Interviewer
Myrna Parra-Mantilla
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Emilio Solís Pallares was born in 1923, in San Miguel Chihuahua, México; his father died when he was eleven years old, and he had to start working in order to help support his family; he was the only one of five siblings to stay with his mother after his father’s death; in 1947, he began working as a bracero, and continued working as such until 1962.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Solís briefly recalls his childhood; after his father’s death, he began working in the fields when he was only eleven years old; he continued working in agriculture throughout his adolescence and young adulthood; in 1943, financial difficulties coupled with a shortage of work led him to the United States to work illegally; he had great difficulties while working in the U.S. because he was often caught by immigration; although by this point he had learned of the Bracero Program, he could not afford to go to Chihuahua, Chihuahua to begin the hiring process; in 1947, he was finally able to afford the trip to Chihuahua in order to enroll in the Bracero Program; the following year, in 1948, he comments that they were not allowed to work as braceros; he recalls that in 1949, the El Paso County Coliseum was used as a reception center for incoming workers; he worked on and off as a bracero from 1947 to 1962.
Date of Interview
3-12-2003
Length of Interview
40 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1141
Transcript Number
No. 1141
Length of Transcript
20 pages
Interview Number
No. 1141
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Emilio Solís Pallares by Myrna Parra-Mantilla, 2003, "Interview no. 1141," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.