Roberto de la Cruz López
subject: bracero
creator: Garza, Rochelle
creator: de la Cruz López, Roberto
date: 2006-05-24
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto García Estrada
subject: bracero
description: Roberto García Estrada was born in Tepetzingo, [Morelos] México; his father passed away when he was very young; eventually, he had to stop going to school, because the family did not have the money; instead, he began working to help support the family; shortly after, he married; in 1959, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, Colorado, Montana, Texas and Wyoming, picking beets, cantaloupes, peaches, pears, plums and tomatoes; he continued working with the program until it ended in 1964. Summary of Interview: Mr. García talks about going to school as a young boy and the different cities he traveled to in order to continue his education; eventually, he had to stop going to school, because the family did not have the money, and he began working instead; shortly after, he married, and in 1959, he enlisted in the bracero program; he explains that he signed up on the list of available workers in Cuernavaca, Morelos, México, which in turn allowed him to get to the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; he waited there for over a month with thousands of other men; oftentimes, they slept on cardboard and ate whatever they could find; upon arriving in the United States, he was yelled and cursed at, in addition to being pushed around and generally mistreated; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California, Colorado, Montana, Texas and Wyoming, picking beets, cantaloupes, peaches, pears, plums and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, housing, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, working relationships, friendships, contract lengths and renewals, payments, deductions and recreational activities, including trips into town and religious services; while working, the heat was so intense in some places, that they had to take salt pills; he also mentions that prostitution was a regular occurrence in the barracks; moreover, he relates several other anecdotes about his experiences as a bracero; he conti…
creator: Cortez, Veronica
creator: García Estrada, Roberto
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto García Sánchez
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Roberto García Sánchez was born on May 13, 1933, in El Bueyero, Mexticacán, Jalisco, México; his mother’s name was Dominga Sánchez, and his father’s name was Cruz García; Robert had eight siblings, but two of them died; his father, Cruz, owned a small plot of land, a milpa, which he inherited from his father; consequently, Robert grew up sowing corn and beans as well as caring for animals; in 1942, Cruz enlisted in the bracero program; later, in the midfifties, Roberto followed in his father’s footsteps, and he continued working with the program until it ended in 1964; he and his family later immigrated to the United States. Summary of Interview: Mr. García gives a detailed description of his parents, siblings and children; he recalls his father becoming a bracero and the difficulties he and his family faced; they had to work the land and care for the animals on their own; in addition, he describes the various tasks his mother had to perform as well; he later began working illegally in Arizona against his father’s wishes; during the midfifties he went with a coyote in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, and later to Empalme, Sonora, México, to enlist as a bracero; on average, he had to wait there for at least fifteen days; he was able to survive by working as a cook in a restaurant, and he continued doing so whenever he had to wait for a contract; as part of the processing he was stripped, which he describes as embarrassing and sad; in addition, he mentions having to pay a representative for handling the papers, as well as travel expenses; as a bracero, he worked in six different places, but he spent most of his time in the San Gabriel, California, area; he goes on to detail the camps’ living conditions, housing, accommodations, daily routines, payments, deductions, remittances, and recreational activities, including trips into town; in 1994, he and his family legally immigrated to the United States.
creator: Mena, Violeta
creator: García Sánchez, Roberto
date: 2006-05-26
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto González Martínez
subject: bracero
creator: Garza, Rochelle
creator: González Martínez, Roberto
date: 2006-05-24
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto Heynes García
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Roberto Heynes was born on May 1, 1917, in Tepehuanes, Durango, México; he was the youngest of four siblings; their parents died when he was only a year old, and they were raised by their maternal relatives; during his teenage years, he worked in the mines; in spite of the fear instilled by rumors that Mexican workers could also be sent to fight in World War II, he enrolled in the bracero program in 1944; as a bracero, he worked in California and Illinois as a railroad line worker until 1956. Summary of Interview: Mr. Heynes recalls his childhood and adolescence; sometime later, he had heard of the bracero program and the rumors that Mexican workers could also be sent to fight in World War II; in spite of this, he and a friend enrolled in the program in 1944; they signed their contracts in Querétaro, Querétaro, México; from there, they were transported by train to the border; as a bracero, he worked in California and Illinois as a railroad line worker, shoveling gravel on roadbeds and repairing the rails; he goes on to explain, what his first activities for the railroad company were, the training he underwent, his work hours, wages, methods of payment, contract amendments and extensions, the housing in hotel rooms, and the food; in addition, he comments that he was treated well by his American employers and the people in general; he concludes with fond memories of his experiences as a bracero and with the thought that the program should be reinstated.
creator: Martínez, Laureano
creator: Heynes García, Roberto
date: 2003-05-31
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto Martinez Cordero
date: 2008-11-12

Roberto Melendez Lopez

Roberto Oceguera Licea
subject: bracero
creator: Pelayo, Monica
creator: Oceguera Licea, Roberto
date: 2006-05-24
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto Orduño García
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Roberto Orduño García was born in Cusihuiriachi, Chihuahua, México, in 1931; he had fifteen siblings, and his father worked in the mines; he was formally schooled for four years; when he was fourteen years old, he began working by selling newspapers and magazines, shining shoes, and selling tacos to eat; he heard of the bracero program through an advertisement on the radio; he worked in Tularosa, New Mexico, for two years. Summary of Interview: Mr. Orduño was hired as a bracero in 1956; in order to be hired, he lied about his working experience in the cotton fields; the rancher who hired him noticed that he did not have any experience working in the fields; instead he was put to weigh the cotton that each bracero picked; in 1958, he came back home to Cusihuiriachi, Chihuahua, México, because his father was very ill; he recalls how the ranchers would freely lend and borrow the braceros to each other depending on the amount of work to be done; during their free time, he and other braceros liked to play baseball, listen to the radio, or go to a bar where they used to get together with the Mescalero Indians.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Orduño García, Roberto
date: 2003-05-10
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto Ponce Covarrubias
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Roberto Ponce Covarrubias was born in Camargo, Chihuahua, México in 1929; he helped his father work the land; his father was 108 years old when he passed away, and his mother was 104 years old when she passed; both he and his brother decided to enroll in the bracero program; he worked for ten years as a bracero in Texas and New Mexico. Summary of Interview: Mr. Ponce and his brother decided to enroll in the bracero program due to their family’s financial difficulties; when they were taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, they were deloused and given a blood test; they were offered help when filling out work contracts; Mr. Ponce’s first work contract took him to Las Cruces, New Mexico; the worst place he worked was Lamesa, Texas; he recalls that the graveyards near the ranch were said to have been for the braceros; he sent money to his family via certified mail.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Ponce Covarrubias, Roberto
date: 2003-06-12
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto Silva Marín
subject: bracero
description: Roberto Silva Marín was born June 6, 1938, in Calvillo, Aguascalientes, México; he had six sisters and five brothers; his father was a campesino; the family moved to Jalpa, Zacatecas, México when he was eight years old; as a young boy, he helped his father work in the fields; during the mid-1950s, when he was eighteen years old, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Texas, cleaning, pruning, picking and packing beets and lettuce; when he was twenty years old, he married and later had three daughters and one son; the entire family immigrated to the United States during the early 1970s. Summary of Interview: Mr. Silva talks about his family and childhood, and how they all suffered due to poverty; the lack of rain and crops prompted the family to move from Calvillo, Aguascalientes to Jalpa, Zacatecas, México; they lived on a ranch by a large lake, which greatly improved their situation; during the mid-1950s, when he was eighteen years old, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; in order to join, he had to complete his military service, which he was able to do early by altering the dates on his papers, pay two hundred pesos and pick two thousand kilograms of cotton in Sonora; as part of the process, he was also stripped, medically examined and deloused; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California and Texas, cleaning, pruning, picking and packing beets and lettuce; he goes on to detail the camp sizes, housing, amenities, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, payments, deductions, remittances, contract lengths, working relationships, friendships, correspondence and recreational activities, including trips into town; his brother went with him, but he could not handle the work and he missed his wife too much; Roberto also relates other anecdotes about his experiences as a bracero; when he was twenty years old, he married and later had three daughters and one son; moreover, he briefly talks about his li…
creator: Carrillo, Alma
creator: Silva Marín, Roberto
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Roberto Sotelo
subject: bracero
creator: Cortez, Veronica
creator: Sotelo, Roberto
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Rochin Acapulco Postcard
description: Rochin Acapulco Postcard, 1949

Rocket Wheel Industries ID card
subject: Identification card
description: Rocket Wheel Industries identification card of Roberto Garcia-Sanchez, Los Angeles, CA
creator: Robero Garcia-Sanchez
creator: Rocket Wheel Industries
source: San Bernardino
publisher: UTEP
date: 2008-03-19
contributor: Aaron Montenegro
rights: UTEP
language: eng

Rodolfo Aranda Morales
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Rodolfo Aranda Morales was born in Morelos, Chihuahua, México; he began working with the bracero program in 1953; as a bracero, he worked in the cotton and beet fields of Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, and Wyoming; he continued working as a bracero until 1962. Summary of Interview: Mr. Aranda recalls that up to 10,000 braceros were hired per day in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; in Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro Texas, the braceros were separated according to which state they were from because this was thought to have a direct correlation with their skills; many farmers did not like to hire braceros from the south of México, because they did not have enough experience; in general, the braceros from the south of México earned much less than those from the north; Mr. Aranda often sent money orders to his family, but due to problems he encountered, he began using bank checks instead; while working in the cotton fields, he became ill and was hospitalized; he recalls how each bracero had to pay $2.00 for the bags that they would use to collect the cotton they had picked for that day; Mr. Aranda worked as a bracero for nearly ten years, from 1953 to 1962.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Aranda Morales, Rodolfo
date: 2003-02-25
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Rodolfo Balderama

Rodolfo Balderrama
creator: Jose Medina
date: 2008-04-08
rights: Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso
language: SP

Rodolfo Cruz Figueroa
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Rodolfo Cruz was born near Mexico City, México; he was the oldest of six siblings; at an early age, he worked in agriculture; at the age of sixteen, he moved to Miacatlán, Morelos, México; he joined the bracero program in 1946, and worked in California, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming; there he picked apricots, broccoli, carrots, cotton, lemons, lettuce, onions, oranges, parsley, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes. Summary of Interview: Mr. Cruz recalls growing up near México City, México, and working in agriculture; he remembers moving to Miacatlán, Morelos, México at the age of sixteen, and joining the Bracero Program in 1946; as a bracero, he worked in California, Oregon, Texas, and Wyoming picking apricots, broccoli, carrots, cotton, lemons, lettuce, onions, oranges, parsley, potatoes, strawberries, and tomatoes; he describes the hiring process he went through, his experiences at the contracting centers in Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, and Empalme, Sonora, México, and the medical exams he endured; additionally, he details what daily life was like for braceros, what food and housing they were given, and the treatment they got from foremen; he relates an instance when he had problems with a Mexican-American foreman, and the discrimination the man had towards Mexicans; furthermore, he explains how he saved money for the future, and why many braceros did not do the same; he discusses what he did for recreation, and how he liked traveling during weekends; moreover, he states that being a bracero was a positive experience for him, and that it helped him buy his house and the land he still works on.
creator: Domínguez, Violeta
creator: Cruz Figueroa, Rodolfo
date: 2002-07-25
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Rodolfo López
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Rodolfo López was born on November 17, 1937, in Angamacutiro, Michoacán, México; he began working in agriculture at an early age; after his military service, he joined the bracero program in 1957; he worked in California picking cotton and driving tractors; in 1960, he became a U.S. resident. Summary of Interview: Mr. López remembers his childhood growing up in Angamacutiro, Michoacán, México; he completed five years of formal schooling, and worked in agriculture at an early age; furthermore, after completing his military service, he joined the bracero program in 1957; he worked in California picking cotton and driving tractors; he describes the contracting process in Empalme, Sonora, México, the trip to the border he endured in a freight train, and the fumigation and medical exams he went through at El Centro, California, México; moreover, he recounts the names of different farms in Blythe, California, as well as how his life there was; he discusses the housing they had, the food they ate, and the daily work they did; additionally, he expresses what they were paid, and the treatment he got from foremen; he also relates what things they did for recreation, and how he kept in contact with his family; in 1960, he became a U.S. resident; he concludes by stating that he feels the bracero experience was a positive one.
creator: Murillo, Grisel
creator: López, Rodolfo
date: 2006-05-22
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Rodrigo Flores
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Rodrigo Flores was born on April 13, 1933, in Progreso, Chihuahua, México; he and his family moved to Parral, Chihuahua; while there, he went to school and learned to read and write; he soon dropped out of school in order to begin working and help support his family; when he was sixteen, he came to the United States illegally to work; later, in 1955, he began the enrollment process to become a bracero. Summary of Interview: Mr. Flores briefly recalls his childhood and early adolescence; when he was sixteen, he started working in the United States illegally and was deported several times; he later joined the armed services in México; in 1955, after his service was over, he enrolled in the bracero program; he relates the details of the recruiting center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, and how the manager of the center at the time aided him in the hiring process; from there, he was sent to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where he went through rigorous screening procedures; he usually worked in the El Paso, Texas area picking cotton; the second time he came to work, in 1956, he did not go through Rio Vista; instead, he crossed directly into the U.S. with a group of special labor braceros; his family then moved to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, and he was able to visit them every weekend with a letter of permission from his boss; years later, in 1962, with the help of his former boss, he became a legal citizen of the U.S., and he has remained in the country ever since.
creator: Carrillo, Fernanda
creator: Flores, Rodrigo
date: 2003-03-27
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Rosa María Navarro
subject: bracero
creator: Carrillo, Alma
creator: Navarro, Rosa María
date: 2006-05-24
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Rosario Rentería
subject: Daughter of bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Rosario Rentería was born on May 14, 1939, on a ranch named Tacote, and she was raised in Nayarit, México; her father’s name was Eugenio Rentería, and her mother’s name was Refugio Gómez de Rentería; Rosario was the eldest of her eight siblings, one of whom died as an adult; although she was never formally educated, some of her younger brothers and sisters were; when she was twelve years old, she helped support her family by selling helados; her father, Eugenio, worked as a bracero in the fields of California, picking cotton and dates; she ultimately helped both her parents immigrate to the United States, but her father later died in 1991 and her mom in 1998. Summary of Interview: Ms. Rentería talks about her family at length, including each of her siblings, and their corresponding occupations and families; her father, Eugenio Rentería, was a campesino, who later enlisted in the bracero program; she describes him as an extremely hard worker, fighter, and survivor; as a bracero, he worked in Calexico, Coachella, and Indio, California, picking cotton and dates; he often traveled back and forth between the United States and México; while working in Calexico, he was transferred to Indio; although he could not write, he regularly had someone help him so he could send letters and money home; Rosario’s mother, Refugio Gómez de Rentería, suffered greatly while Eugenio was gone; she cared for the children, and the entire family had to take over responsibility for the land; Rosario recalls crying and feeling alone whenever her father left; she used to ask him to take her with him to the United States; after the program ended he returned to México, but he kept returning to the United States; as an adult, Rosario immigrated to the United States and later married at the age of twenty-six; she ultimately helped both her parents immigrate to the United States, but her father later died in 1991 and her mom in 1998.
creator: Pelayo, Monica
creator: Rentería, Rosario
date: 2006-05-26
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Rosario Sanchez
date: 2008-11-10

Rosendo Alarcón Carrera
subject: Bracero
description: Nombre del entrevistado: Rosendo Alarcón Carrera Fecha de la entrevista: 28 de mayo de 2003 Nombre del entrevistador: Laureano Martínez Esta es una entrevista con el señor Rosendo Alarcón Carrera en la ciudad de Durango, Durango, el día 28 de mayo de 2003 conducido por Laureano Martínez para el Proyecto Bracero del Instituto de Historia Oral de la Universidad de Texas en El Paso. LM: Don Rosendo, buenos días. RA: Buenos días. LM: Don Rosendo me gustaría comenzar esta entrevista preguntándole, ¿dónde y cuándo nació usted? RA: Yo nací en San José de la Boca, Municipio de Tepehuanes. LM: ¿Cuándo? RA: En 1938, el día primero de este, el 27 de enero. LM: Veintisiete de enero. RA: De 1938. LM: ¿Cuántos años tiene usted, don Rosendo? RA: Sesenta y cinco. LM: Sesenta y cinco, muy bien. ¿Cómo se llamó su papá? RA: Juan Alarcón Quiñónez. LM: Y, ¿su mamá? RA: Catalina Carrera Cervantes. LM: ¿A qué se dedicaban sus padres? RA: Pos agricultores. LM: Era agricultor su papá. RA: Ey, trabajaba en el campo. LM: ¿Sembraban? RA: Sí. LM: ¿Qué sembraban? RA: Maíz, frijol, chile. LM: Y, ¿su mamá? RA: Pos ama de casa. LM: Qué bien, ¿tenía gallinitas ahí donde vivían? RA: Ey, gallinitas, marranos, vacas, chivas. LM: ¿Cuántos fueron ustedes de familia? RA: Diez. LM: Diez, ¿cuántos hombres y cuantas…? RA: Seis hombres y cuatro mujeres. LM: De esos diez, ¿usted que lugar ocupa? RA: El segundo. LM: Usted fue el segundo de los más grandes. RA: Sí. LM: ¿Tiene un hermano, un hermana? RA: Un hermano, mayor que yo. LM: ¿Sus padres eran originarios de ahí de la región? RA: Sí. LM: ¿De ahí mismo? RA: Sí, de ahí mismo. LM: Cuéntenos un poquito, ¿cómo es ese lugar donde usted nació?, ¿cómo es San José de la Boca? RA: Pos es un pueblito muy bonito, porque hay un río que es el Río Tepehuanes, es agua muy cristalina, muy bonita. Nosotros de ahí salimos como de nueve años a un rancho que se llama El Agua Caliente, acá en Melchor Ocampo a un lado de Santiago Papasquiaro. Y ahí vivimos bastante tiempo, hasta…
creator: Martínez, Laureano
creator: Alarcón Carrera, Rosendo
date: 2003-05-28
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Rudolpho Solorio Martnez