Interviewer

Mireya Loza

Project

Bracero Oral History

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee

María Concepción Loza-González was born on December 15, 1941, on a ranch in Manuel Doblado, Guanajuato, México; she was the second born of her fourteen siblings; eight of them were boys, and six were girls; her older brother, Juan, and one of her younger brothers, Manuel, enlisted in the bracero program; they helped support María and the rest of their siblings.

Summary of Interview

Ms. Loza-González talks about her family and what it was like for her growing up; her older brother, Juan, worked as a bracero in Michigan and Texas; he often sent money home to his mom to help care for his siblings and send them to school; María describes how hard it was for the family to survive while he was gone; the entire family had to adapt to his absence, including changes in their daily chores for working the land and caring for the animals; it was especially difficult to wait for word from him, because the mail took so long; she goes on to discuss the economic difficulties she and her family faced; in addition, she describes one instance in which her appendix ruptured, and she had to ride a horse into town to have surgery; María explains that there was no running water, light, or paved roads at the time; one of her younger brothers, Manuel, also joined the bracero program; he was able to work with Juan in Michigan, but he went alone to Arkansas; Juan and Manuel became braceros in the hope of having a better life; Juan took on the primary responsibility for helping the family; he brought home a lot of clothes, and a necklace, bedspread, and purse for her; another brother, Pedro, came to the United States illegally, but he was later able to obtain legal documentation; María goes on to discuss her brothers’ various travels between México and the United States.

Date of Interview

7-30-2007

Length of Interview

35 minutes

Tape Number

No. 1285

Transcript Number

No. 1285

Length of Transcript

17 pages

Interview Number

No. 1285

Terms of Use

Unrestricted

Comments

Interview in Spanish.

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