What was the Bracero Program?
As signed on August 4, 1942, the Bracero Program was a government-to-government temporary guest worker program, whereby young male Mexican peasants would work in the United States for periods between six weeks and six months at a time and return to Mexico after fulfilling their contracts.
What is the Mexican farm labor program (Bracero)?
The Mexican Farm Labor Program, also known as the Bracero Program, was the result of a series of agreements between Mexico and the United States in response to the demand for agricultural labor during World War II.
Who are the former braceros?
The former braceros became part of the Latino diaspora that developed in the state and the nation in the second half of the twentieth century. Mexican men in Portland, 1944. Braceros farming sugar beets, Oregon, 1943. Braceros picking potatoes on Oregon farms, 1943.
Why were the braceros important to the war effort?
The braceros helped Oregon sustain agricultural production during the war and were important in maintaining railroad lines for the transportation of goods, war materials, and people. Through these efforts, the braceros were a significant part of the Allied war effort.
The Bracero Program was a bilateral, contract labor program between the United States and Mexico. The program brought between 4 to 5 million Mexican laborers to the United States between 1942 and 1964. Most of the migrants worked in agriculture but a few worked in industry or railroads.
Why did the braceros go on strike?
Between 1943 and 1954, over a dozen strikes and work stoppages were staged, mainly in the Pacific Northwest, by braceros protesting racial discrimination, low wages, and poor working and living conditions.
Why was the Mexican government dissatisfied with the braceros?
Prophetically, an earlier bi-lateral Mexican guest farm worker program between 1917 and 1921 had left the Mexican government dissatisfied because of the numerous incidents of racial and wage discrimination experienced by many of the braceros.
What can we learn from Bracero narratives?
The Bracero narratives provide first-hand insight to the implications of the ‘guest-worker’ program, challenges experienced, and the formation of their migrant identity.
Bracero Program. Allowed Mexican laborers to work in the United States under short-term contracts in exchange for stricter border security and the return of illegal Mexican immigrants to Mexico.