Work/Immigration Stories as told by Francisco to Mia

1944:



Francisco was 18 years old working in Blythe, California. He worked as a rail man. His job responsibilities included changing the trains routes by moving the train tracks. This job he had by working under the Bracero program. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bracero_Program











1951 and La Migra (The Border Patrol):



In 1951, he was deported back to Mexico. He was working in Wilson, Arkansas. He was making the insane amount of $0.33 (yes, that is 33 cents) an hour. During this time, a Mexican was contracted out to work for a certain company. He did not have the right to go from job to job as he was needed. If he was found to do this he would be deported back to Mexico. Because he received the bait and switch from the Arkansas company, that is, he was told he would be making x amount and when he got to the job site it was less than he had expected, he began to look for new employment.







He got a job in a Chicago bottle-packing plant (maybe like Laverne and Shirley?) making $3.35 an hour. The Migra/Border Patrol got him, and companions, while he was in route to the job. He was currently in Memphis, Tennessee. He spent three weeks in a Tennessee jail.





While he was in jail, La Migra told him he could not leave until he signed a document stating he would never return to The United States of America again. He told them he would never sign this document. He encouraged the other men with him not to sign either, but they were worried La Migra would keep them in jail forever. Eventually, all signed, but Frankie, and after 3 weeks he was released. He was deported. (Mom told me later that when he went to Immigration to get his citizenship/naturalized they asked him about this deportation. He was shocked they had this information on the computer. He told the INS worker he did not get deported, but she asked him about the Chicago situation, and he let her know all about it.)





Upon his return to Mexico, he was living in Mexico City. He lived there for six years. It was hard for him to find work in Mexico. He had two business owing ventures. The first was a grocery store, and the other was to be a Paletero (walking ice-cream/Popsicle vendor). He made history in his family by being the first Paletero in his family.



1959:

This was the year Francisco received his green card or National Alien Registration Card.



1996:

This is the year Francisco received his citizenship to the United States of America. Francisco, his wife, Lucia, and daughter, Lucy, all received their citizenship on the same day. The location they were sworn in was Central High School in Phoenix, Arizona.



COLORADO:

He worked on a farm. He picked potatoes and beets on this farm. There were six men who worked with him that were from his hometown. This small band of men worked very hard. They made more money than any other group working on the farm. The other groups consisted of nine men vs. their seven. His boss said that he had never had such good workers as this group of seven men. On this farm, most of the workers were Native American Indians. Amongst the group was a 6' woman who was always rated the number one worker on the farm. No one could out perform her until a little man from Mexico challenged her named Francisco. He was determined to beat her score, and within three days he did. She never retained her title of "best worker" again.



STERGES FARM IN YUMA, ARIZONA:

Francisco worked for this farm longer than any other job he had, and eventually retired from while working for this farm. After his retirement he moved his wife and daughter, Lucy, to Phoenix to be near his other children.



He said he was treated very well on this farm. He normally worked sixty hours per week. If there was work he received pay for those hours and if there was no work, Mr. Sterges, still paid him. Here he was known as Frankie. Because he was treated so well here, and he never had to worry about a steady stream of income regardless of the workload, he did not try to start any businesses in the US. He enjoyed his job on the farm as a mechanic. He received an opportunity to study and receive a certification/diploma for Mechanics from the Mechanics National School of Los Angeles via correspondence. He said when his tests were returned the instructors would write "EXCELLENT FRANCISCO". He was doing very well in his education. Despite this face, he did not receive his diploma because he was given some very bad advice. A new co-worker of his had been a mechanic since the age of eight, and had restored a car at eight, told him to save his money and stop going to school. He said he could show him all that he knew about mechanics. (Again we see how not seeking a higher education can halt a person in their progression. I wonder how much better he would have been had he not listened to this guy about school, and still learned all he could from him and school.)





TRANSMISSION ON A BIG CATERPILLAR:

(When Dad told me this story I forgot to write it down; so, I now retell it from my memory, which I do not trust very well. I apologize if there is a gap in this story. Please feel free to till it in, if you know this one. Thanks!)



He was working at Sterges Farm, and a caterpillar broke down. There was a piece on it that was malfunctioning and he had to take it to the part store. A man who worked there was an expert on parts. He was educated and he knew a lot about farming equipment. He received the part and could not figure out the problem. The store and farm were on a deadline. Frankie went back and asked to see the part again after some time had passed and no one could figure out the situation. Frankie figured out the problem. Then he said to the store that they should not charge the farm, but Mr. Sterges said it was OK. He could not believe he figured it out. (Dad recounted this even to me with lots of pride in himself. It was one of his great accomplishments on the job. I guess anyone would be proud to out think an expert. Dad was a hard worker who believed in the value of working even when it was hard. "Nothing is worth having if it's to easy," he would tell me.)