Braceros in the Pacific Northwest: Laborers on the Domestic Front, 1942–1947

Between 1943 and 1947, the United States government contracted with approximately 47,000 bracero agricultural laborers in Mexico to work in the northwestern states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Despite the large number, little is known about the experiences of these men. In contrast, the history and administrative details of the agricultural bracero program in California and other southwestern states have been well documented. This essay examines the social and work experiences of the braceros on farms in the Northwest and compares their record with those of braceros elsewhere in an attempt to provide a broader understanding of the national wartime labor program.