Interviewer
Laureano Martínez
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Jesús Andrade was born on September 15, 1930, in Canatlán, Durango, México; when he was seven years old, he began working in the fields in order to help his family; in 1948, when he was eighteen, he enrolled in the Bracero Program; as a bracero, he picked cotton in New Mexico and Texas, cleaned sugar beet fields in Montana, and he also worked in a pickle bottling factory in Michigan; he continued working with the program until 1956.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Andrade briefly recalls his family and childhood; growing up, he and his family endured extreme economic hardships; in 1948, when he was eighteen years old, he enrolled in the Bracero Program; he describes the difficulties he went through during the hiring process as well as the humiliating medical examinations he and other braceros underwent at the reception center in Eagle Pass, Texas; as a bracero, he picked cotton in New Mexico and Texas, cleaned sugar beet fields in Montana, and he also worked in a pickle bottling factory in Michigan; he goes on to explain the daily activities on the farm including work, wages, and how he was treated well by his American employers; he continued working with the program until 1956.
Date of Interview
2-1-2003
Length of Interview
64 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 993
Transcript Number
No. 993
Length of Transcript
58 pages
Interview Number
No. 993
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Jesús Andrade Rodríguez by Laureano Martínez, 2003, "Interview no. 993," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.