José Magaña

José Magaña

Biographical Synopsis of Interviewee: José Magaña was born in 1963, in Hierbabuena, Michoacán, México; his father was a bracero from 1956 to 1960; in 1976, his father arranged for his family to move to the United States as residents; his father worked in California cutting lettuce; he worked picking lemons and oranges in the United Farm Workers Union.


Summary of Interview: Mr. Magaña remembers growing up in Hierbabuena, Michoacán, México; he is oldest sibling in his family, and remembers how hard it was to grow up poor in a ranch in México; he recalls that his father was a bracero from 1956 to 1960, and worked in California cutting lettuce; furthermore, he recounts the memories his father shared with him about the bracero program; he highlights the hardships his father endured, and how his father refused to work in United States again after returning to México, because of the bad treatment he received; moreover; he describes how his father arranged for his family to acquired residency papers in 1976, and how they moved to California; he states that they suffered extreme poverty after moving to the U.S., and that they lived on ranches and in deteriorated housing; additionally, he explains that he worked picking lemons and oranges in California and Florida while being in the United Farm Workers Union; he concludes by stating that his father’s experience in the bracero program had negative and positive aspects to it.

Murillo, Grisel

Magaña, José

2006-05-22

Son of a bracero

Cristóbal Borges

Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso

spa

José Magaña

Murillo, Grisel

Cristóbal A. Borges

Institute of Oral History, The University of Texas at El Paso

Mini Disc

38:00

24 bit
96 k

Murillo, Grisel

Magaña, José

Blythe, CA

Magaña_BLY014