Interviewer
Violeta Domínguez
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Felipe Corona was born on May 1, 1922, in Mazatepec, Morelos, México; his father died when he was eight years old of asthma; at an early age, he worked with his mother selling rice; later, he worked as a laborer in sugar cane fields; he joined the Bracero Program in 1955, and picked cotton and lettuce in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Montana, and Texas.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Corona recalls the death of his father when he was eight years old, and how he helped his mother to sell rice in towns around Mazatepec, Morelos, México; he states that later he labored in sugar cane fields; additionally, he remembers that, in 1943, he was hired as a bracero, but decided to stay in México out of fear of what would happen in the United States due to the Second World War; he details why he signed up again for the Bracero Program in 1955, and discusses the treatment he received as a bracero; additionally, he details how braceros were sprayed with pesticides, and the bad treatment they received from employers; he relates that he worked in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Montana, and Texas picking cotton and lettuce; he expresses that, after the end of the program, he returned to México and settled in Miacatlán, Morelos; he states that, during his time as a bracero, he sent money to his family, and was able to build a house.
Date of Interview
6-27-2003
Length of Interview
72 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1048
Transcript Number
No. 1048
Length of Transcript
48 pages
Interview Number
No. 1048
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Felipe Corona by Violeta Domínguez, 2003, "Interview no. 1048," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.