Joaquín Santos Baro
subject: bracero
creator: Santos Baro, Joaquín
date: 2006-05-24
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Joe Garcia
creator: Mireya Loza
date: 2008-09-23
rights: Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso
language: SP

John Collier
creator: Mireya Loza
date: 2008-09-25
rights: Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso
language: EN

John Gray
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: John G. Gray was raised in Monette, Arkansas; his father owned a grocery store in town and eventually started farming as well; John later married in 1954 and left home; two years later, his father passed away, and he came back home to help take over the farm; in 1957, he hired braceros to help pick cotton; he also served as a secretary for the local association and helped coordinate which braceros went where. Summary of Interview: Mr. Gray briefly talks about his father who passed away in 1956 and how he went back home afterward to help take over the farm; although his father had mechanical pickers, it was too wet to use them in 1957, and John had to employ the help of braceros; he explains that at the time, farmers were financed through cotton gins, which is how they were able to hire braceros; they were transported to the gins in trailer trucks with open backs, where they all stood to accommodate greater numbers; John spoke a little bit of Spanish and served as a secretary for the local association to help coordinate which braceros went where; he kept groups of braceros together as often as he could; the farmers were responsible for providing housing, bedding, stoves, pots, pans and two burners for every three men; in addition, each bracero was given $5.00 and taken to the store to buy groceries; he also explains that the town of Caraway, Arkansas had a population of one thousand people, and the five thousand men that the bracero program brought provided a huge boost in the economy; most braceros were particularly drawn to buying pocket knives; John relates a humorous incident in which his men tried to cook soybeans to eat, but they became very ill due to the excessive oil; he even tried to take them into town for a drink once, but he lost too many of them in the whore house and decided not to do that again; even so, he remembers thinking of himself as pretty tough, but the braceros even outworked him; until then he had never …
creator: Mike Bowman
date: 2008-09-24
rights: Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso
language: English

John L. Augustine
subject: Doña Ana County Farm Bureau
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: John L. Agustine was born in El Paso, Texas, on August 29, 1914; his father worked in the mines of Lordsburg, New Mexico; he received a degree in agriculture from New Mexico State University and taught for a brief time; from there, he went on to become an assistant agent for Doña Ana County, where he served as a liaison for the bracero program. Summary of Interview: Mr. Augustine’s first working experience was teaching vocational agriculture in the Farmington Public School System; from there, he went on to become an assistant agent for Doña Ana County under Mr. Lee Gould; upon Mr. Gould’s retirement, Mr. Augustine served as county agent for about ten years; these ten years roughly coincide with the first decade of the bracero program; as an acting liaison for the bracero program, it was his job to ensure that things ran smoothly; he would report the number of necessary workers the farmers needed to the contracting agency; in addition, he intervened and settled disputes between farmers and braceros, and he also required farmers to provide adequate housing according to the program standards; he also recalls the specific harvest seasons braceros were hired and their corresponding duties; to the best of his recollection, there were never any major problems with the program; the use of the braceros provided a symbiotic relationship in which the needs of both the braceros and the farmers were met.
creator: Morgan, Beth
creator: Augustine, John L.
date: 2003-04-28
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: eng

John Tomlin
subject: Farmer
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: John Tomlin was born on April 20, 1926 in Albuquerque, New Mexico; his father died of polio when he was an infant, leaving his mother to run the family farm on her own; he later went on to serve in the military, receive his master’s degree, and ultimately work as a farmer; from 1948-1964, he hired braceros to help him tend the land. Summary of Interview: Mr. Tomlin recalls how his mother ran the farm after his father’s passing by using Italian and German POWs; in 1946, after finishing his tour of duty in the Army, he returned home and began attending New Mexico State University; the following year in 1947, he started running the farm on his own while he went to school; in 1948, he began hiring braceros; he used a crew of thirty men during the cotton harvest, which ran from mid September to the beginning of December; he had about six braceros who stayed on year-round driving tractors and irrigating; oftentimes, he had to go the El Paso Coliseum to hire workers because the working contracts needed to be renewed periodically; he provided housing with showers, utensils, and bedding in addition to equipment such as hoes, shovels, and boots for irrigating; the braceros often went home to México on holidays or to care for sick relatives; they did not work Saturday afternoons or on Sundays; he goes on to recount anecdotes of the braceros in general and stories of particular workers he was fond of.
creator: Morgan, Beth
creator: Tomlin, John
date: 2003-04-23
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: eng

Jonathan Abbott
subject: Discusses housing and social interactions with braceros at the Stallings farm in Arkansas.
creator: Brady Banta
date: 2008-09-24
rights: University of Texas at El Paso, Institute of Oral History
language: Eng

Jorge Flores y Nava
subject: bracero
creator: Sifuentez, Mario
creator: Flores y Nava, Jorge
date: 2006-05-24
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Jorge Ortiz Marquez
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Jorge Ortiz Márquez was born in July of 1931, in Colonia San Diego, in the municipality of Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, México; he had four sisters and two brothers; when he was five years old, the family moved to Colonia Juárez, because their mother was very sick; Jorge only went to school for two years before he had to start working to support the family, because his father was badly injured; when he was eighteen, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in the cotton fields of New Mexico and Texas for a total of six years; his brother was also a bracero; Jorge later worked in the United States without documents, but he ultimately obtained legal status. Summary of Interview: Mr. Ortiz talks about his family and what his life was like growing up; when he was eighteen, he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he describes the contracting process he went through in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, including the long waiting times and medical exams; from there he was transported in a cargo train to El Paso, Texas; he explains that roughly one thousand five hundred men were transferred daily; once in El Paso, he was taken to a center called Rio Vista, where he underwent further assessments and delousing procedures; afterward, he was fed, but the food had some kind of purgative, because they were all sick and had to stop several times on their way to the worksites; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of New Mexico and Texas for a total of six years; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, accommodations, living conditions, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, payments, remittances, contract lengths and renewals, correspondence and recreational activities, including trips into town; in addition, he also talks about his brother, Isabelo Ortiz, who was also a bracero; they worked together in Texas for a widowed woman; Isabelo was injured while working, but he was taken to the doctor and…
creator: Kalashnikova, Marina
creator: Ortiz Marquez, Jorge
date: 2008-01-12
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Alvarez Munguía
subject: bracero
description: José Álvarez Munguía was born December 5, 1946, in Jamay, Jalisco, México; he had seven siblings; his father was a bracero, and he completed roughly five contracts; José was formally educated through the fourth grade; he also worked in the fields; in 1953, after his father passed away, he and two of his brothers also enlisted in the bracero program; José was only sixteen years old at the time; he completed two contracts at the same place in California picking tomatoes; he later immigrated to the United States. Summary of Interview: Mr. Álvarez remembers growing up hearing his father talk about the United States; he was about ten years old when his father was a bracero; he often sent money, and the family lived off of that and what little they could bring in from the fields; his father completed roughly five contracts; after he passed away, José decided to enlist in the bracero program in 1953; he and his two brothers signed up on the list of eligible workers in their hometown of Jamay, Jalisco, México; even though he was only sixteen at the time, he was still able to pass; he went to Empalme, Sonora, México where he was medically examined and waited four days to get his contract; from there, he was transported by train to Mexicali, Baja California, México; he was given three ham sandwiches, milk and juice for the ride; although he did not like it, he had no choice; in Mexicali he was further examined and deloused; as a bracero, he completed two contracts at the same place in California picking tomatoes; he goes on to detail camp sizes, housing, accommodations, amenities, provisions, routines, treatment, payments, deductions, remittances, correspondence, contract lengths and recreational activities; his brothers were on different lists, and they were unable to work together; José lived in a huge barracks with nine hundred other men and they were all taken to different worksites each morning; the men were treated very well, and their employers often had raffles for pr…
creator: Cortez, Veronica
creator: Alvarez Munguía, José
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Jose Arevalo Magana

José Baltazar Sánchez
subject: Bracero
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.
creator: Cortez, Veronica
creator: Sánchez, José Baltazar
date: 2006-05-22
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

José Cañez
subject: bracero
creator: Acosta, Anais
creator: Cañez, José
date: 2008-01-11
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

Jose Carmona

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

José Cruz González
subject: bracero
creator: Shreibati, Annette
creator: González, José Cruz
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José de la Luz Mares
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José de la Luz Mares was born on May 15, 1918, in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; his father was a shoemaker, and he learned the trade from his father; in 1955, his family’s financial strains led him to the bracero program; he worked primarily in the cotton fields. Summary of Interview: Mr. Mares recalls being trained as a shoemaker by his father; due to financial difficulties, he had to leave his father’s shoe store to look for work elsewhere; in 1955, he began the hiring process for the bracero program in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he and other braceros were transported from Chihuahua, to El Paso, Texas, in freight cars that had previously been used to carry concentrated amounts of lead and zinc; the boxcars were not cleaned prior to being used to transported the braceros; in addition, the braceros were sealed in the cars and left there for the entirety of the trip, which took nearly two days; once they reached the port of entry in El Paso, they were taken to a basement and medically examined and deloused; from there they were taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where they had to wait for eight days before being taken to work; he recalls that there were many teachers, engineers, and other professionals working as braceros; he spent most of his time as a bracero working in cotton fields.
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: de la Luz Mares, José
date: 2003-02-13
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Encarnación Chavarria
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: Jose Encarnación Chavarria was born in San Pedro de las Colonias, Coahuila, México, but grew up in Torreón, Coahuila; when he was very young, his father killed his mother, and he fled from home; he went to live with his grandmother, but the rest of his family soon split up; in 1947, he became a bracero and remained working as such until 1950; he worked in New Mexico and Texas picking cotton. Summary of Interview: Mr. Chavarria briefly describes his childhood; when he was very young, his father killed his mother, and he fled from home; he went to live with his grandmother, but the rest of his family soon split up; shortly thereafter, he went to work on a dairy farm where the rancher not only employed him, but treated him like a son; in 1947, he went through the hiring process and became a bracero; upon being hired, he was sent to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where he underwent medical examinations; he details his first job picking cotton and what that entailed; in addition, he describes the housing conditions and the various foods that they cooked and ate; many braceros would play cards, drink, and gamble nearly every weekend; he was invited to play, but lost all of his money, which later developed into a bad habit for him and other braceros as well; he later recounts how some braceros were tricked and often stolen from.
creator: Martinez, Laureano
creator: Encarnación Chavarria, José
date: 2003-03-11
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Esequiel Adame Castro
subject: bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José Esequiel Adame was born on January 5, 1940, in Ocampo, Durango, México, but he was raised in Delicias, Chihuahua, México; he was the third born of his four sisters and three brothers; as a child, he received relatively little formal education; when he was ten years old, his mother died, and the family moved back to Durango; during the early forties, his father began working with the bracero program, and José ultimately joined him; as a bracero, José worked in the beet and cotton fields of Colorado, Montana, and Texas, until the program ended in 1964. Summary of Interview: Mr. Adame very briefly describes his family and childhood; he recalls going to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, with his father and brother, to enlist as braceros; in order to be allowed into the contracting center, they had to pay, and even then they still had to stay there for a week, and sometimes even longer; they also had to spend money just to sleep on the floor of a hotel while they waited for a contract; once called, they were stripped and medically examined; from there they were transported by cargo train to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, and then taken to El Paso, Texas, where they were assessed again and deloused; they were then transferred to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, before finally being taken to their worksites; each time he was contracted he went through this entire process; as a bracero, he worked in the beet and cotton fields of Colorado, Montana, and Texas; he goes on to detail the various worksites, duties, living amenities, provisions, payment, treatment, recreational activities, and remittances; in addition, he mentions that he often worked for the same employer in Texas; moreover, he details the extreme difficulty of using the short hoe, for hours on end, when laboring in the beet fields; after the program ended, he worked in the United States illegally for a time, but he was ultimately able to gain citizenship…
creator: Kalashnikova, Marina
creator: Adame Castro, José Ezequiel
date: 2008-01-06
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Ezequiel Acevedo Pérez
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José Ezequiel Acevedo was born on April 13, 1934, in Jerez, Zacatecas, México; he received very little formal education, because as the eldest of his siblings, he had to help support his family; his father often labored on the railroads in the United States under the bracero program; in the early fifties, José joined his father in the program; as a bracero, he worked in Arizona, California, Texas, and Utah, picking asparagus, blackberries, carrots, cotton, and oranges; in addition, he also irrigated crops and helped care for livestock; he later returned to the United States, and he ultimately became a citizen. Summary of Interview: Mr. Acevedo talks about his family and childhood; as a child, his father often labored on the railroads in the United States under the bracero program; whenever he was gone, José was left to care for his younger siblings; when he was roughly seventeen, he traveled to Irapuato, Guanajuato, México, with his father, to join the program; José describes the process he underwent while there, as well as how embarrassing the physical exams were, because he was stripped naked in front of everyone; moreover, upon arriving in the United States he endured similar assessments, and he was also deloused; as a bracero, he worked in Arizona, California, Texas, and Utah, picking asparagus, blackberries, carrots, cotton, and oranges; in addition, he irrigated crops and helped care for livestock; he goes on to detail the various worksites, labor populations, living conditions, provisions, treatment, payments, remittances, and recreational activities; more specifically, he explains one instance in which he was injured while working and the resulting difficulties he faced; he also mentions that representatives from the Mexican consul were often seen at the campsites in support of the braceros; additionally, he states that while working in Arizona, it was unbearably hot, and the construction of the barracks only made it wor…
creator: Mota, Annabel
creator: Acevedo Pérez, José Ezequiel
date: 2006-05-12
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Félix Prieto
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José Félix was born on September 21, 1939, in Tepetongo, Zacatecas, México; as a child he would eagerly wait for his father to come home from working as a bracero; he knew at a young age that he also wanted to become a bracero; in 1959, he began the hiring process for the bracero program; he worked in various cities throughout California, Illinois, and Texas. Summary of Interview: Mr. Félix recalls that as a child, he would eagerly wait for his father to come home form working as a bracero; he knew at a young age that he also wanted to come to the United States to work as a bracero; when he was eighteen, he began marching in the Mexican army in order to obtain his military ID card so he could enlist as a bracero; in 1959, he went to Empalme, Sonora, México, to begin the hiring process; he describes what the center was like and how he waited twenty-one days for a contract; in addition, he explains how he was medically examined and then transported to Mexicali, Baja California; he goes on to detail the medical exams he underwent in Calexico, California, including x-rays, blood samples, and the delousing process; his first work contract took him to Stockton, California, for three months; after his contract expired he returned to México, and he later went through the contracting center in Guasave, Sinaloa, México, which took him to work in Salinas, California, picking lettuce; he later went through another contracting center in Matamoros, Taumalipas, and he worked picking cotton in Texas; when his contract expired, he again returned to México; sometime later, he was able to arrange the necessary paperwork for him to emigrate into the United States.
creator: Morales Haro, Claudia
creator: Félix Prieto, José
date: 2003-02-24
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Francisco Delgado Soto
subject: Bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José Delgado was born in Curimeo, Michoacán, México; he is one of seven siblings; at an early age, he worked in agriculture; he joined the bracero program in 1944, and worked in California, Michigan, Texas, and Washington; there he picked apples, cherries, corn, eggplants, lettuce, pears, pumpkins, and sugar beats. Summary of Interview: Mr. Delgado recalls growing up in Villa Jiménez, Michoacán, México, and working in agriculture from an early age; he states that he decided to join the bracero program in 1944, and worked in California, Michigan, Texas, and Washington picking apples, cherries, corn, eggplants, lettuce, pears, pumpkins, and sugar beats; additionally, he describes daily life as a bracero, the food they had and the housing they were provided; he details how work was carried out, and the treatment they received from foremen; furthermore, he recounts his experience in a bracero camp when the news arrived that World War II was over, the way he was treated in towns in the United States, and the discrimination he experienced; he explains why he decided to work as an undocumented worker while between bracero contracts, and how he was once caught in Texas by immigration officials and put in prison for one month; moreover, he states that he worked on and off as a bracero until 1958, and that he decided to return to México afterwards to be with his people.
creator: Domínguez, Violeta
creator: Delgado Soto, José Francisco
date: 2002-07-11
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José G. Corral
subject: Son of a bracero
description: Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José Guadalupe Corral was born on September 25, 1943, in Delicias, Chihuahua, México; he was the youngest of five children, and his mother died when he was a baby; when he was three years old, his family moved to Meoqui, Chihuahua, México; his father, Luis Corral Ortega, became a bracero in 1946; Luis worked in El Paso, Texas, on the railroads and at a factory that transported livestock from México into the United States; later, the family moved again, to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, which was where José primarily grew up; his father continued working with the program until 1954; Luis was ultimately able to arrange for José’s residency, which allowed him to attend school in the United States and have greater opportunities. Summary of Interview: Mr. José Corral describes his family and childhood; his father, Luis Corral Ortega, became a bracero in 1946, at which time his family lived in Meoqui, Chihuahua, México; José discusses remittances arriving in the mail and his family’s living conditions in México while his father was away; in 1950, the family had enough money to move to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, where life was slightly better for them; José describes an incident in which his father attempted to legalize his family’s residency, but was only able to arrange for José’s local passport; in addition, José goes on to describe his own educational and work experiences while in the United States, which include attending International Business College in El Paso, Texas, and serving as a district manager for El Paso Water Utilities; his father’s work ethic and commitment to education were things that always stayed with him; moreover, he reflects on the overall significance of braceros to the United States.
creator: Rosas, Ana
creator: Corral, José G.
date: 2005-11-12
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa

José Gámez
subject: Bracero
description: Nombre del entrevistado: José Gámez Fecha de la entrevista: 12 de marzo de 2003 Nombre del entrevistador: Myrna Parra Mantilla El día de hoy es 12 de Marzo del 2003, en Fabens, Texas. Entrevistando al señor José Gámez para el departamento de Historia Oral de la Universidad de Texas en El Paso, Myrna Parra Mantilla. MP: Buenos días señor Gámez. JG: Buenos días. MP: Para empezar la entrevista, quisiera que me dijera, ¿dónde y cuándo nació? JG: Yo nací en el [19]27. Febrero 17 del [19]27. MP: ¿En dónde nació? JG: En el estado de Coahuila en eh, se llama Francisco I. Madero, Coahuila. MP: También quisiera que me platicara algo de su familia cuando estaba chiquito. Sus papás, ¿a qué se dedicaban su papá, su mamá, sus hermanos, si tuvo algunos estudios? JG: No pos yo, eh, yo eh, mi papá era él trabajador jornalero, mi abuelito. Mi amá no la conocí, yo jui huérfano. Y mi papá, mi apá después se casó por eso pues yo me crié con mi abuelito. Y yo, bueno a mi amá, yo por familia de mi amá yo no conocí a nadie, ni abuelos, ni a nadie. Y luego ya, pues ahí estando aquí, íbanos aquí en Guadalupe, estaba aquí en el Valle de Juárez, nos venimos de allá porque yo, yo vine de allá de chico y él estaba, pues nos trajeron pues el 1929, aquí pal pueblo de Guadalupe, aquí al Valle de Juárez. Y luego, pos de la familia no, no le puedo decir más porque, porque no conocí, eh. Familiares de mi mamá no conocí a nadie, yo me crié con mi abuelito, él nomás. Y de hermanos ahí nomás yo, nomás yo solo. El matrimonio ese, matrimonio, el primer matrimonio, nomás. MP: Aquí en, cuando se vinieron ya para acá para, para el Valle de Guadalupe, ¿usted tuvo alguna educación?, bueno, ¿fue a la escuela? JG: Fui nomás hasta segundo año, nomás en la escuela primaria, nomás fue todo. Y ahí ya, no pues ya me puse a trabajar y el [19]42. El 20 de enero me pasé para este lado, ahí pa Tornillo, pal rancho de Tornillo, ahí rancho del melón. MP: Y, ¿se pasó de mojado? JG: De mojado, sí. MP: ¿Qué le hizo a usted mot…
creator: Parra-Mantilla, Myrna
creator: Gámez, José
date: 2003-03-12
contributor: Cristóbal Borges
rights: Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso
language: spa