Bracero Program Case Study

In response to a labor shortage of agricultural field work, the Bracero program began August 4,1942 (Dr. Gonzalez’s Lecture 2/13). The Bracero program was supposed to be an attractive guest workers program that was supposed to offer fair wages, adequate housing, and legal work that was deemed as desirable for the Mexican laborer and nuclear family (Loza, 2016; Harvest of Loneliness, 2010). This caused many men to leave their families and migrate to America with the hopes of making money and sending remittances home. The action of sending remittances home shows the man’s strong moral character of being able to sustain their families so far away. The reality is that none of the things promised to the Bracero were ever fulfilled. The wages were
Mothers of young sons had the issue of their children attempting to lie about their age to work as a Bracero. Initially the program would often not thoroughly verify the ages of the Braceros. This caused many mothers to complain to Federal Forces to keep their sons. The Federal Forces then used their authority to intervene on behalf of their mothers (Loza, 2016). The Bracero Program disillusioned young men to believe they could leave their mothers as young men. The Bracero Program forced mothers to experience additional stress as they retained their families. Daughters also decided to flee their mother’s households as well. Topete promised marriage to Margarita and while he went in search for work, unmarried Margarita left without her mother’s approval to stay with Topete. Topete eventually left Margarita in search of Bracero contracts. After a few Bracero contracts, Topete encountered Margarita again. He saw that the young woman he once knew took “‘la vida alegre’ [the happy life],” (Loza, 2016). The Bracero program encouraged Margarita to leave her home without her mother’s approval to follow her potential partner. When she did not end up with him, Margarita engaged in sex work with the Braceros. Margarita’s decision to leave her family unit prematurely resulted in her exposure to a higher risk sexually transmitted diseases, sexual violence, and a potential fractured relationship with her family. As Sons and Daughters were motivated by the Bracero Program to leave their family units, mothers were subjected to emotional undertaking of keeping their families