Interviewer
Richard Baquera
Project
Bracero Oral History Project
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Inez Rios was born in El Paso, Texas, on April 20, 1936; she grew up on a farm near Ysleta, Texas, with her eight brothers and sisters; her father was the head foreman on the farm where they lived; braceros were often hired to help with the land and harvesting of cotton.
Summary of Interview
Ms. Rios recalls her childhood and what it was like growing up on a farm near Ysleta, Texas, where her father was the foreman; she recalls that prior to the Bracero Program, there were a number of undocumented workers on the farm; they were often caught by immigration services and returned to México; sometime later, roughly in 1948, braceros were hired to work on the farm; they were contracted through Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; she recalls how the braceros were chosen and transported to the farm; in addition, she remembers what their living conditions were like, their specific jobs and wages, the kinds of food and clothes they bought, and how she and her family often helped them; during the 1950s, she worked in Oregon and Washington for about nine years because the pay there was much better than it was in El Paso, Texas; there were also braceros working in Washington at that time; sometimes German POWs would pick cotton as well.
Date of Interview
1-31-2003
Length of Interview
45 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1569
Transcript Number
No. 1569
Length of Transcript
23 pages
Transcriber
Myrna Avalos
Interview Number
No. 1569
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Inez Rios by Richard Baquera, 2003, "Interview no. 1569," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.