Interviewer

Mireya Loza

Project

Bracero Oral History

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee

Mr. Ernesto Espino and Mrs. Linda Espino are a married couple; Ernesto’s father, José Ortiz Espino, was a bracero from 1944 to roughly 1954; as a bracero, José worked in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Nebraska; during the time that he was away, his family lived in México, Distrito Federal; when Ernesto was five years old, his father completed his last bracero contract, and shortly thereafter, the family moved to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, in order to arrange for residency.

Summary of Interview

Mr. Ernesto Espino and Mrs. Linda Espino are a married couple that discuss the time during which Ernesto’s father, José Ortiz Espino, was a bracero; José was a bracero from 1944 to roughly 1954; as a bracero, he worked in Arizona, California, Colorado, and Nebraska, for several companies such as Southern Pacific Railroad and the Great Western Sugar Company; at the time Ernesto was born, his father was working in the United States as a bracero, and he didn’t meet his son until he was nine months old; Ernesto goes on to discuss his father’s visits home between contracts, and the letters and postcards they received while he was gone; he describes how his father left behind a legacy of hard work and sacrifice that he is proud to inherit; Ernesto and Linda speak about José’s work with the Coors Company after being a bracero, and how he was ultimately able to obtain citizenship in the United States; in addition, Linda discusses stories Ernesto’s mother had told her including when she and José were married, events concerning Ernesto’s siblings, and José’s early life Zimapán, Hidalgo, México.

Date of Interview

11-12-2005

Length of Interview

26 minutes

Tape Number

No. 1089

Transcript Number

No. 1089

Length of Transcript

12 pages

Interview Number

No. 1089

Terms of Use

Unrestricted

Comments

Interview in Spanish.

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