Interviewer
Myrna Parra-Mantilla
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
José de la Luz Mares was born on May 15, 1918, in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; his father was a shoemaker, and he learned the trade from his father; in 1955, his family’s financial strains led him to the Bracero Program; he worked primarily in the cotton fields.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Mares recalls being trained as a shoemaker by his father; due to financial difficulties, he had to leave his father’s shoe store to look for work elsewhere; in 1955, he began the hiring process for the Bracero Program in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; he and other braceros were transported from Chihuahua, to El Paso, Texas, in freight cars that had previously been used to carry concentrated amounts of lead and zinc; the boxcars were not cleaned prior to being used to transported the braceros; in addition, the braceros were sealed in the cars and left there for the entirety of the trip, which took nearly two days; once they reached the port of entry in El Paso, they were taken to a basement and medically examined and deloused; from there they were taken to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas, where they had to wait for eight days before being taken to work; he recalls that there were many teachers, engineers, and other professionals working as braceros; he spent most of his time as a bracero working in cotton fields.
Date of Interview
2-13-2003
Length of Interview
53 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1134
Transcript Number
No. 1134
Length of Transcript
29 pages
Interview Number
No. 1134
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with José de la Luz Mares by Myrna Parra-Mantilla, 2003, "Interview no. 1134," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.