LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — The Museums of Lake County has opened its newest exhibition, “Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964.”
This traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History explores the little-known story of the Bracero Program, which brought millions of Mexican guest workers to the United States to help fill the labor shortage during World War II and beyond.
“Bittersweet Harvest” features photographs, artifacts and oral histories that provide insight into the experiences of the Bracero workers and their families.
The exhibit examines the program's impact on agriculture, labor and immigration policies, as well as on the lives of the workers themselves.
“The Bracero Program played a significant role in the history of agriculture and immigration in our country, and we are honored to be able to share this story with our community,” museum officials said in a written statement.
The Museums of Lake County California will host the exhibit from May through August 2023.
In conjunction with the exhibit, they are seeking local residents who have personal connections to the Bracero Program as part of the ongoing Oral History project.
“Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964” was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Museum of American History, in collaboration with the Bracero History Archive and the Institute of Oral History at the University of Texas at El Paso.
The exhibition was made possible through the support of the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Admission to the exhibit is free, but donations to support the Museums of Lake County California are welcome.
For more information about the exhibit and related programs, visit the museum's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/MuseumsOfLakeCountyCa.