CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2001–2002 REGULAR SESSION
House Resolution
No. 14
Introduced by
Assembly Member
Reyes
(Coauthor(s):
Assembly Member
Calderon, Cardenas, Cedillo, Chavez, Corbett, Correa, Diaz, Firebaugh, Frommer, Goldberg, Kehoe, Koretz, Negrete McLeod, Oropeza, Salinas, Simitian, Steinberg, Vargas)
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May 01, 2001 |
Relative to the former Bracero workers; guest laborers who worked in the United States between 1942 and 1964 pursuant to various official agreements with Mexico.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HR 14, as introduced, Reyes.
Digest Key
WHEREAS, Because of the labor shortage due to the United States World War II effort, the federal government issued contracts to Mexican citizens willing to cross the border for temporary employment; and
WHEREAS, As a result, hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens worked in the United States agricultural fields and railroads as a part of the Bracero program, jointly established by the United States and Mexico, from 1942 to 1965; and
WHEREAS, A mandatory provision of the program required 10 percent of the wages earned by the workers from 1942 to 1949 to be deducted and placed into savings accounts; and
WHEREAS, This portion of their wages was to be transferred through the United States government to Mexico’s central bank and Mexican banks were to pay out the funds to the former Bracero workers upon their return to Mexico; and
WHEREAS, Many Bracero workers were never told about the savings fund nor how to collect the money deducted from their salary; and
WHEREAS, When the former Bracero workers who knew of the fund attempted to collect their wages from the Mexican banks, many were unable to do so; and
WHEREAS, The disposition of these funds is currently unknown; and
WHEREAS, At the time the former Bracero workers attempted to claim their moneys held pursuant to the savings fund program; and
WHEREAS, After more than 50 years, a number of lawsuits have been filed this year for the purpose of recouping these funds for the former Bracero workers; and
WHEREAS, The former Bracero workers deserve to be heard in court and to have this issue resolved; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That we urge the President of the United States, the Congress, the Secretary of State, and the United States Attorney General to make the resolution of this issue a priority; and be it further
Resolved, That we urge the United States government to fully cooperate in the effort to determine why money owed to Bracero workers was not paid, including making available all records relating to the savings fund program; and be it further
Resolved, That we urge the President, Congress, the Secretary of State, and the United States Attorney General, through appropriate diplomatic and legal channels, to seek the full cooperation of the Mexican government in the effort to determine why money owed to Bracero workers was not paid, including making available all records from the Mexican government and public banking institutions relating to the savings fund program; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly shall transmit copies of this resolution to the President of the United State, Congress, the Secretary of State, and the United States Attorney General.