April 2 - May 20
A photo exhibit of Mexican guest workers in the United States from 1942-1964, laborers known as braceros or "those who work with their arms." The Bracero Program is the primary origin of the transnational mass Mexican migration phenomenon that dominates the US news cycle and US-Mexican relations today.
Photos originating in Stanford University Special Collections convey the exploitation, dehumanization, nobility, struggles, and triumphs of Mexican farmworkers (and industrial workers) during this pivotal era, particularly in California, the largest recipient of bracero labor in the program's 22-year existence. Spring quarter 2024 holds tremendous symbolic significance, as it marks the 60-year anniversary of the formal end of this transformative program while also representing the seasonal kickoff of the growing/harvest season in CA.