In this Book

University of California Press
summary
Structured to meet the needs of employers for low-wage farm workers, the well-known Bracero Program recruited thousands of Mexicans to perform physical labor in the United States between 1942 and 1964 in exchange for remittances that were sent back to Mexico. The Bracero Program transformed interpersonal relationships by dispersing partners and family members across national borders. Mexican workers, mostly men, were away from their families for long periods of time, while women and children at home were forced to inhabit new roles, create new identities, and cope with long-distance communication from fathers, brothers, and sons.

Drawing on an extraordinary range of sources, Rosas uncovers a previously hidden history of transnational family life. Intimate and personal experiences and their emotional contours are revealed to show how Mexican immigrants and their families were not passive victims, but creators of new forms of affection, gender roles, and economic survival strategies with long-term consequences.

Table of Contents

restricted access Download Full Book
  1. Cover
  2. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Title page, Copyright, Dedication, Quote
  2. pp. i-viii
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Contents
  2. pp. ix-x
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. List of Illustrations
  2. pp. xi-xii
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Acknowledgments
  2. pp. xiii-xx
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Introduction
  2. pp. 1-16
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. PART ONE: Emergencies
  1. 1. Bracero Recruitment in the Mexican Countryside, 1942–1947
  2. pp. 19-39
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 2. The Bracero Program as a Permanent State of Emergency
  2. pp. 40-65
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 3. Special Immigration and the Management of the Mexican Family, 1949–1959
  2. pp. 66-82
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. PART TWO: Love and Longing
  1. 4. Government Censorship of Family Communication, 1942–1964
  2. pp. 85-99
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 5. In Painful Silence: The Untold Emotional Work of Long-Distance Romantic Relationships and Marriages, 1957–1964
  2. pp. 100-111
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 6. Hidden from History: Photo Stories of Love
  2. pp. 112-144
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. PART THREE: Decisive Measures
  1. 7. Awake Houses and Mujeres Intermediarias (Intermediary Women), 1958–1964
  2. pp. 147-184
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 8. Ejemplar y sín Igual (Exemplary and without Equal): The Loss of Childhood, 1942–1964
  2. pp. 185-196
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. 9. Decididas y Atrevidas (Determined and Daring): In Search of Answers, 1947–1964
  2. pp. 197-214
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Epilogue: The Generative Potential of Thinking and Acting Historically
  2. pp. 215-224
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Notes
  2. pp. 225-238
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Bibliography
  2. pp. 239-244
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
  1. Index
  2. pp. 245-255
  3. restricted access
    • Download PDF Download
Back To Top

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Without cookies your experience may not be seamless.