Interviewer
Violeta Domínguez
Project
Bracero Oral History
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 beets.
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 beets; 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.
Date of Interview
7-11-2002
Length of Interview
156 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1032
Transcript Number
No. 1032
Length of Transcript
93 pages
Interview Number
No. 1032
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Francisco Delgado Soto by Violeta Domínguez, 2002, "Interview no. 1032," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.