Interviewer
Mónica Pelayo
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Jesus Flores was born on April 15, 1925 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México; he grew up in a small town outside Guadalajara, and worked with his parents in a ranch; in 1951, he joined the bracero program and worked on and off in it for nine years; he worked in California.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Flores remembers his childhood in Jalisco, México, and working in agriculture with his parents; he states that he did not go to school and that he worked in his parents’ ranch until he was twenty-two years old; furthermore, he recalls getting his first bracero contract in 1951; he describes what the contract lengths were like, how he renewed his contract every six months, and how he was able to remain a bracero after eighteen months by crossing into México and then signing up for it again; additionally, he explains the contracting process and having to pick cotton for twenty days to acquire his pass to get contracted in Empalme, Sonora, México; he recounts paying a lawyer to help him get his visa in 1960, and how it was difficult because he did not have civil papers because they had been burnt by Cristeros.
Date of Interview
5-22-2006
Length of Interview
45 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1191
Transcript Number
No. 1191
Length of Transcript
20 pages
Interview Number
No. 1191
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Jesus Flores by Mónica Pelayo, 2006, "Interview no. 1191," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.