Interviewer
Myrna Parra-Mantilla
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Manuel Vazquez was born in Santa Bárbara, Chihuahua, México, on October 23, 1928; when he was seven years old, he began helping his father work in the fields, and consequently he never received any formal education; in 1942, he and his brother went to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and crossed into the United States illegally, but he could not work because he was too young; later, in 1945, he became a bracero and worked in the cotton fields of Texas.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Vazquez briefly recalls his childhood; in 1945, he was hired as a bracero, and taken to work in El Paso, Texas; the only requirement for him to work was his Mexican military I.D. card; he recalls that representative from the Mexican consulate approved the work contracts for the braceros, but they denied renewals for those who had already been contracted three or four times; because of this, he often had to return to Chihuahua, Chihuahua, in order to obtain new work permits; upon passing through the Stanton Bridge in El Paso, Texas, he and other braceros were often examined and deloused in front of everyone who happened to be passing by; from there they were transported by truck to Rio Vista, a processing center in Socorro, Texas; as a bracero, he worked in the cotton fields of Texas; it was while working as a bracero that he learned how to write his name; he recounts how his boss was killed and how the United States and Mexican governments worked together to find the murderer.
Date of Interview
3-26-2003
Length of Interview
55 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1143
Transcript Number
No. 1143
Length of Transcript
21 pages
Interview Number
No. 1143
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Manuel Vazquez by Myrna Parra-Mantilla, 2003, "Interview no. 1143," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Interview in Spanish.