Interviewer
Myrna Parra-Mantilla
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Eduardo De Santiago was born in Jerez, Zacatecas, México; he had seven sisters and only one brother; his father took him out of school when he was in third grade because he needed help working the land; he worked as a bracero form 1954 to 1960; while a bracero he was promoted to ranch foreman.
Summary of Interview
Mr. De Santiago worked on a ranch in Zacatecas, México, prior to becoming a bracero; in 1954, when he learned of the Bracero Program, he made a list of all the people who worked with him that wanted to go to the United States as braceros; he was of course included on that list; upon beginning the hiring process in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, the braceros were asked to undress for physical examinations; they were then vaccinated and deloused; in Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, ranchers from Pecos, Texas, came to hire braceros; none of the workers wanted to go with them because they had heard about a number of bad experiences there; Mr. De Santiago worked primarily in the cotton fields of Texas; he recalls how many braceros would use tricks to weigh down their cotton in order to get paid more; over time, he was promoted to head foreman of the ranch where he worked; he worked as a bracero from 1954 to 1960.
Date of Interview
3-3-2003
Length of Interview
69 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1125
Transcript Number
No. 1125
Length of Transcript
40 pages
Interview Number
No. 1125
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Eduardo De Santiago by Myrna Parra-Mantilla, 2003, "Interview no. 1125," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.