Interviewer
Violeta Domínguez
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
José Verdín was born on November 26, 1938, in Purísima del Rincón, Guanajuato, México; at an early age, he worked with his father in the fields; he received formal education up to the fifth grade; in 1959, he joined the Bracero Program; he picked cotton in Arizona and California.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Verdín recalls growing up in Purísima del Rincón, Guanajuato, México, and working with his father in the fields; he remembers receiving formal education up to the fifth grade; he joined the Bracero Program in 1959, and relates his experience during the hiring process; additionally, he discusses how he was chosen to be a cook in the bracero camps, and what his life was like as a bracero; he also worked in Arizona and California picking cotton; these activities he did until 1967; after the Bracero Program ended, he returned to the United States as an undocumented worker; he describes how he crossed the border and the work he did in the U.S.; furthermore, he concludes by stating that he has lived in Austin, Texas since 1971 with his family, and that he took advantage of the amnesty offered in 1985.
Date of Interview
10-24-2003
Length of Interview
73 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1058
Transcript Number
No. 1058
Length of Transcript
37 pages
Interview Number
No. 1058
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with J. Guadalupe Verdín Arriaga by Violeta Domínguez, 2003, "Interview no. 1058," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.