El Bracero del Año

In the movie, El Bracero del Año, released in 1964, the final year of the bracero program in the United States, the famous Mexican actor known as “Piporro” enters the United States in violation of the U.S. immigration laws. The plot is simple and traditional: Piporro wants to earn money in the United States to impress his future Mexican father in law. The historical value of the movie lies in its recordation of the culture and language of northern Mexico and south Texas. But the movie also records in comedic fashion the trials and tribulations of an “illegal” or “mojado” trying to make a living in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.