Interviewer

Fernanda Carrillo

Project

Bracero Oral History

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee

Ma. Julia G. Contreras was born in Cananea, Sonora, México, on March 29, 1931; she had two brothers and one sister; as a child, she moved to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, México, then to Douglas, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, before moving back to Ciudad Juárez; in 1950, she began working for the Populations Office.

Summary of Interview

Ms. Contreras briefly recounts her childhood and how she moved around quite a bit; she moved from Cananea, Sonora, México, where she was born, to Ciudad Juárez, then to Douglas, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, before moving back to Ciudad Juárez; in July of 1950, she was hired by the Office of Populations and began working there as a clerk and typist; this office was the first stop for braceros who were about to enter the United States; she describes her job, which was to register the braceros, as well as the daily operations of the office and what some of the braceros she often interacted with were like; she worked there from July to December of that year, after which time the office closed.

Date of Interview

3-8-2003

Length of Interview

20 minutes

Tape Number

No. 1130

Transcript Number

No. 1130

Length of Transcript

16 pages

Interview Number

No. 1130

Terms of Use

Unrestricted

Comments

Interview in Spanish.

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