Prisoners of War in New Mexico Agriculture

Abstract of Interview

CONSULTANT:  Evelyn Huber  

TAPE NUMBER:  RG2000-021

DATE OF BIRTH:  May 18, 1908

SEX:  Female

DATE(S) OF INTERVIEW:  June 8, 2000

LOCATION OF INTERVIEW:  Consultant’s home in Anthony, New Mexico

INTERVIEWER:  Ron Nelson

SOURCE OF INTERVIEW:  NMF&RHM___x__OTHER__________

TRANSCRIBED:            YES____x___            NO_______

NUMBER OF TAPES:  1

ABSTRACTOR:  Ron Nelson

DATE ABSTRACTED: July 7, 2000

QUALITY OF RECORDING (SPECIFY): Good

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE:  Sources of labor during World War II, including German and Italian POWs

DATE RANGE:  1941-1945

ABSTRACT (IMPORTANT TOPICS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE):

TAPE ONE, SIDE ONE (only)

Consultant said cotton and alfalfa was grown during World War II. She told of utilizing German and Italian POWs delivered to the farm from Canutillo and guarded by an American soldier. She said they mainly thinned the cotton crop and asked why so much had to be planted only to be thinned. She states that Italians were happy-go-lucky and the Germans more serious. The Italians sang a lot and seemed to be happy in their work whereas the Germans tended to analyze everything. She thinks they used braceros starting in 1945. They maintained housing for the farmhand and laborers. She feels her husband was satisfied with their work or would have spoken about it.

 

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