Table of Contents
What did Bracero Program do?
An executive order called the Mexican Farm Labor Program established the Bracero Program in 1942. This series of diplomatic accords between Mexico and the United States permitted millions of Mexican men to work legally in the United States on short-term labor contracts.
Who was affected by the Bracero Program and how?
Under the 1942-64 Bracero programs, between 1.5 million and two million Mexicans gained experience working legally in US agriculture, and at least 100,000 became legal immigrants when their employers sponsored them for immigrant visas in the late 1960s.
What were the braceros promised?
Under this pact, the laborers were promised decent living conditions in labor camps, such as adequate shelter, food and sanitation, as well as a minimum wage pay of 30 cents an hour. The program began in Stockton, California in August 1942.
Was the Bracero program a success or failure?
Finally, the Bracero Program led to the successful unionization of farm workers. Formed in 1962, the United Farm Workers, headed by Cesar Chavez, organized American farm workers into a cohesive and powerful collective bargaining unit for the first time.
How much did braceros get paid?
50 cents per hour
The bracero program guaranteed workers a minimum wage of 50 cents per hour, insurance and safe, free housing. However, farm owners frequently failed to live up to these requirements. Housing and food routinely was well below standards, and wages were not only low, but also frequently paid late or not at all.
Was the Bracero Program a success or failure?
Why did the bracero program fail?
The program came to an end in 1964 in part because of concerns about abuses of the program and the treatment of the Bracero workers. Although the program was supposed to guarantee a minimum wage, housing, and health care, many workers faced low wages, horrible living and working conditions, and discrimination.
Did the braceros get paid?
The bracero program guaranteed workers a minimum wage of 50 cents per hour, insurance and safe, free housing. However, farm owners frequently failed to live up to these requirements. Housing and food routinely was well below standards, and wages were not only low, but also frequently paid late or not at all.
What were the negative effects of the Bracero Program?
There were a number of negative consequences of the program, some more obvious than others. Farm labor wages stagnated at low levels for decades; braceros became the favored workers of growers, particularly in the West, to the detriment of U.S. workers.
What happened to the money owed to the braceros?
Under the agreement, employers were to deduct the funds and forward them to the U.S. government, along with records showing how much each worker was owed. The money was then to be credited to Mexico’s Central Bank and sent to two other financial institutions.
How were the braceros treated in the US?
The braceros were routinely underpaid and badly treated. These were all pretty obvious. Less obvious was the fact that U.S. growers happily adjusted their practices to a surplus of cheap, easily transferrable workers (though the growers rarely admitted this).
How many braceros were there?
Between 1942 and 1964, the year the program ended, it was estimated that approximately 4.6 million Mexican nationals came to work in the U.S. as braceros. Many laborers faced an array of injustices and abuses, including substandard housing, discrimination, and unfulfilled contracts or being cheated out of wages.
Did braceros get citizenship?
They were not meant to be permanent residents or eventual citizens of the country. Matt: Yes, they were, what one historian calls “impossible subjects.” They didn’t have citizenship, but they were present within our country.