summary of Interview: Mr. Carreón briefly recounts his childhood; he focuses on his time in the United States as a bracero from 1953 until the mid 1960s; he discusses work contracts and the possibilities under which a mica card could be obtained; he worked in the cotton fields of Texas and New Mexico, the beet fields of Colorado, and on ranches in Arizona as well; while working in Artesia, New Mexico, he caught pneumonia and was hospitalized for a month; in 1955, he worked without a contract in Pecos, Texas, was caught and sent to jail; in 1958, the cotton field he worked was flooded so he and others were sent elsewhere to finish out their contracts.
Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Nicolás Martínez was born on September 9, 1926, in Puebla, México; he came from a family of campesinos, whose main crops were beans and corn; when he was roughly thirty-five years old, he enlisted in the bracero program; after the program ended, he traveled back and forth between the United States and México in order to work; he later became a U.S. citizen; in addition, he became involved with different civic organizations intended to help field workers. Summary of Interview: Mr. Martínez begins by stating that many men left their homes in México, because there was not enough work to support their families; when he was roughly thirty-five years old, he enlisted in the bracero program; he explains that in order to get on the list of eligible workers in his home town he had to work in the fields there; once he was on that list, along with several hundred other men, he went through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; after waiting for up to one month, he was transported to Mexicali, Baja California, México, where he and the other men were treated like livestock; the medical exams were particularly embarrassing, because they were stripped in front of everyone and fumigated; the testicular exams were especially difficult and painful; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arkansas, California, and Michigan, picking apples, beets, cotton, cucumbers, lettuce, and peaches; he goes on to detail the various worksites, housing, provisions, payments, deductions, remittances, contract renewals, and recreational activities; more specifically, he reveals that after four or five months of working, employers would bring women into the camps for the men; in addition, he explains that if there were any complaints, the Mexican government would send investigators to look into the allegations; he also describes the various jobs he had after the program ended, and how he later became part of a group named Hermandad Mexicana, which helped people obtain visas; moreover, he talks about how he was part of the National Chicano Moratorium March when Rubén Salazar was killed.
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Nicolás Saldaña was born on a small ranch just outside of Tlaltenango, Zacatecas, México; he has three sisters and one brother; as a child he helped work the land and care for the animals; in 1957, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he worked in Arkansas, Oregon, and Washington, picking corn, cotton, and pears. Summary of Interview: Mr. Saldaña describes his very humble upbringing; his father was an undocumented worker in the United States and initially sent money home to his family, but he eventually stopped; his mother and sisters were left on their own, and he weeps at the recollection of how much they suffered; in 1957, he decided to enlist as a bracero with the hopes of earning money to help his family; he explains what he went through at the different processing centers in México, including paying money to gather all the required documents, the hundreds of thousands of men waiting for contracts, how hard it was waiting for weeks on end, and enduring harsh conditions throughout the entire time; in addition, he depicts his ride on a train without seats, the lingering smell of the animals that had previously been in there, and how the straw used to feed the animals was left on the floor of the train when he boarded; upon arriving in the United States, he recounts how he was examined, deloused, and taken to a holding area where ranchers would pick the workers they wanted; as a bracero, he worked in Arkansas, Oregon, and Washington, picking corn, cotton, and pears; he goes on to describe the various worksites, duties, payment, living conditions, and provisions; while working in Medford, Oregon, picking pears, he fell off a fifteen foot ladder; although he was not seriously injured, he was given monetary compensation; while working as a bracero, he was able to communicate with his mother and sister who had since emigrated to the United States; upon finishing one of his contracts he had to return to México and consequently met up with his mother and sister in Tijuana, Baja California. NOTE: Audio difficulties at the thirty-five minute mark rendered the transcript incomplete.
No criminal or legal records certificate
Certificate for Jose Francisco Delgado Soto of No Criminal or Legal Records signed April 8, 1958 by the Michoacan, Mexico Municipal Court.
Certificate of No Criminal or Legal Records for Homero Lopez Ortiz signed by the Police Department of Mexico, D.F. on March 16, 1961.
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.05.23; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.05.23; Roll #: 5
National Museum of American History, Division of Work and Industry
Restricted: no; Contact: NMAH Rights & Reproductions by email before distribution - rightsreproductions@si.edu
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.05.24; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.05.24; Roll #: 5
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.10.44; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.10.44; Roll #: 10
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.15.09; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.15.09; Roll #: 15
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.22.08; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.22.08; Roll #: 22
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.22.09; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.22.09; Roll #: 22
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.22.26; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.22.26; Roll #: 22
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.25.03; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.25.03; Roll #: 25
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.27.35; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.27.35; Roll #: 27
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138..31.31; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.31.31; Roll #: 31
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.31.32; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.31.32; Roll #: 31
The Leonard Nadel Collection, NMAH. Catalogue #: 2004.0138.11.13; Negative #: NAD-2004.0138.11.13; Roll #: 11
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Norberto Mata Baylón was born in Coyame, Chihuahua, México, in 1934; he worked in a candle factory when he was only twelve years old, and consequently, had to hide from the boss; in 1956, he went to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, to begin the hiring process; he renewed his work contract seven times; he worked in the cotton fields of Artesia, New Mexico and Dell City, Pecos, and Olton, Texas; he also worked in the beet fields of Montana. Summary of Interview: When Mr. Baylón was only sixteen years old, he worked in the United States illegally; in order to cross into the United States, he walked through the mountains, which took him an entire day to do; in 1956, he went to El Trocadero, a processing center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, to begin the hiring process; he paid the security officer in order to get a good place in line while waiting to be hired; in Pecos, Texas, he had very bad experiences because the wages were too low and there was too much work to be done; in addition, there were a lot of snakes; when he and a group of other braceros were sent to Olton, Texas, there were no jobs; they had to beg for food for two days.
Notification to braceros about use and procedures of MICA cards.
This notice explains the new procedures for a MICA card in 1958. It states that MICA cards are only to notify that these men have completed their work as braceros. However, the card could be used to enter the country, if and only if, they are still finishing a contract in the United States and had to travel back to Mexico.