Interviewee

Juan Lupian

Interviewer

María G. García

Project

Bracero Oral History

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee

Juan Lupian was born July 31, 1928, on a ranch in Jaripo, Michoacán, México; his parents were campesinos, and he had four siblings; he was formally educated through the second grade; consequently, his reading and writing skills were limited; later, during the late 1940s, when he was nineteen years old, he enlisted in the bracero program; he continued working with the program for several years cleaning, pruning and picking various fruits and vegetables; when he was twenty-two years old, he married, and together they had eight children; he eventually immigrated to the United States and ultimately became a citizen.

Summary of Interview

Mr. Lupian explains that people would pass through different towns in order to sign people up for the bracero program; during the late 1940s, when he was nineteen years old, he decided to join the program; he traveled to Empalme, Sonora, México to pick cotton and obtain the necessary papers to enlist; in addition, he also went through centers in Guadalajara, Jalisco and Hermosillo, Sonora, México; from the center in Empalme he was transported to Mexicali, Baja California, México by train, and then from there to Calexico, California by bus; he continued working with the program for several years cleaning, pruning and picking various fruits and vegetables; he goes on to detail the different worksites, housing, accommodations, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, contract lengths, payments, deductions, correspondence, friendships and recreational activities, including trips into town; in addition, he recalls going into town on buses to buy personal toiletries and on occasion, to watch movies; he also went to church sometimes, and other times, a priest would go to the camps to give mass; immigration officials checked for proper documentation, while the men were asleep; when he was twenty-two years old, he married, and together they had eight children; he eventually immigrated to the United States and ultimately became a citizen during the late 1990s; overall, he has positive memories of having worked with the program.

Date of Interview

10-31-2008

Length of Interview

21 minutes

Tape Number

No. 1413

Transcript Number

No. 1413

Length of Transcript

19 pages

Transcriber

GMR Transcription Service

Interview Number

No. 1413

Terms of Use

Unrestricted

Comments

Transcript is a Draft copy

Interview is in Spanish

Included in

Oral History Commons

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