State Fair

A Mariachi band plays at a state fair. World War II fueled Mexican immigration to this country. As defense industries grew and many workers went off to war, the United States experienced acute labor shortages. In response, in 1942, the United States and Mexico created the Bracero Program, which allowed contract workers from Mexico, or braceros, to come to the United States. Most of these laborers worked in agriculture. Many of these Mexicans faced discrimination, which may be why in the painting the man in the blue suit is pointing menacingly at the band members. After the war, the United States started a large-scale deportation campaign.