Interviewer
Violeta Domínguez
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Jesús Zamarrón was born on October 23, 1936, in San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México; he had one year of formal education; at an early age, he began working in the fields with his father; at age eighteen, he labored in construction cutting stone; he joined the Bracero Program in 1957, and worked in Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, and Texas; there, he picked corn, cotton, lettuce and strawberries; he did these activities until 1966.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Zamarrón recalls his childhood in San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, México, and his field work with his father at an early age; he recalls that he received one year of formal education; at age eighteen, he worked in construction, and he remembers how he had to cut stones; he relates how he was hired as a bracero, and his trip to the United States; in the Bracero Program from 1957 to 1966, he recounts what his daily life was like, and how the work was carried out; he also discusses how the braceros got along with each other, and how they celebrated Mexican holidays in the U.S.; furthermore, he expresses that he worked in Arizona, California, Colorado, Michigan, and Texas picking corn, cotton, lettuce and strawberries; in 1968, he returned to the U.S. to labor as an undocumented worker; he continued this work until the 1990s, and traveled back to México periodically to visit his family; in the 1990s, he states that he retired in Austin, and, in 2000, he was able to bring his wife to the U.S. to live with him.
Date of Interview
11-3-2003
Length of Interview
41 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1055
Transcript Number
No. 1055
Length of Transcript
32 pages
Interview Number
No. 1055
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Jesús Zamarrón by Violeta Domínguez, 2003, "Interview no. 1055," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.