Hispanic Heritage

El deportado

("The Deported One")

This canción-corrido was recorded by Los Hermanos Bañuelos in the early 1930s. El deportado depicts the bitter experiences of a Mexican immigrant in his encounter with American officials.

I'm going to sing to you, gentlemen,
I'm going to sing to you, gentlemen
all about my sufferings,
since I left my country,
since I left my country
to come to this nation the United States
We arrived at Juarez at last,
we arrived at Juarez at last,
there I ran into trouble.

"Where are you going, where do you come from?
How much money do you have to enter this country?"
"Gentlemen, I have money,
gentlemen I have money,
so that I can emigrate."
"Your money is worth nothing,
your money is worth nothing,
we have to bathe you."

The white men are very wicked,
the white men are very wicked,
they take advantage of the occasion.
And all the Mexicans,
and all the Mexicans
they treat without compassion. (Arhoolie/Folklyric Records, 1975)

Source: Hispanic American Almanac, Gale, 1997; DISCovering Multicultural America, Gale, 1999.