Begun in 1942 as a temporary war measure to address labor needs in agriculture and the railroads, the bracero program eventually become the largest guest worker program in U.S. history. Small farmers, large growers, and farm associations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, and 23 other states hired Mexican braceros to provide manpower during peak harvest and cultivation times. By the time the program was canceled in 1964, an estimated 4.6 million contracts had been awarded. Bittersweet Harvest, a moving new bilingual exhibition organized by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History (NMAH) and circulated by SITES, 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. Consisting of 15 freestanding, illustrated banners, the exhibition combines recent scholarship, powerful photographs from the Smithsonian’s collection, and audio excerpts from oral histories contributed by former contract workers. The bracero program was controversial in its time. Mexican nationals, eager for cash work, were willing to take harsh jobs at wages scorned by most Americans. Farm workers already living in the U.S. worried that braceros would compete for jobs and drive down wages. “The braceros experienced exploitation but also opportunity,” says NMAH curator Peter Liebhold. “The work was grueling, the time spent away from home difficult, but the opportunity to earn money was real. The program was truly bittersweet.” Exhibitors are encouraged to supplement Bittersweet Harvest with local materials and to generate productive community dialogue about a topic that still resonates today. The exhibition opens at the newly renovated NMAH in October 2009 before beginning its national tour. >> Visit the Bracero History Archive >> Smithsonian Secretary on Bittersweet Harvest

 

>> TLACOYO on Vimeo

 

Contents	15 freestanding banners with text and images, audio station (venue to provide equipment)
Supplemental	Educational and promotional resources
Participation Fee	$2,000 per 10-week booking period
Size	1,000-1,500 square feet, est.
Crates	5
Weight	500 lbs. total
Category	History & Culture
Security	Limited
Shipping	Outgoing
SITES Contacts	Sara Artes, 202.633.3113 (Content) Minnie Russell, 202.633.3160 (Scheduling)
Tour Through	April 2014

 

Opening	Closing	Copy 1: Host Institution	Status
02/20/2010-	05/02/2010	Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose, CA	Booked
05/22/2010-	08/01/2010	Museo Alameda, San Antonio, TX	Booked
08/21/2010-	10/31/2010	El Museo Latino, Omaha, NE	Booked
11/20/2010-	01/30/2011	Chamizal National Memorial, El Paso, TX	Booked
02/19/2011-	05/01/2011	Chandler Gilbert Community College Library, Chandler, AZ	Booked
05/21/2011-	07/31/2011	The Historical Society of Saginaw County and the Castle Museum, Saginaw, MI	Booked
08/20/2011-	10/30/2011	Park City Museum, Park City, UT	Booked
11/14/2011-	11/16/2011	Office of Migrant Education Annual Conference, Nashville Convention Center, Nashville, TN	Booked
02/18/2012-	04/01/2012	Oregon Historical Society, Portland, OR	Booked
05/19/2012-	07/29/2012	Springs Preserve, Las Vegas, NV	Booked
08/18/2012-	10/28/2012	The Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History	Booked
11/17/2012-	01/27/2013	Town of Windsor Museum, Windsor, CO	Booked
02/16/2013-	04/28/2013	Roland Park Country School, Baltimore, MD	Booked
05/18/2013-	07/28/2013	Four Rivers Cultural Center and Museum, Ontario, Oregon	Booked
08/17/2013-	10/27/2013	Reynolds Gallery, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA	Booked
11/16/2013-	01/26/2014	Lakeshore Museum Center, Muskegon, MI	Booked
02/15/2014-	04/27/2014	Dittmar Memorial Gallery, Norris Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL	Booked

 

Opening	Closing	Copy 2 : Host Institution	Status
05/22/2010-	08/01/2010	Branigan Cultural Center, Las Cruces, NM	Booked
08/21/2010-	10/31/2010	Center for Community Engagement, John Spoor Broome Library, California State University, Channel Islands	Booked
11/20/2010-	01/30/2011	Sonoma County Museum, Santa Rosa, CA	Booked
02/19/2011-	05/01/2011	Wittliff Gallery, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX	Booked
05/21/2011-	07/31/2011	Missouri History Museum, St. Louis, MO	Booked
08/20/2011-	10/03/2011	Museum of History and Art, Ontario, CA	Booked
02/18/2012-	04/29/2012	Visitors Center , University of Texas - Pan American, Edinburg, TX	Booked
05/19/2012-	07/29/2012	Coachella Valley History Museum, Indio, CA	Booked
08/18/2012-	10/28/2012	Dayton Memorial Library, Regis University, Denver, CO	Booked
11/17/2012-	01/27/2013	El Progreso Memorial Library, Archives & Museum, Uvalde, TX	Booked
02/16/2013-	04/28/2013	Amelia Gayle Gorgas Library, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL	Booked
05/18/2013-	07/28/2013	San Lorenzo Park, Monterey County Parks, Salinas, CA	Booked
08/17/2013-	10/27/2013	Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, MO	Booked
11/16/2013-	01/26/2014	Carlsbad Museum & Art Center, Carlsbad, NM	Booked
02/15/2014-	04/27/2014	The Mexican Museum, San Francisco, CA	Reserved

 

Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964; exhibition prospectus. Contains information about the traveling exhibition as well as descriptive text about the bracero program itself. English/Spanish >> Download. FREE.

Media only Christin Chism: 202.633.3159 Melinda Machado 202.633.3311 Media Web site:  http://newsdesk.si.edu The “Bittersweet” Struggle of the Bracero Is Revealed in a New Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition August 2009 In 1943, President Roosevelt announced the creation of what would become the largest Mexican guest-worker program in U.S. history. Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964, a new bilingual (English/Spanish) exhibition debuting at the National Museum of American History and organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), will explore this chapter of American history. The exhibition will be on view at the museum Sept. 9 through Jan. 3, 2010, and will then travel to museums around the country on a two-year, multicity tour. Facing labor shortages on the home front during World War II, the United States initiated a series of agreements with Mexico to recruit Mexican men to work on American farms and railroads. The Emergency Farm Labor Program, more familiarly known as the Bracero Program, enabled approximately 2 million Mexicans to enter the United States and work on short-term labor contracts. “SITES is deeply gratified to share with the nation a central part of American labor history of which so few are aware,” said Anna Cohn, director of SITES. “The story of the bracero is rooted in hope and determination. It is a testament to the enduring contributions that Mexicans and Mexican Americans have made to American life.” The exhibition explores the braceros’ contributions to communities in Mexico and the United States, the opportunities that became available to braceros and the challenges that they faced as guest workers during the war years and afterward. Included in the exhibition are 15 free-standing banners featuring oral histories, quotes and photographs by Leonard Nadel, a photographer who, in 1956, exposed employer violations endured by many braceros. The Nadel photos inspired the museum’s work on Bittersweet Harvest and the Bracero History Project, which also includes audio clips of former braceros relating their experiences. The firsthand accounts were collected as part of the project’s oral-history initiative. “This exhibition allows us to explore complex issues of race, class, community and national origin while highlighting the irrefutable contributions by Mexican Americans to American society,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. “‘Bittersweet Harvest’ is a unique opportunity to share an important but overlooked chapter in American history with visitors across the country.” Two versions of Bittersweet Harvest will travel through the country through 2011. Scheduled stops include the Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture in San Antonio: El Museo Latino in Omaha, Neb.; Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso, Texas; and the Springs Preserve in Las Vegas. Accompanying the exhibition is a Web site with transcripts, audio files of all of the oral histories, photos, essays, bibliographies and teaching resources. Developed by the Center for New Media at George Mason University, the Web site features a section where braceros and their families can contribute their own stories. The Web site is located at http://braceroarchive.org. Bittersweet Harvest is organized by the National Museum of American History and organized for travel by SITES. Funding is made possible through the Smithsonian’s Latino Center, which celebrates Latino culture, spirit and achievement in America by facilitating the development of exhibitions, research, collections and education programs. For more information, visit www.latino.si.edu. SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at www.sites.si.edu. The National Museum of American History collects preserves and display American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. After a two-year renovation and a dramatic transformation, the museum shines new light on American history, both in Washington and online. To learn more about the museum, check http://americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call 202.633.1000, 202.633.5285.