Interviewer
Mario Sifuentes
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Aguileo Nambo was born on October 15, 1941, in Cuitzeo, Michoacán, México; he was the youngest of five siblings, and his parents were farmers; when he was a child, his father worked in California and Illinois for a brief time; in approximately 1960, he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero he worked primarily in California, but also obtained short contracts to work in Arizona; he labored in the fields picking asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, and squash; although he had no intentions of staying in the United States when the program finished, he and his family eventually emigrated in the late seventies.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Nambo briefly discusses his family and adolescence; when he was about fifteen years old, he and his older brother went to pick cotton in Sonora, México, and he was able to get his military service ID early; he traveled to Empalme, Sonora, and he paid money to get his name on the county’s list of available workers; while waiting there, he endured harsh conditions, but some of the men that were not called were left without any money or way to get back home; as a bracero he worked primarily in California, but he also obtained short contracts to work in Arizona; he labored in the fields picking asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, and squash; he also describes the various worksites, living conditions, provisions, payment, treatment, and remittances; moreover he details how people from a local store would send transportation to the camp on payday; working as a bracero provided him with the opportunity to help maintain his family; he becomes very emotional upon describing one instance in which he witnessed a man being severely mistreated, but he was too embarrassed to do anything; in spite of all that he suffered, his overall memories of being a bracero are positive; although he had no intentions of staying in the United States when the program finished, he and his family eventually emigrated in the late seventies.
Date of Interview
9-1-2005
Length of Interview
49 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1276
Transcript Number
No. 1276
Length of Transcript
25 pages
Interview Number
No. 1276
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Aguileo Nambo by Mario Sifuentes, 2005, "Interview no. 1276," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.