Interview no. 1080

Mr. Rodríguez talks about his childhood and how sad it was, including his father’s death when he was only six years old; as a young man, he looked for work wherever he could find it; when he learned about the bracero program, he saw it as an opportunity to save money and help his family; in order to join, he had to put himself on the list of eligible workers; as part of the contracting process, he had to present his birth certificate, proof of military service and other documents; in addition, he was medically examined and deloused; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of Arkansas, California and Texas, cleaning, pruning and picking asparagus, beets, cotton, lettuce and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, duties, payments, correspondence and trips into town; while in Texas, he worked by contract, which enabled him to stop and rest when necessary; in contrast, when getting paid by the hour, foremen were constantly watching him, forcing him to stay hunched over and not allowing him to straighten up; in Arkansas, he and other men were given small notebooks to keep track of the amount of cotton they picked; in some camps, it was so hot that the men had to take salt pills; moreover, he mentions that his time as a bracero was very lonely, especially because the camps were so isolated from the towns, which left them surrounded by darkness; he later immigrated to the United States, and he was ultimately able to obtain legal status