Editorial: An old wrong needs to be acknowledged

Friday, Jan. 3, 2003 | 9:39 a.m.

In 1942 the United States and Mexico agreed that Mexican laborers would come here on temporary contracts and fill jobs vacated by those who had left for World War II military service or jobs in war-production factories. The men were known as braceros (day laborers). After arriving, they endured unsafe working conditions, unsanitary living conditions and racism. Yet these "soldiers of the fields," as they called themselves, persevered and their service proved vital to the war effort.

Until 1950 (the program lasted until 1964), 10 percent of their salaries were withheld, affecting up to 400,000 workers. The money went to a Mexican bank and the workers were supposed to receive it upon return. Most of them never did. Lawsuits have been filed, with one saying U.S. labor officials knew the bank wasn't distributing the money, but kept quiet, not wanting to disrupt the flow of workers. The U.S. government has been successful in relying on the statute of limitations and other technical defenses. We support a bill introduced in Congress that would require the federal government to confront this issue on its merits, not technicalities. Workers who earned this money, or their heirs, should receive it.