Historian Gilbert Gonzalez discusses California's Bracero (Mexican guest worker) program and shares the experiences of former Braceros. Recorded at Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Library, Seal Beach, California.
Transcript
There were about 140 agricultural strikes in California and Orange County was central to a number of them here; and that became an issue. And even though some people say that the Bracero program - which is gonna come along in around 1942 - that the Bracero program was really meant to help with a labor shortage and to bring in labor to cover the labor shortage; well I disagree with that. I think it was the 140 strikes in California, primarily agricultural workers, that created the need for a Bracero program.
And so, the Bracero program was initiated in 1942 and what happened? Almost the entire Mexican labor force in the citrus industry was thrown out 80% of the citrus workers became Braceros. So, the Mexican community was transformed to factory workers, construction workers, some still in agriculture; and the Bracero program remained and it lasted for 22 years, even though there was plenty of labor. That didn't make any difference. And so, during the Bracero program, there were never any strikes. The Bracero program essentially ended strikes by agricultural workers because, if you were a Bracero and you tried to start a strike, you would be thrown out.
They were really indentured servants. In a way, they were indentured. They came to work, but not to live in the society. That is, they were - they came to work. They were very well - highly controlled. They could not skip their contracts and when their time was over, they had to leave. So, they came and they left.
Now, I made a film on the Bracero program, "Harvest of Loneliness", "Cosecha Triste", and I had the good fortune of meeting numerous people here in Orange County for that film. We interviewed in Santa Ana, in Garden Grove, in Placentia, in Anaheim, La Habra; I mean, Braceros were throughout the county and they became major voices in the film. And what they had to tell me was very important about the Bracero program and the experiences that they went through.
Now, the Bracero program had within its contract very significant guarantees to the workers. Health coverage: if they got sick, they were gonna be treated. They didn't have the right to form an organization or a union - they didn't have that, but they had guarantee of the standard wages in the work that they were doing. Well, what I found out in interviewing these men is that the contract was hardly ever recognized by their employers. For example, one Bracero told me that it was better not to report sick because, if you did, you would be told to get back to work or be sent back to Mexico.
But, in general, the rights of the workers were unrecognized. They were guaranteed safe and healthy living quarters. When you look at the photographs of them, my god, how did they live there? How did they put up with this? No, they were not healthy. Sometimes they were put into old barns. You know, they were put into - in any space that they could - that was put together for them. And they were not healthy at all. As far as earning the standard wage, that was not the case. Wages were stuck during the Bracero program for ten years. Things did not rise and they were rarely paid the standard rate.
Another thing about the Bracero program that I should also mention is that 25% of their wages, their pay, was taken out of their paycheck and put into a bank holding where they could go and get it, but many men never knew that this was happening. And so, it was put into a bank in Mexico, this 25% taken out of their paycheck, and they never received it; and the money disappeared.
If a man wanted to get onto the list of possible Braceros who would then go to a reviewing station in Mexico, he had to pay a bribe. That was the general way, and men who we interviewed talked about, oh they paid maybe 500 pesos.
"And how did you get 500 pesos?"
"Oh, we would borrow money."
So, part of their earnings went to pay for the bribe if they had to borrow money for it.
So, they paid a bribe, they went to the reviewing station, they may have gotten their name on a list; but at the reviewing station there may be thousands of men there waiting. Sometimes they waited for months.
And then they were sent to the border if they passed the review - the initial review. And at the border, they had to take off all their clothes and be sprayed with DDT, and then they clothed them. They'd be tested medically to see if they were okay, if their muscles worked; and if they passed, they would be taken to a particular place to go and work.
So, that was the nature of the Bracero program. It was not a very good experience. As one person told us, " I would not"...how did he say it? "I would not wish it upon anyone."
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