Prisoners of War in New Mexico Agriculture
Abstract of Interview
CONSULTANT: Cuca H. Chavez TAPE NUMBER: RG2000-019
DATE
OF BIRTH: September 15, 1919
SEX:
Female
DATE(S)
OF INTERVIEW: May 31, 2000
LOCATION
OF INTERVIEW: New Mexico Farm
& Ranch Heritage Museum
INTERVIEWER:
Jane O’Cain
SOURCE
OF INTERVIEW: NMF&RHM__x__OTHER___________
TRANSCRIBED: YES____x___
NO_______
NUMBER
OF TAPES: one
ABSTRACTOR:
Jane O’Cain
DATE ABSTRACTED: July 26, 2000
QUALITY
OF RECORDING (SPECIFY): good
SCOPE
AND CONTENT NOTE: Describes use
of German prisoners of war during World War II on their farm near Hill, New
Mexico.
DATE
RANGE: 1943-1946
ABSTRACT (IMPORTANT TOPICS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE):
TAPE ONE, SIDE ONE:
The Chavez family moved to the farm near Hill in 1942. They raised cotton, alfalfa, and vegetables on their irrigated property.
Mrs. Chavez picked cotton, as did her stepsons. Her husband also hired high school students to assist with the cotton harvest.
During the years of World War II (hereafter WWII), the consultant’s husband was forced to plow down some of the cotton crop because he was unable to harvest it before the yield was negatively impacted.
Her husband informed her one evening that the next day they would have a group of prisoners of war (hereafter POWs) working on the farm. He arranged for the POW labor through the Farm Bureau. Her initial reaction was one of surprise because the Chavez family had a nephew who was missing in action in the war. (Later the couple also had braceros working on the farm.)
In addition to harvesting cotton, the POWs also thinned the cotton plants. She
states that the POWs were not “aggressive.” They spoke respectfully to her
husband. He would talk to their guard about their work or anything he wanted
them to do. Her husband provided the POWs with hoes and “ten-foot cotton
sacks.”
The consultant discusses the bracero program, and requirements of the
program, such as housing.
TAPE ONE, SIDE TWO:
Her husband was required to take the braceros into town on Saturdays, so they could purchase groceries.
She states that Johnny Harris was their closest neighbor. He is now deceased. The Tharp family has bought or rents much of the land along Highway 85 North, including some land previously farmed by the Nakayamas.
The consultant states her husband felt that the POWs were better workers than
the braceros. Cuca Chavez relates this to the POWs’ status as
prisoners. She observes that the guards were diligent and “on the job.”
At times, as a treat, she would prepare tortillas and beans for the POWs. She
didn’t discuss the use of POW labor with her neighbors. Unlike today,
telephones were reserved for conducting “business.”
Her assessment of the use of POW labor in New Mexico agriculture is positive: it
fulfilled a need that the farmers had for labor.
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