Interviewer
Mario Sifuentes
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Simón Acosta was born on Zicorato, Sinaloa, México, in March 5, 1938; he was the oldest of 13 siblings; his parents worked in agriculture; he became a bracero in 1959 and worked in California; he picked beets, cotton, oranges, and cut lettuce.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Acosta remembers how he heard about the bracero program in Sinaloa, México, and how he traveled to Sonora to get contracted; he relates how he had to pick cotton to earn his card for contracting and how the process was conducted in Empalme, Sonora, México; moreover, he states how the processing center at El Centro, California worked, how he was fumigated with a spray, and that he had blood drawn when crossing the border into the United States; he recalls working in California picking beets, oranges and cutting lettuce; furthermore, he goes on to discuss how daily life was for the braceros, how they listened to the radio for entertainment, and that they walked into town to buy goods; he also states what his pay was like as a bracero and how he was treated by foremen; additionally, he expresses what his life was like after his work as a bracero, how he became legalized, and the pay he received in the United States.
Date of Interview
10-22-2006
Length of Interview
47 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1185
Transcript Number
No. 1185
Length of Transcript
34 pages
Interview Number
No. 1185
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Simón Acosta by Mario Sifuentes, 2006, "Interview no. 1185," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.