Interviewer
Myrna Parra-Mantilla
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Ignacio Nájera was born in 1937, in Santa Isabel, Chihuahua, México; he was formally educated for four years; in 1960, he and a group of friends traveled to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, to begin the enrollment process for the Bracero Program; he worked in the cotton fields of Texas and New Mexico and the beet fields of Montana and Nebraska; he was a bracero for a total of six years.
Summary of Interview
When Mr. Nájera began the enrollment process in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México he showed his Mexican military ID and a letter of recommendation; he recalls that sometimes when traveling from Chihuahua to El Paso, Texas, the braceros had to pay in order to get a place on a train or bus; his first work contract took him to the lettuce fields of Hereford, Texas; while there, he was burned with a liquid that was used to disinfect the lettuce; he worked in Montana for three years, where they paid him $14.50 per acre that he picked; in Pecos, Texas the braceros had to pay $10.00 per week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; during their free time, the braceros often played cards.
Date of Interview
5-11-2003
Length of Interview
30 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 982
Transcript Number
No. 982
Length of Transcript
31 pages
Interview Number
No. 982
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Ignacio Nájera by Myrna Parra-Mantilla, 2003, "Interview no. 982," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.