LARAMIE - ¡Celebremos! Wyoming State Parks and the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historic Site will open its first Spanish/English bilingual exhibit, entitled “Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964,” on Saturday, June 3.
The exhibit showcases the Bracero Program, literally translated as “manual laborer” program, the largest Mexican guest-worker program in U.S. history.
The public is invited to the exhibit opening on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The Bracero Fiesta is a free event that will feature opening remarks on Wyoming’s connection to the Bracero Program, Mariachi Sol De Mi Tierra music, salsa dancers, piñatas, food, vendors, fun, and more. The new exhibit runs through Aug. 10.
Admission to the historic site is usually $5 for adults and $2.50 for youth aged 12-17, said site superintendent Debra Amend. The admission fee will be waived the day of the June 3 festival, she said.

‘Lasting impact’
Facing labor shortages on the home front during World War II, the United States initiated a series of agreements with Mexico to recruit Mexican men to work on American farms and railroads. Mexican nationals entered the United States under the Emergency Farm Labor Program, more familiarly known as the Bracero Program, and work on short-term labor contracts. The program offered Mexican men economic opportunities and much-needed work. Their contributions to the U.S. have had a lasting impact on the political, economic, social and cultural landscapes of both nations.
 “Having this remarkable exhibition on display at one of our leading historic sites means so much to our Agency,” said exhibit administrator Domenic Bravo. “Telling the story of the Bracero is core to our Mission. Hosting this first ever bilingual exhibit demonstrates Wyoming State Parks’ overarching hope to tell the story of many cultures and how they have contributed to our American way of life.”
The exhibition explores the opportunities that became available to braceros and the challenges that they faced as guest workers during the war years and afterward. Included in the exhibition are 15 free-standing banners featuring oral histories, quotes and photographs by Leonard Nadel. The Nadel photos inspired the museum’s work on “Bittersweet Harvest” and the Bracero History Project, which also includes audio clips of former braceros relating their experiences.
 “Bittersweet Harvest” is organized by the National Museum of American History and organized for travel by SITES. Funding is made possible through the Smithsonian’s Latino Center, which celebrates Latino culture, spirit and achievement in America by facilitating the development of exhibitions, research, collections and education programs.
Local funding is provided by the Wyoming Territorial Park Historic Association.