In Defense of Indentured Labor

F ollowing the implementation of the temporary indentured worker program with Mexico and the delivery of men to railroads and agriculture across vast sections of the United States there emerged an outpouring of publicity in celebration of the bracero program. The message reiterated during the war years centered on the importance of braceros to the war effort and of the program's value for the economic well-being of the braceros, their families, and Mexico. Not only were the war effort and Mexico's development a common refrain, but the program was hailed as providing “important forward steps in inter-American cooperation” on a par with the “Good Neighbor Policy.” ¹ Newspapers, magazines, popular journals, radio programs, public relations films, and photography exhibits produced by growers publicized the benefits of the program, particularly for the braceros, in glowing terms. Sometimes the publicity stretched credulity, as when it was reported that braceros en route to the United States were really trainloads of men experiencing an extended vacation, laughing, playing, and singing “Adios, Mariquita linda …” while passing around a bottle of tequila. ²