Born on June 20, 1963, in Yuridia, a city in Guanajuato state in Mexico. Jose completed six years of schooling, but opportunities for work in his area were very limited. He first came to the United States around 1986 in search of work. He traveled to North Carolina and soon found work picking tobacco and cucumbers. He returned to Mexico during the off season, but continued to come to the United States for agricultural work. Jose began working for Eckert's Orchards in Belleville, Ill. in 1994. He typically spends 8 months in the United States, generally from March to October, and the rest of the year in Mexico. His wife and children live in Mexico. He plans on retiring in Mexico, and anticipates his family will remain in Mexico.
From the description of An interview with Jose L. Martinez / Jose L. Martinez ; Mark DePue, interviewer. 2008. (Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library). WorldCat record id: 297448610
