Interviewer

Homero S. Vera

Project

Bracero Oral History Project

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee

Laurentina Ramos was born on August 24, 1922, in Rio Grande City, Texas; her parents were migrant workers, and she consequently went to school in Roma, Texas; in 1945, she married Benito Juarez; he owned a ranch that had been in his family for several generations.

Summary of Interview

In the mid 1950's, they began hiring braceros to help with the harvesting of the cotton. Ms. Ramos married Benito Juarez in 1945; her husband owned a ranch in Delmita, Texas that had been in his family for several generations; although her parents were migrant workers, she did not begin ranching until shortly after getting married; she and her husband knew about the braceros because they would often come to work in the neighboring city of Edinburg, Texas; in the mid 1950s, they began hiring braceros to help during the cotton season; they would hire between eighteen and twenty workers to help with the harvesting of the cotton; Laurentina recalls that most of the workers were between the ages of twenty and forty; the braceros would stay in the old abandoned house that belonged to Benito’s parents; although there were no beds in the house, the workers were given plenty of blankets and a radio for entertainment; they would use the bathrooms and washing machines in the main house; oftentimes, the braceros were passed on to her brother-in-law, and they would help him on his ranch; she would interact with the braceros often, as she would weigh the cotton they picked; in addition, she goes on to describe what some of the braceros were like in general and specific memories she has of them.

Date of Interview

3-2-2003

Length of Interview

19 minutes

Tape Number

No. 1547

Transcript Number

No. 1547

Length of Transcript

10 pages

Transcriber

Myrna Avalos

Interview Number

No. 1547

Terms of Use

Unrestricted

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