Bracero in the Field
Bittersweet Harvest: Braceros Program
November 20, 2010 – January 30, 2011
Members Preview: Friday, November 19, 5-7pm
Facing labor shortages on the home front during World War II, in 1942 President Roosevelt created what would become the largest guest-worker program in U.S. history. Bittersweet Harvest, a bilingual (English/Spanish) exhibition from the Smithsonian, explores the little-known story of the Bracero program. Between 1942 and 1964, millions of Mexican men came to the United States on short-term labor contracts. Featuring photographs by famed photojournalist Leonard Nadel, oral histories and other materials, the exhibition examines the experiences of Bracero workers and their families, providing rich insight into Mexican-American history, and historical background to today’s debates on guest-worker programs.
