Cause And Effect Essay On Braceros Life

With twenty pesos in his pocket Jose journeyed on north to try his luck. The chances were slim for him to be chosen for the bracero program, but he wanted a better life for his family so he took his chances. Many, like Jose, applied for the braceros program each one of them trying out their luck, but out of the thousands only a few were chosen. Each of them exited to win more money each of them exited to receive the promises that they offered to them when they were scouted. Each one of them with hopes and dreams that soon would be crushed that would affect the braceros and their families, but would enlarge the United States greatly.

It was 1941, Pearl Harbor was bombed which began the war in the pacific. That year not only Men were to get

drafted for war, but the Japanese Americans were interned in the west. Because of the war jobs around the country became empty and there were no men to fill them. Jobs in factories began to be filled by women, but there was no one to work on the fields. Food was a necessary, but without workers it was not being produced. Because of the lack of workers the United States decided to bring guest workers from the surrounding countries. Therefore creating The Braceros program. This program would allow a certain amount of guest workers into the country to fill up all the empty jobs.
As soon as the braceros program was made the Mexican Government started promoting it around the country. Promising men that with the money they would earn they would be able to buy the machinery they needed for their farms. Deborah Cohen writes, “Only eight days after the Mexican government announced the first request for a mere 6,000 workers, thousands of hopeful men swarmed the offices of the Mexican Ministry of Labor” (113). Because of all the, promises they were made by the Mexican Government, Mexican citizens began to warm the labor ministries all in search for the same dream.
In the year 1942, guest workers from Mexico and some from Puerto Rico were brought to work in the United States. “They were greeted like heroes” Don Mitchell writes, “essential war workers and proof-positive of success of the Good Neighbor Policy President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had been putting into effect in Latin America--and feted with dinners and parades. For the workers such a welcome was just an icing on the cake” (224). But of course they would greet the braceros with such honor since they were, the ones that were going to save them financially which would affect the country in a great way. The country was happy to have the Braceros for it meant that the labor would finally be accomplished, but one thing is that even though they celebrated their arrival they knew that they would never become part of the community. Lilia Fernández writes in her essay, Of Immigrants and Migrants: Mexican and Puerto Rican Labor Migration in Comparative Perspective, 1942–1964, “Moreover, despite the legality of their presence on the mainland, they resembled Mexican migrants in that they were “recruited as laborers... [but] not always welcome as community members” (8).
The braceros were distributed through the country to work in the railroad and in the fields. Jose was sent to work in an onion field in California. The work was good and the pay was great, his life in the onion field was good. He would always send the money he earned over to his family back in Mexico, but that great life that was given to Jose and some the braceros would soon be over. Over time, employer’s started getting upset of the contracts they had to follow they did not like the fact that they had to pay more to the braceros than the other Mexican workers that were illegal. The employers were told to follow the rules that were stated in the contract. As the employer, they would have to provide a home, including living expenses, and transportation for the braceros (Mize 87). Most employers did not like the rules that were stated in the contract. They hated the fact that they had to spend money to get workers to work for them. After a while, employers started bending the contract to their liking making the contract meaningless (Bickerton 905). The housing conditions began to turn awful and the amenities they were given were not provided to them anymore. Lives for the braceros became more difficult over time. The working hours were increased and the salary became less. “The quality of water, lack of facilities, and work in low-yield crops all combined to secure Braceros squarely at the bottom of the labor process in terms of receiving the lowest pay under the harshest of conditions”(Mize 97). Because of the hardships that the braceros began to experience many of returned to Mexico. Jose was one of those men he decided to head back to Mexico. He thought that working on his farm would not only make him more money, but he will have better living conditions than working in the U.S.
As braceros left new ones would fulfill their positions.

The braceros who stayed and decided to deal with the conditions began to feel the effects. After working long hours the braceros began to weaken physically and mentally. You may be ask yourselves how they were affected mentally. Well most of the braceros were threatened by their employers. They would send them to do backbreaking labor. The braceros were not allowed to complain if they complained they would be sent back to Mexico. For some braceros that threat affected them the most because they did not have anything that they could live off in Mexico and they needed to sustain a family. The Braceros were so filled up with fear that they would be sent back to Mexico that they would do whatever the employer said. The fear of the workers gave the advantage to the employers and they would make the braceros do hard work for little pay. The conditions became worse and worse for the braceros during the contract period. Bickerton writes, “Braceros received insufficient food and substandard housing, and suffered inadequate wages, unsafe working conditions, and unemployment during the contract periods” (909). Although all of this was going on the government ignored everything and let injustices keep going (Bickerton 909). The braceros were striped from their rights as a bracero. Which affected the braceros

greatly.
The braceros weren’t the only ones suffering because of this program. The braceros families back in Mexico took a huge impact. For once women were not allowed to join the braceros program because they did not immigrant families to be made in the U.S. because of that rule families had to be broken. Woman were told by the government they had to stay behind and take care of the home (Rosas 385). Not only were women left behind in Mexico to take care of the home they were left to face financial struggles that the husband had left behind before going to the program. Men eventually started sending money to their families, but the money was little and most of the time it did not cover all the expenses the family had. Since the money was insufficient and barely covered expenses they could never buy the machinery that they were told they would be able to obtain if they joined the program. Over time some braceros were allowed to bring their family, but most of them stayed alone trough the contract period.
The struggles were real and the effects the bracero program had a huge impact on the country, the braceros, and their families. The U.S beneficiated from the braceros program since it meant that their economic stature was back to normal. On the other hand the braceros and their families got the bad end of the deal. The braceros were cheated and striped from their rights. The promises that were made to them before signing up to the program were nonexistent as if they had disappeared into thin air as they infiltrated the U.S. The separation of families had a huge effect on both the family in Mexico and the bracero. Each every bracero came to U.S with hopes and dreams that were crushed which affected them and their families, but that enlarge the United States greatly.