Interviewer
Adriana Sandoval
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Nabor Solorio Lara was born in 1937, in La Piedad, Michoacán, México; his father died when he was young; shortly after, in 1944, the family moved to Baja California, México; three years later, his mother passed away, and he was raised by his grandparents; when he was fourteen years old, he worked in the United States without documents; in 1958, he married, and a year later he enlisted in the bracero program; as a bracero, he labored in Arizona and California, picking and packing carrots, cotton, lettuce and tomatoes; he ultimately obtained legal documentation through amnesty and was able to help his family do the same.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Solorio briefly talks about his family; in 1958, he married, and a year later he decided to enlist in the bracero program; he went through the contracting center in Empalme, Sonora, México; there were long waiting lines, and he had to sleep on his shoes at night so they would not get stolen; as part of the process, he was stripped and medically examined on both sides of the border, but he was also deloused in the United States; as a bracero, he labored in Arizona and California, picking and packing carrots, cotton, lettuce and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, housing, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, payments, deductions, remittances, friendships, contract lengths and renewals, working relationships and recreational activities, including trips into town; in addition, he offers detailed descriptions of contract and hourly pay and payment received for various crops; he also explains that the first part of a contract was always difficult, because it usually took a month or two to send any money home due to all the initial deductions; in Stockton and King City, California, man of the men were sick, because they were not accustomed to the food; on two occasions, he worked for Christmas, but he was able to celebrate 16 de Septiembre while in Salinas, California; he also offers several other anecdotes about his experiences as a bracero; he ultimately obtained legal documentation through amnesty and was able to help his family do the same.
Date of Interview
5-19-2006
Length of Interview
52 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1249
Transcript Number
No. 1249
Length of Transcript
23 pages
Interview Number
No. 1249
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Nabor Solorio Lara by Adriana Sandoval, 2006, "Interview no. 1249," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.