Lucas Edmundo Benitez Cardenas
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Lucas Benítez was born on October 18, 1918; his dad worked in the mines, and his mother often sold goods from a makeshift stand; he often helped his parents with their small family business; growing up, he and his family were extremely poor; he was formally educated through the third grade; when he was twelve years old, he began working in the mines, in order to help his family. Summary of Interview: Mr. Benítez vividly describes his family and childhood; in 1942, he learned about the bracero contracts and started exercising in order to build calluses on his hands, because he knew they would be checked; he details the medical exams he underwent and how he was bathed in a liquid he was unfamiliar with; shortly thereafter, he and other braceros were loaded on buses and taken to different cities throughout the United States; he was taken to Salinas, California, where he labored in the beet and lettuce fields, which he explains was very difficult; in addition, he talks about working for other ranchers on weekends and being paid in cash; he also went to Saint Louis, Missouri, but did not stay very long, because it was so cold; in 1950, he obtained a new contract, which took him to Nebraska, but he only stayed there for a few weeks; moreover, he mentions one incident where he fainted while working in the fields, but no one helped him; for a time, he was an undocumented worker, but he was later detained and eventually deported to México; years later, he went to school and began to research the bracero program; he was saddened to learn about the promises neither the Mexican nor American governments kept; finding out about the 10 percent that was taken from the braceros was especially disheartening for him.
creator: Valles, Alejandra
creator: Benitez Cardenas, Lucas Edmundo
date: 2008-01-05
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Sandra Serrano
subject: bracero
creator: Valles, Alejandra
creator: Serrano, Sandra
date: 2008-01-05
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Jose Bujanda
subject: bracero
creator: Díaz, Alejandra
creator: Bujanda, Jose
date: 2008-01-12
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Natividad Cano
subject: bracero
creator: Acosta, Anais
creator: Cano, Natividad
date: 2008-01-06
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Antonio Corchado
subject: bracero
creator: Kalashnikova, Marina
creator: Corchado, Antonio
date: 2008-01-05
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Carmen S. Cordova
subject: bracero
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Cordova, Carmen S.
date: 2008-01-10
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Jose Cortez
subject: bracero
creator: Navarro, Kristine
creator: Cortez, Jose
date: 2008-01-09
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: eng

Gregorio de la Cruz
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Gregorio de la Cruz was born on July 7, 1938, in Santa Ana, Sonora, México; his parents were seasonal field workers, and he had four brothers and two sisters; they grew up on the ejido where their parents worked, and as a child, he often helped his parents; he was formally educated through the second grade; in 1954, the family moved to a place just outside of Empalme, Sonora, México. Summary of Interview: Mr. de la Cruz briefly discusses his family and childhood; in 1954, the family moved to a place just outside of Empalme, Sonora, México, where he learned about the bracero program; he could not find work in México at the time, and he decided to enlist in the program; to begin the process, he went to Empalme to pick cotton and get a card and his name on the list of available workers; from there, he had to wait to be called, which could happen anywhere from ten days to one month; he describes waiting in line to be fumigated and the other medical procedures he underwent; his first contract took him to Holtville, California, where he worked in the beet fields for forty-five days; he then went to Palo Verde, Arizona, for three months, to pick onions and potatoes and load trucks, which was especially difficult; later, he returned to the beet fields, but this time in Burbank, California; he explains how he used the short hoe, and he stayed there for three months; in addition, he went to Suisun [City] Arizona, for a short time, and picked tomatoes; his last contract took him to Salinas, California, for one month, to pick strawberries; while there, he worked between ten and twelve hours a day; he would send money home to his parents and wife as often as he could; when he first started working in California, he earned 80¢ per day, but he had to pay $3.00 per day for food; in Arizona, he earned $1.25 per hour, and the work was easier; he goes on to describe his life after the bracero program ended; he eventually emigrated to the United St…
creator: Camacho, Hugo
creator: de la Cruz, Gregorio
date: 2008-01-05
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Catalino Diaz Villa
subject: bracero
creator: Acosta, Anais
creator: Diaz Villa, Catalino
date: 2008-01-09
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Librado Briceño Domínguez
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Librado Briceño Domínguez was born in 1936, on a ranch named Los Orgunos, in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, Mexico; his father, Librado Briceño, died before he was born; his mother, Rosa Domínguez, worked to care for him and his four older siblings; consequently, they were raised by their grandparents; as a young boy he learned to work the land and care for animals; when he was roughly twenty-three years old, he enlisted in the bracero program, and he worked with his brother; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona, California, and Texas until the program ended in 1964. Summary of Interview: Mr. Briceño talks about his family and what life was like growing up on a ranch; his older brother, Guadalupe, and a number of his friends and cousins worked as braceros; when Librado was roughly twenty-three years old, he decided to enlist in the bracero program with his brother; they left for Empalme, Sonora, México, and Librado left behind his wife and two children; he describes the process of getting his name on the list of available workers, which included payment, even if not using a coyote; while waiting in Empalme, sometimes for up to two months, he worked on nearby ranches to survive; he was once robbed of all his money and forced to return home; in addition, he talks about the exams he underwent, including being stripped and deloused like an animal; in El Centro, California, he and other men were also distributed to different worksites like animals; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arizona, California, and Texas, picking corn, cotton, grapefruit, lemons, lettuce, peaches, strawberries, and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, living conditions, amenities, provisions, treatment, payments, remittances, and recreational activities, including trips into town; in Texas he earned less money, because most of the cotton had already rotted; while working in Salinas, California, he and a …
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Briceño Domínguez, Librado
date: 2007-07-21
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Plutarco Chávez Ruiz
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Plutarco Chávez Ruiz was born on a ranch in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México, in 1933; he is the youngest of his seven siblings; his parents were agricultural workers; although he was never formally educated, he did learn how to care for animals and work the land; when he was twenty years old he married, and four years later he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California picking various fruits and vegetables; when the program ended, he continued working in the United States illegally for a time, but he eventually returned to México with his family. Summary of Interview: Mr. Chávez talks about his family and growing up on a ranch; when he was roughly sixteen years old, his older brother enlisted in the bracero program; a number of his friends did as well, so he often heard about the program; by the time he was twenty-four years old, he was married and had two children; hoping for a better life, he also enlisted as a bracero; he describes the difficulties he faced in Empalme, Sonora, México, and what it was like for him while he waited there; in addition, he underwent brief physical exams while there and much more detailed ones, including x-rays in El Centro, California; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California picking various fruits and vegetables; he goes on to detail the different worksites, living, housing, amenities, provisions, daily routines, treatment, payments, remittances, working relationships, correspondence, and recreational activities, including trips into town; in Fillmore, California, the workers had a television that they could all watch; moreover, Salinas, California, was the best place to work, because everything was generally better there; he also explains sending money via check to his father rather than his wife, because it was easier for his father to cash the checks than his wife; his father would then give his wife money; later, after the program ende…
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Chávez Ruiz, Plutarco
date: 2007-07-20
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
format: Mini disc
language: spa

Dionisio Hernández Canchola
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Dionisio Hernández Canchola was born in Jalisco, México, on April 13, 1931; sometime during the late fifties or early sixties, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Texas until the program ended in 1964; he married in 1970, and a year later his wife had their first child; by 1972, he and his family moved to Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México, and settled there. Summary of Interview: Mr. Hernández recalls that sometime during the late fifties or early sixties, he enlisted in the bracero program, and he went through a contracting center in Monterrey, Nuevo León, México; he comments that he went with one of his brothers-in-law, but they were separated during the x-ray portion of their processing; they did, however, meet up later while in the United States, and they picked cotton together; as a bracero, Dionisio labored in the fields of California and Texas until the program ended in 1964; he goes on to briefly recount the different worksites, housing, payment, treatment, and recreational activities; in addition, he describes working in Lamesa, Texas, and having to prepare his own meals, which was especially difficult, because he did not know anything about cooking; he also saw snow for the first time while in Texas; moreover, he explains that Hidalgo, Texas was the worst; there were about three hundred braceros there, and they were divided into smaller working groups; sometimes, they were not taken to the fields until 10:00 AM or 11:00 AM, at which point there was not much left to pick; eventually, by the early sixties, he had saved enough money to buy a car; he also explains that a group of braceros organized to demand better pay and appointed him their leader; in the end, they all backed out, but he refused to continue working for little pay, so he returned to México; he married in 1970, and a year later his wife had their first child; by 1972, he and his family moved to Manu…
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Hernández Canchola, Dionisio
date: 2007-07-20
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Matiana Ibarra Quintana
subject: Wife of a bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Matiana Ibarra Quintana was born on September 21, 1929; she had one sister and one brother who passed away; her mother also died when she was only four years old; consequently, she and her siblings were raised by her paternal grandparents; her father was a day laborer; although she was never formally educated, she did learn how to run a household; she eventually married, and shortly thereafter, her husband enlisted in the bracero program; they went on to have nine children. Summary of Interview: Ms. Ibarra recalls her childhood and learning to read at the age of fourteen through a cultural mission program; by the time she was twenty, she was married and pregnant with her first child; her first born son was two years old when her husband enlisted in the bracero program; he went to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, and waited for fifteen days before getting called; while he was gone she suffered greatly; shortly after he left, their son became very ill and ultimately passed away; it was not until later that she learned the day her husband left for the United States was the day their son died; she goes on to vividly describe all the details surrounding the tragic event, including notifying her husband while he was still in the United States; in addition, one of his little sisters, who was the same age as his son, also passed away about the same time; Matiana later had another son, but her husband was not there when he was born; they went on to have nine children in total; after her husband returned they continued living with his parents; he eventually began working in construction, and they moved around a bit; years passed before he returned to the United States looking for work, and one of their sons even went with him; overall, Matiana suffered greatly when her husband was gone, but as time passed it became easier, especially with the company of her children.
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Ibarra Quintana, Matiana
date: 2007-07-22
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Cayetano Loza Ornelas
subject: Family members were braceros
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Cayetano Loza Ornelas was born on August 7, 1918, on a hacienda in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México; his dad’s name was Doroteo Loza Muñoz, and his mother’s name was Manuela Ornelas Pérez; Cayetano had five siblings; his parents worked in agriculture on the hacienda; Cayetano completed his education through the primary grades; in 1938, he married and later started a family; he lived in the same place and was able to see a number of men coming and going throughout the duration of the bracero program; in addition, his brother, José, and two sons, Juan and Manuel, were braceros. Summary of Interview: Mr. Loza talks about the hacienda where he grew up and how it gradually changed over time, eventually becoming a city; in addition, he explains what it was like living and working on an ejido; in 1942, government officials went to ranches in buses to enlist and take people for the bracero program; he describes the indecision many men faced with regard to joining the program, working on the hacienda, or taking over an ejido; although he never became a bracero, his brother, José, and two sons, Juan and Manuel, did; Cayetano discusses how his sons were able to get on the list of available workers and how they went through the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; he bought livestock for them whenever they sent money home; by the time Juan returned, he had learned to speak and read in English; he eventually went back to the United States, married, and settled there; when Manuel came back, he was more reserved; he had been treated badly while working as a bracero, and he never wanted to return to the United States; Cayetano also discusses how other men left with the program and returned after only a few months; they often came back with clothes and radios as gifts; a number of men he knew died while in the United States; he speculates they became ill and had no one to care for them; Cayetano knew of another man from the surr…
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Loza Ornelas, Cayetano
date: 2007-07-30
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: eng

María Concepción Loza González
subject: Impact on family
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: María Concepción Loza-González was born on December 15, 1941, on a ranch in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México; she was the second born of her fourteen siblings; eight of them were boys, and six were girls; her older brother, Juan, and one of her younger brothers, Manuel, enlisted in the bracero program; they helped support María and the rest of their siblings. Summary of Interview: Ms. Loza-González talks about her family and what it was like for her growing up; her older brother, Juan, worked as a bracero in Michigan and Texas; he often sent money home to his mom to help care for his siblings and send them to school; María describes how hard it was for the family to survive while he was gone; the entire family had to adapt to his absence, including changes in their daily chores for working the land and caring for the animals; it was especially difficult to wait for word from him, because the mail took so long; she goes on to discuss the economic difficulties she and her family faced; in addition, she describes one instance in which her appendix ruptured, and she had to ride a horse into town to have surgery; María explains that there was no running water, light, or paved roads at the time; one of her younger brothers, Manuel, also joined the bracero program; he was able to work with Juan in Michigan, but he went alone to Arkansas; Juan and Manuel became braceros in the hope of having a better life; Juan took on the primary responsibility for helping the family; he brought home a lot of clothes, and a necklace, bedspread, and purse for her; another brother, Pedro, came to the United States illegally, but he was later able to obtain legal documentation; María goes on to discuss her brothers’ various travels between México and the United States.
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Loza González, María Concepción
date: 2007-07-30
contributor: Méndez, Ivonne
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Beatriz Martínez Hernández
subject: Wife of a bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Beatriz Martínez Hernández was born in Zacatecas, México, on March 18, 1930; her parents later had a son, but he passed away; her father’s job led the family to move to Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México, where she grew up; her formal education extended through the third grade; she married when she was roughly sixteen years old; her husband later enlisted in the bracero program; they went on to have six children. Summary of Interview: Ms. Martínez briefly mentions her family and childhood; during her adolescence she worked helping a woman cook and clean; Beatriz describes meeting her husband and the four year courtship that ensued; they eventually married when she was roughly sixteen years old, and they stayed in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México; in 1953, her husband enlisted in the bracero program; he went through the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, where he endured long lines and physical exams before obtaining a forty day contract; at the time, he and Beatriz had three children and lived on their own; his family knew he was gone, and they would often ask Beatriz if she had heard from him; he sent letters and what little money he could home; in general, he was a reserved man and spoke very little about his experiences; Beatriz’s compadre, José, was also a bracero; he went more often and stayed longer than her husband; when José returned home, he brought gifts, including pantyhose for all the women in the family; Beatriz goes on to talk about life after the program and how they went on to have six children.
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Martínez Hernández, Beatriz
date: 2007-07-20
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Mercedes Pérez Salazar
subject: Wife of a bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Mercedes Pérez Salazar was born in Guanajuato, México, on September 26, 1922; when she was still young, her family moved to a different ranch where she had extended family; her parents separated, and she was consequently raised with her maternal grandmother and all of her children; as a young girl she was not formally educated, but she did learn how to work the land; she later married José Biurquis Hernández; he enlisted in the bracero program, and he worked in the fields picking beets and cotton; José and Mercedes went on to have nine children, eight girls and one boy. Summary of Interview: Ms. Pérez talks about her family and what life was like growing up with her grandmother; in addition, she remembers always having to carry water home from the well, which was far away; she describes meeting José Biurquis Hernández and their ensuing courtship; when she was twenty-four years old, they were married; they lived with his mother and sisters, and they all got along very well; José worked selling ice and sweet potatoes in town; a year later, José and Mercedes had their first daughter; not long after, he was not making enough money, and he decided to enlist in the bracero program; while he was gone her hands were full caring for their daughter who was very mischievous; Mercedes even had problems with her sisters-in-law, because they would hit her daughter for misbehaving; even so, they would read the letters José sent her and write responses for her; he sent money to his father, and he in turn gave it to her, so she could buy clothes or other necessities; in his letters he mentioned having to wear his pants backward, because they were so dirty; moreover, he also told her that life there was very sad, and he worked a lot; he returned home with a suitcase full of things, like clothes, a bedspread, pantyhose, and fabric to make clothes; one time, he even brought a radio; after his time in the program, he went back to selling sweet potat…
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Pérez Salazar, Mercedes
date: 2007-07-21
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Porras Valadez
subject: bracero
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Porras Valadez, José
date: 2007-07-20
contributor: Méndez, Ivonne
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

J. Carmen Quezada Morales
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: J. Carmen Quezada Morales was born in 1928, in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México; he is the eldest of his five sisters and two brothers; his parents were masons and campesinos; he was formally educated through the second grade; by the time he was twelve years old, he had already begun to sow the land; in 1949, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming, picking, cleaning, and pruning various fruits and vegetables. Summary of Interview: Mr. Quezada talks about his family, his parents in particular and their variety of trades; when the bracero program started in 1942, he often heard people talk about it; many men were afraid of being taken to war if they enlisted; in 1949, he joined the program, and he went with a group of friends to the contracting center in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México; he describes the long waiting time and the medical exams, including injections and blood samples; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, Colorado, Texas, and Wyoming, picking, cleaning, and pruning different fruits and vegetables; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, living, amenities, provisions, daily routines, payments, deductions, correspondence, working relationships, and recreational activities, including trips into town; his first time in the United States, he worked in Texas, and he explains how he was able to get more work after his contract ended; Texas was also the only place he saw undocumented workers; he also mentions that in Wyoming braceros were not always allowed in public establishments; moreover, he also talks about the tragic events surrounding the deaths of two of his children, Jesús and Moisés, while he was working in the United States; after completing several contracts, he returned to México, and he went on to have nine additional children with his wife; overall, he has both positive and negative memories…
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Quezada Morales, J. Carmen
date: 2007-07-22
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Felipe Cesar Chan-noh
subject: bracero
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Chan-noh, Felipe Cesar
date: 2007-12-21
contributor: Méndez, Ivonne
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Antonio Cisneros Piña
subject: bracero
creator: Carrillo, Alma
creator: Cisneros Piña, Antonio
date: 2007-12-21
contributor: Méndez, Ivonne
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Juan Gabriel Concha Ku
subject: bracero
creator: Carrillo, Alma
creator: Concha Ku, Juan Gabriel
date: 2007-12-21
contributor: Méndez, Ivonne
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Nicasio Cortinaz Ortíz
subject: bracero
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Cortinaz Ortíz, Nicasio
date: 2007-12-20
contributor: Méndez, Ivonne
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Alma Delia Fraile Barocio
subject: bracero
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: Fraile Barocio, Alma Delia
date: 2007-12-21
contributor: Méndez, Ivonne
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Héctor García
subject: bracero
creator: Loza, Mireya
creator: García, Héctor
date: 2007-12-12
contributor: Méndez, Ivonne
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa