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
Listen to the Interview
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
Recommended Citation
Interview with Juan Lupian by María G. García, 2008, "Interview no. 1413," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Transcript is a Draft copy
Interview is in Spanish