Interviewer
Mireya Loza
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
María Concepción Loza-González was born on December 15, 1941, on a ranch in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México; she was the second born of her fourteen siblings; eight of them were boys, and six were girls; her older brother, Juan, and one of her younger brothers, Manuel, enlisted in the bracero program; they helped support María and the rest of their siblings.
Summary of Interview
Ms. Loza-González talks about her family and what it was like for her growing up; her older brother, Juan, worked as a bracero in Michigan and Texas; he often sent money home to his mom to help care for his siblings and send them to school; María describes how hard it was for the family to survive while he was gone; the entire family had to adapt to his absence, including changes in their daily chores for working the land and caring for the animals; it was especially difficult to wait for word from him, because the mail took so long; she goes on to discuss the economic difficulties she and her family faced; in addition, she describes one instance in which her appendix ruptured, and she had to ride a horse into town to have surgery; María explains that there was no running water, light, or paved roads at the time; one of her younger brothers, Manuel, also joined the bracero program; he was able to work with Juan in Michigan, but he went alone to Arkansas; Juan and Manuel became braceros in the hope of having a better life; Juan took on the primary responsibility for helping the family; he brought home a lot of clothes, and a necklace, bedspread, and purse for her; another brother, Pedro, came to the United States illegally, but he was later able to obtain legal documentation; María goes on to discuss her brothers’ various travels between México and the United States.
Date of Interview
7-30-2007
Length of Interview
35 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1285
Transcript Number
No. 1285
Length of Transcript
17 pages
Interview Number
No. 1285
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with María Concepción Loza-González by Mireya Loza, 2007, "Interview no. 1285," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.