Interviewer
Fernanda Carrillo
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Samuel Chavira was born in September of 1925, in the municipality of General Frías, Chihuahua, México; his father was a farmer who taught him the agricultural trade; he and his family eventually moved to the Chihuahua, Chihuahua; in 1949, he married, and nearly a year later, enrolled in the Bracero Program.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Chavira briefly recalls his childhood; at the age of thirteen, he began working odd jobs wherever he could find them; for a brief time, he worked in construction; he knew of the Bracero Program because he lived in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, which was one of the programs main contracting centers; in 1950, he began the hiring process to become a bracero; he goes on to give a detailed explanation of the various phases during hiring, including his transfer to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where he was medically examined; in addition, he describes filling out the necessary paperwork; his main duties included agricultural work and caring for the cattle; as a bracero, he worked in Illinois, New Mexico, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Wisconsin; in 1952, with the help of his boss, he became a legal United States resident; two years later, he was able to do the same for his family.
Date of Interview
2-25-2003
Length of Interview
80 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1124
Transcript Number
No. 1124
Length of Transcript
68 pages
Interview Number
No. 1124
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Samuel Chavira by Fernanda Carrillo, 2003, "Interview no. 1124," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.