Interviewer
Miguel Velásquez
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Pedro Cantor was born on April 27, 1935, in Sacualco de las Torres, Jalisco, México; he is one of four brothers; at age fourteen, he began working in agriculture; he joined the Bracero Program in 1956, and worked in California gathering lettuce and picking peppers.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Cantor recalls his childhood in Sacualco de las Torres, Jalisco, México; he remembers attending school as a child, but stopping his education because he was often hit by the teacher; additionally, he describes how he began working in agriculture at age fourteen, and how he decided to join the Bracero Program in 1956 with his brothers; he details the process he went through at the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México, his trip to the border, and his experience entering the United States; he worked in California gathering lettuce and picking peppers; furthermore, he outlines how daily life was like on the ranches, what the work was, and how he was treated; he also expresses what living arrangments they had, how he got together with his brothers to rent housing, and what they would do on days off; moreover, he relates that he got the opportunity to live in the U.S. with proper documents once the program was terminated, and he decided to stay; he states that the Bracero Program helped change his life, and that he has positive memories of it.
Date of Interview
7-27-2005
Length of Interview
45 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1114
Transcript Number
No. 1114
Length of Transcript
16 pages
Interview Number
No. 1114
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Pedro Cantor by Miguel Velásquez, 2005, "Interview no. 1114," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.