Interviewer
Fernanda Carrillo
Project
Bracero Oral History Project
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Faye Terrazas was born on August 6, 1930, in El Paso, Texas; both of her parents were Mexican nationals who immigrated to the United States before she was born; in 1954, she began working as a clerk and typist at Rio Vista, a bracero processing center in Socorro, Texas; she worked there seasonally until 1957.
Summary of Interview
Ms. Terrazas recalls responding to an advertisement and being hired to work as a clerk and typist at Rio Vista, a bracero processing center in Socorro, Texas; she worked there seasonally during the spring and summer from 1954 to 1957; her primary responsibility was filling out the contracts for the braceros; she offers detailed descriptions of the facilities and the process for filling out the contracts; there were specific insurance specifications that detailed what the braceros were entitled to receive in the event of an injury or accident; her knowledge of the other screening procedures is somewhat limited; she gives an emotional description of what it was like for the families to be separated and how terrible the delousing process was for the braceros; in addition, she comments on how the braceros seemed very shy and fearful upon first entering the United States, but when they went through the center again, they were generally more open and talkative.
Date of Interview
4-1-2003
Length of Interview
46 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1571
Transcript Number
No. 1571
Length of Transcript
21 pages
Transcriber
Myrna Avalos
Interview Number
No. 1571
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Faye Terrazas by Fernanda Carrillo, 2003, "Interview no. 1571," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.