Interviewer
Karim Ley-Alarcón
Project
Bracero Oral History Project
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Sebastián Martínez was born on November 16, 1938, in Saragosa, Texas; as a child he and his family moved to Pecos, Texas; during the fifties, when he was roughly fourteen or fifteen years old, he began working with his father alongside braceros, chopping cotton and other such field duties; after graduating from high school, he went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Sul Ross State University and a master’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Martínez briefly discusses his family; when he was roughly fourteen or fifteen years old, he began working with his father alongside braceros, chopping cotton and other such field duties; he goes on to discuss his experiences working with braceros, and he gives an account of their living and working conditions, provisions, recreational activities, religion, and their general dispositions; in addition, he explains the relationships between the braceros and the surrounding community in Pecos, Texas, which was largely segregated; several of his female relatives, however, did have romantic relationships with braceros; he also speaks about the children of braceros going to school in Pecos and the subsequent process of assimilation; after graduating from high school, Sebastián went on to receive a bachelor’s degree from Sul Ross State University and a master’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso.
Date of Interview
11-12-2005
Length of Interview
40 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1576
Transcript Number
No. 1576
Length of Transcript
15 pages
Transcriber
Myrna Avalos
Interview Number
No. 1576
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Sebastian Martinez by Karim Ley-Alarcón, 2005, "Interview no. 1576," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.