idea audit. it is something i would enjoy. >> american history tv, it gives you that perspective. i have a c-span fan. >> each week american history tv's real america brings you films that provide context to today's public affairs issues. "why braceros?" is a 1962 film by the council of california growers which argues in favor of a guest worker program that began in 1942 due to world war ii labor shortages. the agreement between the u.s. and mexico allowed bracero to be transported across the border when farmers and agribusinesses cannot hire american workers. at the program's peak between 1956-1959, 400,000 mexican workers participated each year.

the program was discontinued when congress decided not to extend the law in 1964. ♪ >> farming is america's biggest industry. while most industries have made

advances in productivity, agriculture has outpaced them all. one of the reasons has been intense mechanization. progress has been impressive. however, some crops must be harvested by hand. where such things as inspection, cutting, and handling are basic to quality. every hand-picked crop is under intensive study. the constant flow of experimental equipment is on trial, all designed to relieve the burden of manual labor. until each piece of equipment can be shown to eliminate cantilever and reduce cost with no sacrifice to quality, until then, much of the work must be manual. the placement of thousands of workers at the right place at the right time is an immense job. here is stoop labor in the

literal meaning of the term. no stooping here because citrus trees are more difficult to pick, most farmworkers avoid this job. all such jobs which are unpleasant are generally referred to as stoop labor. understandably, and this is the only area in which the farm labor supply falls short and a supplement of a mexican citizens, sometimes called nationals or mexican nationals. the term is commonly used is braceros. in spanish, this means a man who works with his arms and hands. it happens that the braceros

form a fraction of the total labor force used on our farms. some americans feel this tiny fraction should not be used. a typical dialogue pinpoints major issues. >> with americans, why bring in foreigners to work on our farms? >> it makes sense to the farmer, though. they work for lower pay. >> doesn't a former realize he is kind of american labor? could be done our living standards? >> what is in somebody do something about it? >> inshore short, the big question in many minds is why braceros? the question is so widespread that we consider it a public service to tell the why and how of braceros. many crops call for us to blaber especially at harvest when

demand for labor it's at its peak. it is not easy to find people willing to take on such undesirable work so the farmer must begin precluding his seasonal labor force long before his labor needs reach a critical point. once he has estimated the number of men needed, he coasted to potential sources. one of them is the form placement service, that combines federal and state agencies with been looking for american farmers who have worked to be done. weeks before the season, the grower registers the jobs he has to offer, the types of work, the pay rates. this agency does an excellent recruiting job. workers able and willing to do business labor are always in short supply. he goes to a second source. a private labor recruiting association, an organized effort to recruit the labor force of their own. weeks in advance, he notifies the association of his needs. the farmer knows that if the domestic supply is short, the association can, if authorized, supply braceros to compensate

for the shortage. why is this so critical? if labor is not on hand when the crop is ready, the crop and the farmer's investment is lost. which is why days before the harvest date, he revisits the form placement service to see whether enough domestic labor is available to meet needs. even if this agency doesn't have enough, the farmer is not authorized to import braceros until he proves that the farmers own recruiting service has utilized all seasonal domestic labor available. federal law says that the farmer can bring in only the number of braceros required to fill the gap. for a better understanding, why not interview the agents? what you might answering a few questions?

>> i would be glad to. >> do you get many requests for foreign farmworkers? >> i would have to say no. supplemental workers are small part of the farm they will force in california. not as many are being used now as a few years ago because there are more domestic laborers available. we use every possible recruiting method to ensure an adequate supply of labor, including newspaper ads, radio, i think we do a complete job of recruiting domestic labor, meeting most requests. >> except for stoop labor. >> we supply a good deal of that. it is only when we cannot find

enough domestic laborers and the farmer has utilized all sources that we approve the use of nationals. no farmer has been authorized to hire braceros unless he agrees to continue every effort to hire domestic workers. he must pay foreign workers at a rate no less than domestics doing the same kind of work. he has to keep us advised of the status of any activity in which he is using foreign workers. these regulations guaranteed the employment rates of domestic workers and nationals are used only when the domestic labor supply cannot meet the need. >> thank you. the farmer now brings braceros a certification for his labor recruiting association. as has been seen, this certification for braceros is fully authorized by state and federal authorities. all of the facts are double checked and only if they meet a preset conditions can the order be put through.

[no audio] >> only now can the manager process through further channels their request for the authorized number of braceros. this involves placing the order with the proper authorities at the border. the association manager can give us interesting details. did you order this nationals just for that particular farmer? >> their requests are presented an accumulation of eight in the area.

we will receive a sizable amount -- we call the reception center in place our order for foreign workers. >> how does the reception center at the border get several hundred workers ready so quickly? >> we know roughly the number of mexican nationals that will be needed to supplement the local labor in the area. we know this seasonal demand for this type of labor. when orders coming from the department of employment, certifying that a local labor shortage exists, we are ready to go. >> isn't it true that your organization that farmers also try to recruit domestic farmworkers? >> that is true. here is an example of an advertisement we run to attract

stoop labor. we also have used radio as a means of recruitment in states like texas and arizona. the results of the recruitment effort as it applies to picking pears and peaches and apricots has been good. as it pertains to stoop labor, the results were nil. >> doesn't the department supply a good deal of the stoop labor required? >> yes. even with your organization in their experience personnel, they are unable to supply for all the stoop labor that is needed.

for example, during the recruitment effort, we requested these numbers of workers. we have had transportation available at the farm labor office. as a matter of fact, we requested over 1100 workers. the department of employment was on the will recruit 725. this created a shortage of stoop labor over 450 workers. this is where the mexican nationals come in. >> thank you. in practically all such jobs, the farmer has all the domestics he and the recruiting agencies can find plus braceros. the entire crew, domestic or foreign, is paid at the same rate. but, even after the braceros are at work, domestic workers still have priority. the federal law is specific about this.

any local who wants to work has transportation all ready to take him to the field when the farmer must take him on even if it means pulling out of braceros to whom he is only committed by contract -- yes, even with free transportation, it is seldom that a bracero is made idle. are they mistreated? the gentleman at the center of the scene is at the mexican counsel. listen to what he has to say. >> first of all, let me clarify a point. these men i am speaking to are not "wetbacks." the name applies to mexicans who enter the country illegally. these men are braceros. now to your question as to how they are treated, they are well

treated in that the mexican government has allowed continue temporary immigration of workers and that a great number of them have returned here many times. international agreements for this program set up the highest possible standards for working conditions. food and welfare for the mexican worker. these programs are well-carried out. take into consideration the number of mexican temporary workers who come to this country. i find that very few errors are committed. both mexico and the united states benefit from this program. mexico assists american farmers

with workers when there is a farm labor shortage. it provides additional income to the mexican worker which improves its economy. both sides gain. in my contacts with the braceros i can summarize my impression by saying they are free to come to work in the united states. >> what of the money earned by the braceros? is it all drained out of the country? hardly. look at the braceros when they come. it is obvious they need a great many things, like clothes to winter the spend their money at go as a local merchant put it -- >> as a matter of fact, they

could spend a great deal of money right here to purchase clothing and other domestic items such as transistor radios, luggage, furnishings, items that are not readily available at home. take a look at the braceros when they come into the country and when they leave. they have new shirts, pants, shoes, items bought here locally. i do not see how the local farmers get along without braceros without the source of labor, many farmers are going to be unable to make a profit and we do not want this to happen because the farmer is still our best customer. >> with the domestic supplier farm labor being inadequate, braceros are a must but some people say --

>> make the pay high enough and he will pull in other domestic labor you need. >> farm wages have gone up steadily for many years and we still do not have enough seasonal domestic labor willing to do this kind of work. conclusion: unless we have braceros to fill the gaps, stoop labor crops will be forced that -- out of american agriculture. consequences? much of our food processing industries output would be replaced by imports. these jobs now held by americans would be taken by workers in other lands in our plants and equipment will be slow down or shut down. jobs and investment in the transportation industry would feel the blow. in a recent typical year and just one state, the transportation of items of lettuce, citrus, asparagus, tomatoes totaled over $166.5 million. movies, and these millions going to transportation would

disappear hitting both management and its labor force. these same crops from the same space in the same typical year require many types of containers, lids, caps, labels, over $112 million worth. cut this out and what happens to the thousands of people who work in or invest in these industries? these are just a few of the industries use management, machinery, production and labor force are all geared to the availability of these familiar crops harvested for the most part by braceros. if all such crops are driven out of american farming, many jobs would be lost. many segments of our economy would feel the blow. the solution to the problem? as we said, even now, machines

to eliminate stoop labor are in the pilot stage. until they are ready, most braceros are a necessary supplement to our cruise. in spanish, braceros means a man who works with arms and hands, but in american lingo, they are called lifesavers, and they are, not only to the farmers, but the housewife, the grocer, the transporter, the canner and a processor into all of the other industries whose output and very existence are so closely interlocked independent on the continued supply of such crops. ♪