Soy Bracero

About the Book

Between 1942 and 1964, men from different parts of Mexico left their lands and families seeking an opportunity for prosperity in the Unites States as Braceros. Their job was to work the agricultural fields of the United States while American citizens manufactured weapons or joined the fighting lines of WWII. Braceros were instrumental in placing the U.S. as an agricultural power.

While Braceros were in the U.S. they encountered poor working and living conditions, not to mention despotism, cruelty, and racism from foremen, ranchers, authorities, and residents of the United States alike.

My grandfather, Eleuterio Vazquez Sanchez, left his town in the state of Jalisco, Mexico around 1954 to try his fortune in the United States as a Bracero. He left his wife, my grandmother, their three daughters, and his land behind for a chance at a better life. His departure not only affected him; it affected my grandmother and their children.

About the Author

Erika Vazquez-Aguilar was born in the border town of San Luis, Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico in 1972. She migrated to the United States with her mother and younger brother at the age of 11. For the first two years in the United States she was placed in ESL classes to learn the English language. Those first two years were the most miserable school years of her life as she experienced teasing and bullying by some of her peers because she seemed different to them. She began writing poetry while in high school, yet did not develop as a writer until after she took Spanish Literature classes while completing her Bachelor’s Degree. Her poetry is a reflection of her environment and the reaction it provokes within her. Erika currently lives in Yuma, AZ with her husband Francisco, and her children, Kamyla and Keilem.