Interviewer
Mireya Loza
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
: Félix Flores Juan was born in December of 1921, in Janitzio, Michoacán, México; his father was a fisherman; growing up, he worked with his dad, but some time later, he also learned to make sombreros; he eventually married, and afterward decided to enlist in the bracero program; as a bracero, he worked in the fields of Texas, picking and packing various crops; his brother also labored in the fields as a bracero.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Flores describes what life was like when he was growing up and working with his father as a fisherman; he recalls men coming to town to recruit people for the bracero program; later, when he married, there were no more fish, which prompted him to enlist in the bracero program; he took a boat off the island and then took a bus with a group of men to Empalme, Sonora, México; as a bracero, he worked in the fields of Texas, picking and packing various crops; he goes on to detail housing, provisions, duties, treatment, contract renewals, payment, remittances, relationships and recreational activities, including trips into town; in addition, he talks about an incident when he had a toothache and was taken to a dentist by his employer who paid for everything; he also remembers that some men paid others to wash for them, because they did not know how; fortunately, he already knew how to cook, wash, and sew; some of the men even dated women from town and often had to buy them gifts; while obtaining his second contract he used a card, which helped him pass without having to be examined like he had been for first contract; he was able to pass twice as a special employee; in addition to laboring in the fields, he also worked building a canal in Texas; when he was gone, his wife stayed with his parents and cared for them; he liked the United States and did not want to return to México; moreover, he especially liked that girls would visit braceros in the camp, and they even spoke Spanish; he goes on to briefly discuss his life after the program.
Date of Interview
8-26-2008
Length of Interview
59 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1436
Transcript Number
No. 1436
Length of Transcript
36 pages
Transcriber
GMR Transcription Services
Interview Number
No. 1436
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Félix Flores Juan by Mireya Loza, 2008, "Interview no. 1436," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.