The Bracero Program

During WW2, agricultural labor became an issue for America once again. The draft took away many men from their jobs, and there were many other high paying jobs caused by the war, which caused a migration of agricultural workers to the cities. With a large part of the agricultural workforce gone in 1942, the government decided they needed to make sure there wouldn’t be an agricultural disaster. This ultimately led to the Bracero Program, an executive order that allowed the U.S. to take workers from Mexico, called Braceros, to do agricultural jobs.

The program was only meant to last until the end of the war, so workers received contracts lasting for around a year. It was the job of the United States to make sure that the workers got to America safely, and receive to equal pay just like the other workers. The Braceros were to receive free housing, free health care, and meals at a reasonable price. That being said, they didn’t receive the same treatment from other farmer workers. 

The Braceros weren’t always treated well. Farm workers were afraid that the Bracers would accept lower wages, and drive the salary down for everyone. The wages in America were higher than in Mexico, so Braceros were content with lower wages, unlike their American counterparts. The competition most likely sparked racist attitudes towards them. Fights and conflicts involving a Bracero and a U.S. citizen generally ended up with the Bracero receiving the punishment. In states such as Texas, there were many laws that resembled Jim Crow laws for these Braceros.

The Braceros couldn’t eat at many restaurants and they were abused by extremists and by the average American.

When World War 2 finally ended, the Bracero Program did not. The Braceros were getting paid such low wages that none of the farm owners wanted to send them back to Mexico, like their contracts said they should. However, many Braceros had to return to Mexico due to their contract, but the want for wages caused lots of illegal immigration. Many Braceros came to the United States illegally hoping to get better pay than in Mexico, despite their contracts being over. This became a problem later on, as their were eventually more illegal immigrants working on farms than there were Braceros on farms. 

The Bracero program finally came to an end in the 1960s. The program was shown to have been discriminating against Braceros with the low wages they received. This caused President Kennedy to address this issue calling for better wages for Braceros and other agricultural workers, to give all of them a higher standard of living. Finally, in 1963, Congress voted that the program should end due to stories showing dangers they faced and how nobody would offer them aid.

Sources: http://braceroarchive.org/about 

https://oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/bracero_program/#.XACrgHpKg1g 

https://www.unco.edu/colorado-oral-history-migratory-labor-project/pdf/Bracero_Program_PowerPoint.pdf 

https://migration.ucdavis.edu/rmn/more.php?id=1112