Ramón Flores González
Title
Ramón Flores González
Description
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Ramón Flores González was born in Juquillo, Jaliso México, on July 10, 1935; he grew up in an agricultural family with four brothers and two sisters; from age five he worked in agriculture; he joined the bracero program in 1956, and worked in California until 1960; there her picked carrots, cotton, and watermelon.
Summary of Interview: Mr. Flores González remembers growing up in Juquillo, Jalisco, México, and having to work from the age of five; he recalls hearing about the bracero program from his brother who worked in Blythe, California; in 1956, he joined the bracero program and worked in California until 1960 picking carrots, cotton, and watermelon; he relates what it was like to be contracted in Empalme, Sonora, México, the process they went through, the papers he needed, and the brief medical exams they received; furthermore, he describes his bus ride to Mexicali, Baja California, México, and how the contracts were created in El Centro, California; he continues to describe his work at the Imperial Valle in California, the pay he received, their daily schedule, and difficulty of the work; moreover, he recounts how they did not have electricity in their barracks, nor bathrooms; he also explains how he asked to be moved to Blythe, California so he could be closer to his brother, and how hard it was to get the move; additionally, he discusses that he sent money to his family in México, and that he was very proud that he could help them in that way; he learned to read and write as a bracero, and later was able to secure his residency; overall, he feels that the bracero program made him suffer many injustices, but that he is happy to have been able to better his life and the lives of his family.
Summary of Interview: Mr. Flores González remembers growing up in Juquillo, Jalisco, México, and having to work from the age of five; he recalls hearing about the bracero program from his brother who worked in Blythe, California; in 1956, he joined the bracero program and worked in California until 1960 picking carrots, cotton, and watermelon; he relates what it was like to be contracted in Empalme, Sonora, México, the process they went through, the papers he needed, and the brief medical exams they received; furthermore, he describes his bus ride to Mexicali, Baja California, México, and how the contracts were created in El Centro, California; he continues to describe his work at the Imperial Valle in California, the pay he received, their daily schedule, and difficulty of the work; moreover, he recounts how they did not have electricity in their barracks, nor bathrooms; he also explains how he asked to be moved to Blythe, California so he could be closer to his brother, and how hard it was to get the move; additionally, he discusses that he sent money to his family in México, and that he was very proud that he could help them in that way; he learned to read and write as a bracero, and later was able to secure his residency; overall, he feels that the bracero program made him suffer many injustices, but that he is happy to have been able to better his life and the lives of his family.
Creator
Acosta, Anais
Flores González, Ramón
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)
Ramón Flores González
creator (Spanish)
Acosta, Anais
contributor (Spanish)
Cristóbal A. Borges
Rights Holder
Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
Interviewer
Acosta, Anais
Interviewee
Flores González, Ramón
Location
Blythe, CA
Original Format
Mini disc
Duration
55:10
Bit Rate/Frequency
24 bit
96 k
96 k
File Name Identifier
Flores_Gonzalez_BLY005
Citation
Acosta, Anais and Flores González, Ramón, “Ramón Flores González,” Bracero History Archive, accessed November 3, 2025, https://www.braceroarchive.org/es/items/show/286.