Interviewer
Janet Sandoval
Project
Bracero Oral History
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Daniel Molina was born in Pénjamo, Guanajuato, México; his parents worked on an ejido, and he had ten siblings; growing up, he helped his parents while going to school; as a result, he received little education and learned to read and write poorly; in 1959, he enlisted in the bracero program; he completed two contracts, which spanned four years; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California cleaning, pruning, cutting and packing almonds, lettuce, nectarines, peaches and tomatoes; he eventually immigrated to the United States and ultimately became a citizen.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Molina briefly talks about his family; in 1959, he decided to enlist in the bracero program, and he began the contracting process in Empalme, Sonora, México; he details the entire contracting process he underwent in México and the United States; moreover, he explains having to go to Mexicali, Baja California, México to get papers as a specialized worker and then returning to Empalme to finally obtain a contract; he was transported by train with roughly fifteen thousand other men in seventy-five box cars; they traveled for two days in extremely hot weather, and their water ran out after only a few hours; upon arriving in the United States, they were stripped, deloused and examined; he slept at the reception center for a few days before finally being transported to his worksite; in total, he completed two contracts, which spanned four years; as a bracero, he labored in the fields of California cleaning, pruning, cutting and packing almonds, lettuce, nectarines, peaches and tomatoes; he goes on to detail the various worksites, camp sizes, housing, accommodations, living conditions, provisions, duties, routines, treatment, friendships, payments, deductions, remittances and recreational activities, including trips into town; in addition, he relates a number of anecdotes about his experiences; in particular, he talks about an incident in which a rivalry between a cook and the workers became so out of hand that the cook was deported to México, and the men were left unable to harvest the crops; eventually, he immigrated to the United States and ultimately became a citizen.
Date of Interview
11-11-2008
Length of Interview
89 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1415
Transcript Number
No. 1415
Length of Transcript
37 pages
Transcriber
GMR Transcription Service
Interview Number
No. 1415
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Daniel Molina by Janet Sandoval, 2008, "Interview no. 1415," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.
Comments
Transcript is a Draft copy
Interview is in Spanish