Thread: Excellent article on the Bracero Program

I found this article from a few years back. Its by Phillip Martin, who is an agricultural economist, and has done some great research on illegal immigration. The reason why I searched for this, is because some seem to believe that it was the ending of the Bracero Program that led to the illegal immigration problem. And, therefore, a guest worker program is acceptable. Here is why it is completley UNacceptable.

http://hnn.us/articles/27336.html

[quote]The Bracero Program: Was It a Failure?
By Philip Martin
Mr. Martin is Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of California, Davis and a member of the Commission on Agricultural Workers established by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. He is the author of numerous studies and reports on immigration, including Trade and Migration: NAFTA and Agriculture (1993). This article is drawn from his book, Promise Unfulfilled: Unions, Immigration, and Farm Workers. Ithaca (Cornell University Press, 2003).


The US and Mexico shared a 2,000 border throughout the 20th century, but most Mexico-US migration occurred since 1980. Almost 6 million Mexicans were issued immigrant visas in the 20th century, and almost 4 million of these green cards were issued between 1980 and 2000. Similarly, over 40 million Mexicans illegally in the US were apprehended, and 26 million or two-thirds of these apprehensions occurred between 1980 and 2000.


The Bracero (strong arm) program set the stage for large-scale legal and illegal Mexico-US migration. Agriculture in California and the southwest began with the large acreages needed for dryland agriculture, which involved planting seed and harvesting wheat if there was sufficient rain as well as cattle grazing. When the transcontinental railroad in 1869 allowed California to take advantage of its Mediterranean climate and produce fruits and vegetables for consumers 3,000 miles away, large farms were expected to be broken up into family-sized units in order to get a labor force. This did not happen. Farmers found seasonal farm workers among the Chinese imported to build the railroad and shut out of cities by discrimination.

Braceros were the last wave of immigrant farm workers who had no other US job option except working in the fields. In the spring of 1942, California farmers predicted that there would be labor shortages for the fall harvest because of conscription for World War II, and asked the US and Mexican governments to allow Mexicans to work seasonally on US farms. Despite protests from US farm labor reformers that there was no shortage of workers, only a shortage of decent wages and working conditions, the US and Mexican governments signed a bilateral agreement in 1942 that allowed the entry of “native-born residents of North America, South America, and Central America, and the islands adjacent thereto, desiring to perform agricultural labor in the United States.â€

Very educational article. Interesting reading.

But "cheap" labor isn't so cheap is it?...

"Thanks BFR I just sent this pg. to the speaker of the house here and started the letter with "Do you hire Illegal Immigrants?"

Originally Posted by forest

Very educational article. Interesting reading.

But "cheap" labor isn't so cheap is it?...

Exactly

Originally Posted by stevetheroofer

"Thanks BFR I just sent this pg. to the speaker of the house here and started the letter with "Do you hire Illegal Immigrants?"

Excellent. Good job, Steve.

Also, this article is actually an exerpt from the author's book on illegal immigration and the agricultural industry. You can buy it by clicking on the image of the book about 1/4 way down the page. Its called Promise Unfulfilled.

The wartime Bracero program ended in 1947, and many Mexican [quote:3k0r17ud]workers elected to migrate illegally because such migration was tolerated.

[/quote:3k0r17ud]

I've read about this several times.

The border was never secured because this was just a game with the US Government.
I was born the year operation "wet back" went into effect. Years later, even the kids in school were talking about wet backs's being it the country illegally.