Interviewer
Myrna Parra-Mantilla
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Juan de Dios Estrada López was born in Rancho Rosas, Municipio de General Trías, Chihuahua, México, in 1929 [in 1993, the Mexican Congress changed the name of this Municipio to Santa Isabel]; upon his father’s passing, he began working on ranches at the age of ten; in 1954, he moved to the city of Chihuahua where he learned about the Bracero Program; he worked in the cotton fields of Texas and New Mexico and the beet fields of Colorado and Nebraska.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Estrada recalls a recruitment/processing center for braceros in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México, called El Trocadero; the hiring process there was easier if your name was already on the county’s list; another center for braceros was located in Dell City, Texas; ranchers came here and hired braceros; legal and illegal workers were hired at the same time, but illegal workers received fewer wages; in their free time, the workers would go to the movies; sometimes the ranchers would give them rides on their planes for $2.00.
Date of Interview
3-31-2003
Length of Interview
45 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 969
Transcript Number
No. 969
Length of Transcript
28 pages
Interview Number
No. 969
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Juan de Dios Estrada López by Myrna Parra-Mantilla, 2003, "Interview no. 969," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.