Interviewer
Myrna Parra-Mantilla
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Perfecto Márquez was born in Villa Aldama, Chihuahua, México, in 1936; in 1957, he traveled to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, to begin the hiring process; he worked in the cotton fields of New Mexico and Texas.
Summary of Interview
When Mr. Márquez was hired as a bracero in 1957, he was married and had two children; as part of the hiring process, he and a group of other braceros were physically examined while in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México; upon being hired, they were then transported from there to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and were not allowed to bring any personal belongings with them; they were physically examined again in El Paso, Texas and in Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; while in Rio Vista, the Mexican Counsel spoke with the braceros about what was expected of them, and the directions they were to follow if any problems arose; while working in New Mexico, Mr. Márquez never encountered any problems because the rancher he worked for was a very good and kind man; he was paid $1.55 per pound of cotton that he picked; there were twenty-seven braceros living in the same barracks; during their free time, they liked to go to the movies; he recalls that in Texas, there were roughly about 700 braceros that encountered several problems.
Date of Interview
3-30-2003
Length of Interview
35 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 978
Transcript Number
No. 978
Length of Transcript
19 pages
Interview Number
No. 978
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Perfecto Márquez by Myrna Parra-Mantilla, 2003, "Interview no. 978," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.