Primary Sources from the Bracero Program

Primary Source 1:

Below is a partial transcript of an interview with Arnulfo Pompa on1/12/08 through

the Bracero History Project. Arnulfo Pompa was born on August 14, 1962 in El
Mirage, Arizona. He is the youngest of six children.
His father and mother came from Mexico to the U.S. through the bracero program in
1947. Arnulfo attended Arizona State University part-time while working. At the time
of the interview, he worked in management aQwest Communications.

One thing about Goodyear farms: it was almost like slave labor for the people who
were working there. My dadthere werent minimum wages back thendidnt get
paid a lot of money. There was this store there called Abrahams . . . . Again, this
was all owned by Goodyear Farms. And that was the only grocery store we knew of.
So, it was two or three miles from our house. We would drive up and shop for
groceries. The arrangement they hadas long as you worked at Goodyear farms
you were allowed to charge your food if you didnt have any money. So, I remember
it was always trying to catch up. My mom and dad couldnt do it. There were six kids
they had to feed. Wed get to the store and I remember my mom and dad buying
food. It was like a forty-eight dollar bill. I remember my dad [having to say] go
ahead and charge it to my account. I dont have any money. So, I remember the
next paycheckhed get paid every 15 days . . . was probably two dollars. Were
expected to arrive from point A when we only have two dollars for fifteen days.

We had to go [work in the fields]. At the same time, we had to do our homework . . .
. Our fallbackall of uswas education. I mean that was the only way I knew of.I
think if you were to see my family, Rumeras family, Rosas, how successful we all
have been

Primary Source 2
Short-handled hoe / el cortito
Jubilee Magazine, April 1957. Original caption: Stoop labor

Thats where we encountered el cortito, or whats called the short handled hoe. And for sure,
that is where I shed my tears. -Jos Natividad ex bracero
Primary Source 3:

In the yard outside, there were about twelve or thirteen thousand aspiring braceros.
-Juan Snchez Abasta, ex-bracero

Primary source 4:

Brought them up here and housed them on the farm in old World War I or World War II army
barracks brought into this area for that purposefrom one of area forts.They built bunk beds
out of wood and filled them with cotton seed. And thats what the braceros slept on.
-Max Smallwood-farmer who hired bracero workers.

Primary source 5:

The bracero program was a temporary work program that allowed

Mexicans to temporarily work in the Untied States. Each Mexican was issued
an ID card with important information about them. The bracero program ran
from 1942 to 1964. While millions of Mexicans participated in the program,
they were expected to work long hard days with few breaks and for little pay.