HURON, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – The City of Huron is getting ready to recognize Bracero Legacy Month with a series of community events and highlighting the “unsung heroes of World War II,” Mexican laborers who worked “de sol a sol,” from sunup to sundown.

“Last year, the City of Huron made history by launching the Nation’s First Bracero Legacy Month, becoming the first city in the United States to officially recognize and honor the Bracero Program,” the city said.

“The Bracero Program, established in 1942, was the largest contract labor program in U.S. history. Over its 22 years, more than 4.6 million labor contracts were issued, with an estimated 2 to 2.5 million Mexican men participating, many of them returning season after season.”

Organizers say braceros were known for their tireless dedication, which shaped the American food system.

“Their labor sustained U.S. agriculture during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam era,” the city said. “While Braceros were largely represented in agriculture, their presence was also evident in construction, manufacturing and building out the railroad in the west.”

This year, The LEAP Institute will host the second annual Bracero Legacy Month Celebration on Saturday, Sept. 27.

The celebration will coincide with the inauguration of the city’s first-ever Bracero gallery, “De Sol A Sol: The Bracero Story – Labor, Land, & Belonging.”

Organizers say the exhibition was curated by Bracero Family Archives and Eric Magaña, and will open with a public reception on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 4:00 p.m. at 16900 Huron Ave.