Abstract

VEZINA, Catherine. The bracero, hero or pariah? His media representation, 1942-1964. Sig. his [online]. 2019, vol.21, n.42, pp.180-221.  Epub Aug 03, 2020. ISSN 1665-4420.

The image of the bracero suffered significant changes in the press during the bilateral program’s two decades of existence (1942-1964). Based on the research on diverse Mexican national and regional newspapers, this article examines how the representation of the Mexican migrant worker evolved from the creation of the program until its dismissal. Through national and regional press, it is possible to look at the transformation and manipulation of the image of the bracero. Its figure, as presented by various newspapers, is closely related to the economic and political post-revolutionary context, and to the international context of the Cold War. Its representation is not homogeneous, and the newspapers seems to adjust this image in terms of their political affinities and its regional or national origin. There is a strong duality in the way that the press portrays the bracero, encompassing the positive and negative aspects of this character. Sometimes, he is shown as an agent of development and as an anti-imperialist champion, but in various occasions he is portrayed as a victim or as a national traitor.

Keywords : migrant; modernity; nationalism; press; agricultural worker.

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