Interviewer
Richard Baquera
Project
Bracero Oral History Project
Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee
Sam Sanchez was born on April 5, 1936, in San Elizario, Texas; he had twelve siblings, and his father was a farmer; upon graduating from high school, he joined the Marine Corps; when he finished his tour of duty in 1959, he began working at Rio Vista, a processing center for braceros in Socorro, Texas; he continued working there until 1964.
Summary of Interview
Mr. Sanchez recalls his childhood and early adolescence; he would often work in the fields with his father picking cotton; during the early years of World War II, Italian POWs and undocumented workers often helped with the harvesting of the cotton as well; he recalls missing the first two or so months of school to help with the crops; in addition, he also recounts how he would often go to Rio Vista, a processing center for braceros in Socorro, Texas, to pick up food slops from the mess hall for his father’s pigs; later, when he graduated from high school, he enlisted in the Marines; when his tour of duty was over in 1959, he began working at Rio Vista as a part-time security guard at night; he was later contracted through the Public Health Office for continued employment at Rio Vista; his primary responsibility was to draw blood samples from braceros; eventually, he moved to what was referred to as the selection area where the farmers or contractors would pick which braceros they wanted to hire; he recalls that many of the braceros refused to work in Pecos, Texas, because so many bad things happened there. Length
Date of Interview
4-19-2003
Length of Interview
53 minutes
Listen to the Interview
Tape Number
No. 1570
Transcript Number
No. 1570
Length of Transcript
21 pages
Interview Number
No. 1570
Terms of Use
Unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Interview with Sam Sanchez by Richard Baquera, 2003, "Interview no. 1570," Institute of Oral History, University of Texas at El Paso.