1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: Hi, Latino USA listeners. I'm Fernande Chavarri, senior producer at 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Futuro Studios. But you may remember me from the years 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: I spent making Latino USA every week. I don't think 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: that words can express just how much Latino USA changed 5 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: my life. I moved to New York in twenty fifteen 6 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:18,680 Speaker 1: to be a producer, and I formed some of my 7 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,239 Speaker 1: dearest friendships, making hundreds of shows for you all. I 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: went on reporting trips around the country and outside of 9 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: the US at a time when stories of our communities 10 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: felt especially urgent. Mariano Josa gave us the platform to 11 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: make big changes to the way the show sounded. She 12 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: supported our ideas, no matter how crazy they may have 13 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:40,000 Speaker 1: seemed at times. I feel incredibly lucky to have been 14 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: a part of the Latino Usa family as a producer 15 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:44,920 Speaker 1: and later an editor, and to have contributed to the 16 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: legacy of such an amazing show. Felisa ne versadio and 17 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: cheers to another thirty years on the air. 18 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 2: This is Latino USA, the radio journal of news and 19 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 2: Kurturres Latino Usa. 20 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:01,280 Speaker 3: La Latino Usa. I'm Mariainojosa. We bring you stories that 21 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 3: are underreported but that mattered to you, overlooked by the 22 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 3: wrestler media. And while the country is struggling to deal 23 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 3: with these, we listen to the stories of Black and 24 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:14,880 Speaker 3: Latino studios United Latino Front, a cultural renaissance organizing at 25 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 3: the forefront of the movement. I'm Maria Ino, Jossa, Noayan. 26 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 4: No one apologized to the brassiros, No no. 27 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 5: One, no no one, no one. It is like nothing happened. 28 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 3: From Putro media and PRX. It's Latino USA. I'm Maria 29 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 3: in no hosa today. The Brassio Program's legacy seen through 30 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 3: the eyes of a former brasero and his niece. When 31 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 3: US farmers saw a shortage of agricultural workers during World 32 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 3: War Two, they turned to Mexican labor, but. 33 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 6: The term most commonly used is brasseros. In Spanish, this 34 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 6: means a man who works with his arms and hands. 35 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:10,320 Speaker 3: The Brasilo program ran from nineteen forty two till nineteen 36 00:02:10,440 --> 00:02:14,399 Speaker 3: sixty four. It brought more than four million Mexican men 37 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 3: to work in the fields, but with that work also 38 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:24,520 Speaker 3: came exploitation and discrimination. Latino USA has covered braseros during 39 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 3: the last three decades. 40 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 2: I'm Maria Ino Hoossain. Many Mexican Americans associate the Brasero 41 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 2: era with rampant abuses when workers could be deported in 42 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 2: retaliation for complaining simply about working conditions. 43 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 7: I'm Maria Martin. Thousands of former Mexican farm laborers say 44 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 7: their own millions of dollars in back wages. The men, 45 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 7: many now in their seventies and eighties, say they never 46 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:53,320 Speaker 7: received money taken from their paychecks. 47 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 3: Now, after a class action lawsuit, these workers, currently in 48 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 3: their eighties and nineties, will find be able to collect 49 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 3: some of these back wages. It's been a while since 50 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 3: we checked in on the Brasero programs legacy. For me, 51 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 3: it's not just a legacy, it's something that I lived through. 52 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 3: I was a little girl, I was a baby that 53 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 3: I grew up near the Mexican community in Chicago, and 54 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:29,080 Speaker 3: Chicago has been a centerpiece of the activism looking for 55 00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,919 Speaker 3: justice for braseros. So, in order to tell this story, 56 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 3: let you know, USA visited historian MIDAA Lesa and her uncle, 57 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 3: former brasero Juan Losa, at his home in Chicago. 58 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 4: Why let me get my uncle too. How are you 59 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:46,560 Speaker 4: to meet you? 60 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 8: Nice to meet you too? 61 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 4: You help here. 62 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 3: Oh okay, yeah. At the time of this interview, Medaa 63 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 3: was forty four and an associate professor of LATINX Studies 64 00:03:57,840 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 3: at Georgetown University in Washington, d C. 65 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 4: Come on, my dear party, I know your yo. 66 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 3: One became a Brasero in nineteen sixty when he was 67 00:04:14,920 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 3: twenty one, returning to the US several times for work 68 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 3: until nineteen sixty four, right when the program was phasing out. 69 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 3: Mida began gathering brasero oral histories in grad school, leading 70 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 3: to a book on that research. One of her first interviews, 71 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 3: of course, was with her uncle. 72 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 5: One Minmbres jan Losa Gonzalez. 73 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 8: Joviniesta solos Brasero oyn dia esto reirao yamejuileaki no. 74 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 3: On the day of the interview, One was eighty four 75 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 3: years old and still reflects on his days working in 76 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,919 Speaker 3: the fields across the United States and the program's controversial aftermath. 77 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 3: Here are miday Elosa and her Theo with their story 78 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:08,279 Speaker 3: of family and legacy. 79 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 4: I think the first thing we have to explain too 80 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 4: is our relationship. I said, k I can there's a 81 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:24,760 Speaker 4: principio or from the beginning, it's an odd relationship. Because 82 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 4: it's a little like you're my uncle, but a little 83 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,039 Speaker 4: bit more than uncle, because you're married to my aunt 84 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,719 Speaker 4: and my father is your brother, two brothers married two sisters. Yeah, 85 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 4: and I think that's what makes a big difference. You're 86 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 4: the uncle that I didn't see once every three weeks. 87 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,640 Speaker 4: I saw you every single day, every day, every day, 88 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 4: and I grew up with your kids. 89 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 5: Yeah. 90 00:05:47,320 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 8: Yeah, Well the way I feel in Maria, I know 91 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 8: I am your uncle, but I feel in like you 92 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 8: father lives because when they're your mother and your father 93 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 8: us working so many hours, you ta is the ones 94 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 8: taking care of you, Paty and our kids. 95 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 5: Yeah. 96 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 4: Basically, I mean my parents worked over forty hours a week, 97 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:17,680 Speaker 4: and every day I spent with my Tiaro Salva. Every 98 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 4: after school on the weekends. Whenever I was bored, I 99 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 4: came down, and we grew up in the same building. Yes, 100 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 4: so I always grew up in an apartment right above you, 101 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 4: and the doors were always open, and my tea never 102 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 4: locked the door, not even at night, so that if 103 00:06:33,120 --> 00:06:35,920 Speaker 4: I needed something at nighttime, I could come down and 104 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 4: grab it. If I forgot a toy, if I forgot something, 105 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:42,720 Speaker 4: I would just come down and get it. 106 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:44,599 Speaker 5: Yeah, that's true. This is true. 107 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:48,200 Speaker 8: We make no difference for you and Patty and my kids. 108 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:51,839 Speaker 8: I never feel different. Yeah, I feel the same for everyone. 109 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 5: Yeah. 110 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,920 Speaker 4: Well, let's backtrack a little bit and talk a little 111 00:06:56,960 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 4: bit about odd homework assignment that I have when I 112 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 4: first went to college, and I remember when I got there, 113 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:08,839 Speaker 4: one of my teachers said to me, find your oldest 114 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 4: family member and carry out in oral history. And so 115 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 4: I remember telling you coming home for a weekend and saying, THEO, 116 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:18,520 Speaker 4: I have this homework assignment. I have to do an 117 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 4: oral history. You are my oldest family member in Chicago. 118 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 4: I don't have anybody older than you here. And I 119 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:28,480 Speaker 4: remember I had a cassette because back then it was 120 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:31,680 Speaker 4: a cassette tape player, and I set it up to 121 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,160 Speaker 4: record an oral history with you. And I wanted to 122 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:39,040 Speaker 4: know how we got to the US, and you took 123 00:07:39,120 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 4: me to a place into a story that was really 124 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 4: probably one of the most life changing stories for me. Oh. 125 00:07:48,480 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 5: The more we talk, I was thinking, you live, I'm 126 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:53,760 Speaker 5: telling your. 127 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 4: Liar and you never know. Oh, No, I thought you 128 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 4: were a liar. I just thought it was just because 129 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 4: a cinematic story. 130 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,360 Speaker 5: When you told me you got documents from barsero. Yes 131 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:09,760 Speaker 5: you got this, Yes, you got this. Yes, I was 132 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 5: trying to get in a yeah yeah. 133 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 4: So, like I kind of knew he was a bittsettle, 134 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 4: but we didn't know what it meant, Like he didn't 135 00:08:16,960 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 4: really talk talk about it, like it was kind of 136 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 4: this thing like that we didn't pay much attention to. 137 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 4: And if he mentioned it briefly, it wasn't in depth. 138 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 4: And so he and I just sat down and he 139 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:32,280 Speaker 4: talked about his time as a brassero. And because I 140 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 4: was in a class, understood it much better. I understood 141 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 4: why it had started, but I did not understand it 142 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 4: from his perspective. And so he sits me down and 143 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,360 Speaker 4: he tells me all of these things. Then I have 144 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 4: a little cassette recorder and I write up a report 145 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:54,160 Speaker 4: and my teacher says, this is extraordinary. Fast forward to 146 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,839 Speaker 4: my time in graduate school, that same professor says to 147 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 4: folks at the National Museum of American History, there's a 148 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 4: student here whose family came through the brasero program, and 149 00:09:06,720 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 4: you might want to consider including her in this project. 150 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 4: We knowre's Mireya Loosado juansa trinad Agosto. Does me sinco 151 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 4: in Chicago. I thought to myself, you know, this is 152 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 4: going to be amazing, because how many academics get to 153 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:29,480 Speaker 4: go beyond the books or the archive and to actually 154 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 4: talk to people in our communities. 155 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:41,679 Speaker 5: Said I Lonce Tore del Trientine. 156 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 4: My uncle decided to come to the US in his 157 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 4: early twenties. It was the nineteen sixties and he came 158 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:54,040 Speaker 4: during the tail end of the Brasero program. Comos del program. 159 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 5: Ah me by bye and peso ajua. 160 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 8: Semana, semana, cares he papado and. 161 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 5: In Sero. 162 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:23,160 Speaker 8: Is the Solomon telem devdas in toss parasa veja. Uh yeah, 163 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:25,679 Speaker 8: ramos own familia. 164 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 4: So Mattio made the journey when he realized that he 165 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 4: needed to help his family, and he really wanted to 166 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 4: help his parents. He wanted a better life for them, 167 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 4: and he thought that there was a good opportunity for 168 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 4: him to come back with the capital he needed to 169 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 4: continue to form. 170 00:10:50,920 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 5: Major Pla and. 171 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 8: The Traja por Romenos gave me ermanus to be Iran 172 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 8: dordillas para come and of course Ilda. 173 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 4: He crossed the border with many, many people, and you know, 174 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 4: it's disheartening to me when he talks about things like 175 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:22,679 Speaker 4: the contracting process and and being naked, and how dehumanizing 176 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:23,959 Speaker 4: that process was for him. 177 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 8: This was the Basavanos alexamin Psico, as. 178 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 5: Is the AA investor. 179 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:50,520 Speaker 8: Con Liquidos, Compolvo Parades, Investor, Alguerpos, tryer Microvios, Ala Frontera Mexico. 180 00:11:52,960 --> 00:11:59,080 Speaker 4: Barracos had these really extensive medical inspections, and the idea 181 00:11:59,160 --> 00:12:01,920 Speaker 4: behind it was that they did not want these men 182 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:06,040 Speaker 4: to come in ill and become a liability for these growers, 183 00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 4: and they did not want illnesses to be spread in 184 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 4: these communities, and so they checked them for things like tuberculosis, 185 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:17,080 Speaker 4: but also for things like hemorrhoids and STDs, and they 186 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 4: wanted the best bodies. And my uncle and many other 187 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 4: Bassettos told me in oral histories that it was beyond 188 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:28,079 Speaker 4: the humanizing that they were treated like cattle, like animals. 189 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 4: They also spray you with DDT, which is insecticide that 190 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 4: was rising in popularity and prominence in the post war period, 191 00:12:41,040 --> 00:12:46,199 Speaker 4: and it was commonly used in the field, and they 192 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:47,199 Speaker 4: were not told. 193 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 7: What this was. 194 00:12:55,200 --> 00:13:00,160 Speaker 5: Everybody have the wires and them know. 195 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,959 Speaker 8: I think about an hour and a half something like that, 196 00:13:05,640 --> 00:13:09,439 Speaker 8: I have a chance to go to put water all 197 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 8: over to wash off the d and my skin was 198 00:13:14,480 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 8: like a carton bury, very dry, very dry because the chemicals. 199 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 4: So the chemical made your skin feel like it was 200 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:27,079 Speaker 4: dried out and you wanted to wash it. So does 201 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:28,679 Speaker 4: this happen to everybody? 202 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 5: Everybody? Everybody was like that, and they don't have a chance, 203 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 5: don't have a choice that they go right away to 204 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 5: have a washer or something. Now press hours, hours and hours. 205 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 4: They had the chemical on them for hours. Yes, so 206 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 4: it just keeps drying out yourself. 207 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 5: Yeah. 208 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,959 Speaker 8: Would give a towel to you, give a tile to you, 209 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:52,120 Speaker 8: would just press over, but the pole is still on 210 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:52,880 Speaker 8: your body. 211 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 4: The powder that so when they spread this chemical on you, 212 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,000 Speaker 4: it feels like a powder that's falling on you. 213 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:03,560 Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, as stronger as a stronger. Yeah. It's 214 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 5: like the roast in the chicken, you know. 215 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:08,959 Speaker 4: It feels like you're getting roasted like a rotissery chicken. 216 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:09,440 Speaker 7: Yes. 217 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:16,760 Speaker 4: Mike deo Juan comes to the US later after the 218 00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 4: program is terminated as an undocumented worker, but many people 219 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,960 Speaker 4: op during the program to become undocumented workers, and they 220 00:14:26,040 --> 00:14:30,240 Speaker 4: find their way to factory cities, to other rural sites. 221 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,760 Speaker 4: They find their way to employment across the US, and 222 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 4: my uncle just so happened to find his life in Chicago. 223 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 4: It's very different from the rural setting he grew up 224 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 4: in and was very different from the rural settings he 225 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 4: worked at as a rossero and the agg work he 226 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:55,040 Speaker 4: did as a rosseo, but he found a lot more opportunity. Oh, 227 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 4: it changed our lives. It changed, at least for a 228 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 4: branch of my family. It changed our destiny. My uncle 229 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 4: had some odd jobs when he first got to Chicago, 230 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 4: but eventually he made his way to work in a 231 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 4: cold storage unit. It is basically a place that stores 232 00:15:13,680 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 4: like meats and processed foods that need to be very, 233 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 4: very cold. He made his way into management. I think 234 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 4: he worked there for over I want to say over 235 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:30,000 Speaker 4: twenty maybe thirty years, and it allowed him to retire 236 00:15:30,080 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 4: with a pension, which is unheard of in today's day 237 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 4: and age. And it really allowed him to just sort 238 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 4: of reap the benefits of his own labor, his own sweat, 239 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:44,280 Speaker 4: and retire in a much more dignified way than many 240 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:50,359 Speaker 4: people get to retire in the US. When I interviewed 241 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 4: you here for the Bracado History Project, I asked you 242 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:56,640 Speaker 4: to come to the National Museum of Mexican Art because 243 00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 4: they were hosting a collection day for Braseaido's in Chicago. Yes, 244 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 4: and I remember telling you get there bright and early, 245 00:16:03,960 --> 00:16:07,000 Speaker 4: I want to do your oral history of Yess. 246 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:11,600 Speaker 5: I feel so good because, uh, we got you there, 247 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 5: we got my sons, we got my wife in we're there. 248 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 5: We started to discover the governments have far our ware. 249 00:16:24,760 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 4: Yeah. I mean that's when I became first aware that 250 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 4: ten percent of your just yes, was taken from you, 251 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 4: and it was never given back to you at that point, 252 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 4: never given back when you were supposed to get that 253 00:16:39,160 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 4: money when you returned to Mexico, right, Yeah, And that 254 00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 4: was supposed to be like an incentive for you to 255 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 4: return and a little bit of savings so that you 256 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,920 Speaker 4: can take back to Mexico. But they never gave it 257 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 4: to you. 258 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 2: No. 259 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 4: So in two thousand and four and five, I knew 260 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:58,800 Speaker 4: that there was several organizers and organizations that were bringing 261 00:16:58,880 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 4: attention to the issue of the fleeced back wages of brasseros. 262 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 4: So ten percent of their wages were withheld in an 263 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 4: account that Wells Fargo held and sent back to the 264 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:12,720 Speaker 4: government of Mexico in hopes that they would disperse it 265 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 4: back to the original workers that had earned it. These 266 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 4: organizers they lawyered up. They sued Wells Fargo. Wells Fargo 267 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:25,359 Speaker 4: Impact proved that they had sent the money to the 268 00:17:25,400 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 4: Mexican government. What happened is that the Mexican government decided 269 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 4: that they would give people back a portion of their 270 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 4: back wages and call it Covins social compensation. It is 271 00:17:40,040 --> 00:17:43,600 Speaker 4: the largest back wage case in the Americas. They stole 272 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:50,159 Speaker 4: so much money. And I remember telling your son Danny, 273 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 4: I said to Danny, Danny, we need reparations. And reparations 274 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 4: means like you need your money, but we need accountability. 275 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 4: I remember we're telling Danny, I need to send you there, 276 00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 4: and I need to send you there because it's about 277 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 4: writing a historical wrong. And Danny says to me, you 278 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 4: know it's going to cost more money to send them 279 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 4: there than the money they're going to give you. And 280 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 4: I said, but I need your name to be on 281 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:16,360 Speaker 4: those lists, yes, to make this right. 282 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,920 Speaker 3: Coming up on Latino USA, we find out if one 283 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,919 Speaker 3: travels to Mexico and if he gets his compens soci 284 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 3: how does he feel after decades of injustice? 285 00:18:36,119 --> 00:19:04,920 Speaker 9: Stay with us, Yes, Hi, Maria my name is Jovanna Nobeza, 286 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:14,320 Speaker 9: Yo Pivo and Mohoma he loses. I remember clearly the 287 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:18,240 Speaker 9: first time I listened to a Latino USA episode. 288 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 6: I remember it stopped me on my past, like I 289 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 6: have found a community. I had found someone that was 290 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 6: talking about the issues that were important to me and 291 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 6: my family and doing it in an incredible way. And 292 00:19:35,560 --> 00:19:39,440 Speaker 6: so I just want to thank you and everybody in 293 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,800 Speaker 6: your team for doing that and for having this space 294 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:44,400 Speaker 6: available for us. 295 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 3: Hey, we're back. Before the break, we met former maid 296 00:19:56,440 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 3: Juan Losa and his niece historian Midea. They're going to 297 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,679 Speaker 3: take us back to the early two thousands when Juan 298 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 3: and many former Braseros in the US and in Mexico 299 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 3: were fighting for lost wages that you know, USA covered 300 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 3: what that movement looked like in Mexico at the time. 301 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:19,360 Speaker 10: Leaders of the movement to recoup the braseros garnished wages 302 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,200 Speaker 10: say the men are still suffering abuses. On this day, 303 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 10: dozens of old Braseros gather in Ieroquato's main square to 304 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 10: discuss how they'll try to get. 305 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,679 Speaker 5: Their money back Sacramento. 306 00:20:32,960 --> 00:20:35,120 Speaker 10: Most of the men are in their seventies and eighties. 307 00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 10: Many carry worn plastic bags under their arms full of 308 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:43,880 Speaker 10: faded documents. However, leaders of the men's campaigns say their 309 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 10: claims are legitimate. For Latino USA, I'm carri Con and 310 00:20:47,359 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 10: iero Puato Mexico. 311 00:20:53,280 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 3: The Mexican government eventually decides to give former braseros some 312 00:20:57,560 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 3: money or compensacion sociat, in order to make up for 313 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,400 Speaker 3: the millions of dollars owed to them. By then, one 314 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 3: was sixty nine years old, he was retired and living 315 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 3: in Chicago. At that point, Mediaa convinces One to go 316 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 3: to Mexico and claim his compensascion, But in the middle 317 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 3: of media Ya semester teaching, Jue is ultimately forced to 318 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 3: make that trip alone and he goes with just a 319 00:21:24,359 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 3: disposable camera. Here are Mida Ya and Jue with the 320 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:34,879 Speaker 3: rest of the story. My uncle went out there and 321 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 3: he said, it's like the Brassero program again. Elderly people 322 00:21:39,040 --> 00:21:43,399 Speaker 3: standing in long lines waiting to get registered. No infrastructure, 323 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:47,480 Speaker 3: no snacks, no bathroom, no nothing, just them standing under 324 00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 3: the sun waiting for this to happen. So what did 325 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,400 Speaker 3: you see when we sent you to Mexico to sign 326 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 3: up for your convinsas. 327 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 5: So you have to go too, you have to go. 328 00:22:01,119 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 5: And when I started, we have everything ready to go. 329 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:07,800 Speaker 5: When they get to the report, I said, well, I 330 00:22:07,960 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 5: was thinking it's just gone in there and signing and. 331 00:22:12,440 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 4: I said, feeling out the paperwork guitarists. 332 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 5: I was thinking that, you know, I was thinking it 333 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:18,720 Speaker 5: just a good sign. 334 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:23,920 Speaker 8: And they said, And when they get there around to 335 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 8: four o'clock, I think it still got about easy seven 336 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,879 Speaker 8: seven hundred people, so one thousand. 337 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:35,960 Speaker 5: People and the line just lined up. 338 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 8: And I see the people that I say, oh, tomorrow 339 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 8: we have to come in early. So we going to 340 00:22:44,080 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 8: my family house and the next day we're coming back again. 341 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 5: Four a clan. The money, I was in the line already. 342 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:54,800 Speaker 5: He got an affront of me about five hundred peoples. 343 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:03,359 Speaker 5: What a making miss feels so bad? It is so 344 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:08,600 Speaker 5: many exprascettos, don't have a leg, don't have a feet, 345 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 5: don't have a hand. It wasn't that we are sure 346 00:23:13,560 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 5: and by for a client. And money is already in 347 00:23:16,359 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 5: the line to get the peanuts money. 348 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's just peanuts. It's nothing more than that. 349 00:23:23,119 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 5: Yeah. 350 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 11: And I said, we can move, we can walk, we 351 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 11: can go there and coming back and all that, and 352 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:35,080 Speaker 11: what about these peoples so much blind, don't see nothing, 353 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 11: and it's still there because we need something. 354 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:43,200 Speaker 5: I said, we're going to come to support. We've been 355 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:46,280 Speaker 5: there three days. Three days. 356 00:23:47,560 --> 00:23:50,480 Speaker 4: So Bracero's received a little over three thousand dollars in 357 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:55,040 Speaker 4: US currency. But the real problem was that this was 358 00:23:55,119 --> 00:23:58,280 Speaker 4: a flat rate for everyone, which means that those people 359 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:02,840 Speaker 4: who work ten twelve contracts, fifteen contracts got the same 360 00:24:02,880 --> 00:24:07,399 Speaker 4: amount as people who worked one six month contract. This 361 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:10,119 Speaker 4: was not based on a real calculation of what they 362 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 4: had earned, and so it was just sort of a 363 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:15,119 Speaker 4: flat amount that was given to people who could again 364 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:18,399 Speaker 4: prove that they were braseros. So the owners again falls 365 00:24:18,440 --> 00:24:24,160 Speaker 4: on the individual and the individual's family. No one apologized 366 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:25,479 Speaker 4: to the brasseiros. 367 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 5: No, no one, no, no one, no, when it's like 368 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:30,000 Speaker 5: nothing happened. 369 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,879 Speaker 4: To get the compensation social from the Mexican government, you 370 00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:36,560 Speaker 4: had to prove that you were a brassiros, which is 371 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:38,840 Speaker 4: the worst because a lot of people lost their documents 372 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:39,600 Speaker 4: and their paperwork. 373 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 5: Yeah some and I have nothing. But like I said, 374 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,320 Speaker 5: in this time, I feel so good because and I 375 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 5: give it thanks to. 376 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 8: That to you motivated me to go there because I 377 00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 8: feel and I don't do for my own beneficiary. 378 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 5: I do because I support the people's really needed. 379 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 4: We have family in Mexico, so I thought that someone 380 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:08,399 Speaker 4: in Mexico would join him. But when he said to 381 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:11,399 Speaker 4: me that he kind of went at it alone, my 382 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:15,400 Speaker 4: heart dropped and I thought, man, you know, we live 383 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 4: in this sort of academic world where like this academic 384 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 4: calendar matters, where you're expected to do certain things. I 385 00:25:22,880 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 4: just realized at that moment, when he was alone in 386 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 4: these lines, that I should have dropped everything because he 387 00:25:30,640 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 4: shouldn't have been. He was alone when he crossed the border. 388 00:25:34,920 --> 00:25:39,200 Speaker 4: He was alone many many times. He was made to 389 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,840 Speaker 4: feel alone. You know, every once in a while, you 390 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:47,760 Speaker 4: have moments where you're like, I wish I could redo that, 391 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 4: because he was experiencing something, and I just wish that 392 00:25:52,119 --> 00:26:06,760 Speaker 4: I was by his side at that moment. I love 393 00:26:06,880 --> 00:26:10,359 Speaker 4: to teach about the Rosaido program, and one of the 394 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:14,000 Speaker 4: funniest things I get to do with my students is 395 00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 4: zoom you in and you you know, you set up 396 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:21,800 Speaker 4: the iPad here, you get the link, you zoom in, 397 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,960 Speaker 4: and the students are always sort of amazed that you 398 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 4: can talk to them, because you know, first of all, 399 00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,080 Speaker 4: they don't think that brasseros are still with us, because 400 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 4: you're of a special generation, right, and so many many 401 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 4: men have passed away. And so the students are always 402 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,840 Speaker 4: sort of amazed when they see you on the screen 403 00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 4: and when they get to talk to you, especially the 404 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:47,919 Speaker 4: Latino students who speak Spanish. Yeah, the Latino students who 405 00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 4: speak Spanish, that's their time to shine. They go up 406 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 4: to the as close to the computer and the screen 407 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:58,200 Speaker 4: as possible, and they begin to ask you questions and 408 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:01,000 Speaker 4: we translate live Therefore the rest of the students who 409 00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 4: don't speak Spanish. Yeah, and I know that some of 410 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 4: the students, what they like is not only meeting you 411 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,880 Speaker 4: and asking you questions, but they're always writing down your answers. 412 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:12,760 Speaker 7: I like it. 413 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,680 Speaker 5: I like it because I want to be and the 414 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:16,960 Speaker 5: moments for. 415 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:18,440 Speaker 4: A long time and end, well, they remember you. 416 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:19,399 Speaker 7: I know that. 417 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 5: Well. I hope there's good members. 418 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:25,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, but sometimes it's also so awesome that you get 419 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:32,360 Speaker 4: to go from brasero to teacher. One of the weirdest 420 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 4: parts about going away to college was feeling like my 421 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:41,440 Speaker 4: parents and my uncle didn't understand what me and my 422 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 4: cousins were experiencing because they've been purposely locked out of 423 00:27:45,040 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 4: these institutions, and so opening up those doors and rolling 424 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:52,560 Speaker 4: out the red carpet for someone like my uncle and 425 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 4: other people in my community to come in and teach 426 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:59,640 Speaker 4: and talk and to speak to my students. My students 427 00:27:59,680 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 4: often and are taken aback by a story he tells. 428 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 4: You know, when he first experienced deep violence and racism 429 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:10,679 Speaker 4: in Texas. He wanted to buy something at a coffee 430 00:28:10,720 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 4: shop and they told him that they didn't serve Mexicans. 431 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 4: But they also push him out and kicked him out, 432 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 4: And my students are startled by the fact that he 433 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:24,640 Speaker 4: was treated with such violence, and my uncle reminds them 434 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 4: Texas was segregated. When my uncle raises his hands up 435 00:28:32,720 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 4: close to his face and my students get to see, 436 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 4: these are the hands of somebody who worked agriculture of 437 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 4: Mexico in the US and then worked in a labor 438 00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 4: intensive job in Chicago. You know, those little moments, those 439 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:49,400 Speaker 4: little tiny moments where I see something happen and things 440 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 4: click in my students' heads and they're paying more attention. 441 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 4: You know, my uncle, he is the best smile in 442 00:28:56,880 --> 00:29:01,800 Speaker 4: the world. I often show a picture of my uncle. 443 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,440 Speaker 4: He has this idea that's called a pre selection idea 444 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 4: that helps him cross the border and they get to 445 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:11,960 Speaker 4: see what he looked like when he was young. And 446 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 4: I like to remind them of that because I remember 447 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 4: one Braselo once said to me, you know, nasi viejo nasibeco, 448 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 4: meaning I was not born an old man. You may 449 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:25,480 Speaker 4: see me as an old man right now, but I 450 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 4: was once young. Remember what that Brasero told me. When 451 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,640 Speaker 4: I see my uncle's id, because it reminds me that 452 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 4: my uncle was a young man with aspirations, with goals, 453 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 4: And so they see this young photo of him and 454 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,760 Speaker 4: they look at themselves and I'm like, yeah, he experienced 455 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 4: this program when he was around your age. So if 456 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 4: Telemundo Nivicion has a story on this, because they are 457 00:29:54,800 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 4: his favorite stations, we talk about it. When the President 458 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:05,200 Speaker 4: of Mexico, and this is Manuel Lopez also known as AMLO, 459 00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 4: wanted to bring back the Brasero program and suggested that 460 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 4: this was a great solution form migration reform, and me 461 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:17,960 Speaker 4: and my uncle literally had to call each other as 462 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:22,560 Speaker 4: soon as this news came out. Amlo talked about sort 463 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 4: of the virtues of just having this migration that is 464 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 4: controlled and it's organized and people would be able to 465 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,840 Speaker 4: make money. And my uncle and I were just chuckling 466 00:30:31,880 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 4: because the Brasselo program never really left because the H 467 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:41,040 Speaker 4: two program existed, and people kept bringing Mexicans in after 468 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:43,920 Speaker 4: the Braselo program through the h TWVSA program. And so 469 00:30:44,680 --> 00:30:46,920 Speaker 4: he and I sort of laughed and scratched our heads 470 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 4: at the fact that, like, this is not novel, they're 471 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:53,040 Speaker 4: still coming in. And you know, the funny thing is 472 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,640 Speaker 4: that he and I have the sort of same sort 473 00:30:55,680 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 4: of stance on this. It's hard to see that after 474 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:04,280 Speaker 4: talking to you and dozens and dozens and dozens of Brasseros, 475 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 4: it's hard to see that history repeats itself and that 476 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:12,000 Speaker 4: people don't acknowledge it. People act like we didn't learn 477 00:31:12,040 --> 00:31:14,400 Speaker 4: anything from what happened to you and what happened to 478 00:31:14,440 --> 00:31:17,120 Speaker 4: a generation of men like you. We didn't learn anything 479 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 4: at all. We didn't protect you. No no, no, no protation, 480 00:31:23,800 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 4: my protection, no bibistsbian no no. 481 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 5: No, no, no, no, no, not even tell you how 482 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 5: you feel you see, doesn't matter. You're gonna work no 483 00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:49,680 Speaker 5: matter what your what your conditions. Yeah, it's like the animal. 484 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:53,720 Speaker 4: Yeah, and now we're seeing too with the contact. When 485 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 4: they pass away, it's the. 486 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:57,080 Speaker 5: Same forget about it. 487 00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, they forget about it, you know. And everybody says, oh, 488 00:32:00,720 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 4: every contractor says, but we're going to protect them. But 489 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,840 Speaker 4: we're going to protect them. And the truth is, how 490 00:32:05,880 --> 00:32:08,640 Speaker 4: can they protect people when the government, the Department of 491 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 4: Labor can't protect people. So my uncle does not text. 492 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,520 Speaker 4: We call each other. He also has a knack of 493 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 4: calling me when I am in a pickle or not 494 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:25,400 Speaker 4: doing well. And I don't know how he knows that. 495 00:32:27,040 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 4: We talk about new things. I tell him about things 496 00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 4: I find in the archives. I tell him about, you know, 497 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,360 Speaker 4: things I'm working on for my next book project. And 498 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 4: he kind of corrects me if he thinks I'm going in, 499 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 4: you know, a direction that isn't so fruitful. He gives 500 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 4: me his input. I mean, he literally has become one 501 00:32:49,360 --> 00:32:55,280 Speaker 4: of my greatest professors and teachers. He's done a whole lot. 502 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 4: And he in Spanish you Saint Mitchell Boras, which is 503 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:01,800 Speaker 4: like he cheer leads me. He cheers me on right, 504 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 4: and he's like, that's okay, you're gonna learn to do 505 00:33:04,240 --> 00:33:10,960 Speaker 4: it better. You'll be better tomorrow. I feel like every 506 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 4: day it's my job, that people remember you, that they 507 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 4: remember all of these Brasseros, and that they respect, just respect, 508 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 4: respect you. That's all. 509 00:33:22,320 --> 00:33:25,360 Speaker 8: I don't have our words to the express how much 510 00:33:25,480 --> 00:33:32,360 Speaker 8: appreciador you sacrifice your intention to bring them up, the history, 511 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:37,040 Speaker 8: what the brassetto has been, what the Brasseros are, and 512 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:41,680 Speaker 8: what is the benefits from Brasseros and this country. 513 00:33:42,320 --> 00:33:45,440 Speaker 5: I worked so hard, I work so hard. 514 00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 8: I like to say thank you very much for your time, Mirayah, 515 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:55,600 Speaker 8: and I hope you're grown, but never stapp and grown 516 00:33:56,520 --> 00:34:02,040 Speaker 8: never because every day God give a good life, good 517 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 8: rising to be something in this book. 518 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 3: I love it. 519 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:15,280 Speaker 4: Deo, thank you, okay, Kio sniga grascieswell. 520 00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:28,760 Speaker 3: That was historian mire Yelosa and her theo former Brasero 521 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 3: Juan Loosa, in conversation in Chicago. This episode was produced 522 00:34:47,160 --> 00:34:50,840 Speaker 3: by Daisy Contreras and edited by Hailey Sanchez. It was 523 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:54,680 Speaker 3: mixed by Julia Caruso. Thanks to Gini Montalbo, who assembled 524 00:34:54,719 --> 00:34:59,800 Speaker 3: and scored this piece special thanks to the Brasero History Archive. 525 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:05,720 Speaker 3: The Latino USA team also includes Victoria Strada Rinaldo, Leanos Junior, 526 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 3: Andrea Lopez Crusado, Jody mar Marquez, Marta Martinez, Penile Ramirez, 527 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 3: Mike Sargent, Noor Saudi and Nancy Drujillo. Our director of 528 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:20,560 Speaker 3: Engineering is Stephanie Lebau. Additional engineering support by Gabriel Lebiaz 529 00:35:20,719 --> 00:35:25,239 Speaker 3: and JJ Carubin. Our marketing manager is Luis Luna. Our 530 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:28,520 Speaker 3: theme music was composed by Zenia Rubinos. I'm your host 531 00:35:28,560 --> 00:35:31,719 Speaker 3: and executive producer marieo Josa. Join us again on our 532 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 3: next episode and in the meantime find us on social media. 533 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:39,600 Speaker 3: I'll see you there. Paste La proxima jao e no devayes. 534 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:45,080 Speaker 12: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Heising 535 00:35:45,160 --> 00:35:52,280 Speaker 12: Simons Foundation, Unlocking Knowledge, opportunity and possibilities more at Hsfoundation 536 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:56,080 Speaker 12: dot org, the John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, 537 00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:01,880 Speaker 12: and Latino USA Thirtieth Universe. Three episodes are made possible 538 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:06,240 Speaker 12: with support from our legacy sustainers, the Brett Family Foundation, 539 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:13,000 Speaker 12: Alonso Cantu, Carmen, Rita Wong Vamos Enterprises, the National Association 540 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 12: of Hispanic Journalists, April Gessler, doctor Elmo Randolph, Belinda de 541 00:36:19,239 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 12: la Libertad, Angela Garcia Simms, and Priscilla Rojas. Additional donors 542 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 12: include Melba Lara Andy, Marx sal Morales and Pauline Nunez