Defiant Braceros: How Migrant Workers Fought for Racial, Sexual, and Political Freedom

David J. Weber Series in the New Borderlands History

by Mireya Loza

In this book, Mireya Loza sheds new light on the private lives of migrant men who participated in the Bracero Program (1942-1964), a binational agreement between the United States and Mexico that allowed hundreds of thousands of Mexican workers to enter this country on temporary work permits. While this program and the issue of temporary workers has long been politicized on both sides of the border, Loza argues that the prevailing romanticized image of braceros as a family-oriented, productive, legal workforce has obscured the real, diverse experiences of the workers themselves. Focusing on underexplored aspects of workers' lives--such as their transnational union-organizing efforts, the sexual economies of both hetero and queer workers, and the ethno-racial boundaries among Mexican indigenous braceros--Loza reveals how these men defied perceived political, sexual, and racial norms.

Basing her work on an archive of more than 800 oral histories from the United States and Mexico, Loza is the first scholar to carefully differentiate between the experiences of mestizo guest workers and the many Mixtec, Zapotec, Purhepecha, and Mayan laborers. In doing so, she captures the myriad ways these defiant workers responded to the intense discrimination and exploitation of an unjust system that still persists today.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

254 pages, Paperback

Published September 6, 2016

Reviews

[Estelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

first assigned reading of the year - SO interesting, i cannot believe how little i knew about the braceros given my interest in labor migration. a bit dense and dissertation-y but i learned sooo much. extremely applicable currently. wish the author had taken a more personal/ narrative approach but i also understand that wasn't the point here


"Bracero public memory calls attention to already- existing questions about the role of Mexican immigrants in the United States and the limited rights guest workers have in a nation addicted to cheap labor and reluctant to provide the protection to this class of workers that it accords to its own citizens."

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If, as former President Bush claimed, the temporary worker took the jobs that U.S. citizens deemed undesirable, then the real problem with exploitative work and the capitalist desire for a class or workforce without rights would not need to be addressed. Bracero Public memory calls attention to already-existing questions about the role of Mexican immigrants in the United States and the limited rights guest workers have in a nation addicted to cheap labor and reluctant to provide the protection to this class of workers that it accords to its own citizens. There can be no pathway for incorporation or citizenship for these workers, as that would be both counterproductive and a potential liability for a system that is reluctant to revise its labor practices. Residency and citizenship would mean that these workers would have more legal avenues to resist exploitation and employers would not be able to use the fear of deportation to create a docile workforce.”

I’ve been researching a lot on the topic of braceros due to our current political climate as well as in an attempt to learn more about both of my grandfathers through these stories. This book taught me a lot that I wasn’t aware of previously and touched on topics that seemed obvious but that I hadn’t thought of. These include the exploration of sexuality within the bracero program and the way that the Mexican government contributed (and continue to contribute) to the exploitation of Mexican workers in the United States. It is heartbreaking how long this struggle has been happening for immigrants who only seek a better life, sometimes not even for themselves but for their children. Both the United States and Mexican governments have too much blood on their hands to ever be redeemed.

[Vera Rios · Rating 5 out of 5]

:D

Gran libro. Libro clave para entender los sistemas de producción de alimentos en EEUU, migración y trabajo barato. Me encanta la aproximación al trabajador como un sujeto especialmente el trato que se le da al tema de masculinidad y sexualidad.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid, if dense and academic.

[Jose Roque Perez-Zetune · Rating 5 out of 5]

i devoured this book.

[Evan Stein · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s cool to opt for a more thorough informative look at a history but it makes it feel like more of a textbook than a book