Oregon Multicultural Archives Oral History Collection, 2011-2024

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The Oregon Multicultural Archives Oral History Collection is a growing repository of interviews that documents the experiences and perspectives of people of color who have spent at least portions of their lives in Oregon. Of particular note is the Oregon State University Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project interviews, as well as three interviews with OSU students involved in leading the 2015 OSU Students of Color Speak Out; the interviews were conducted in 2017.

Interviews from this collection are available via the Multicultural Voices of Oregon website and in OSU MediaSpace. Transcripts from this collection have been digitized and are available in Oregon Digital. Digital audio files are also avialable for reference use upon patron request.

Creators

ID: OH 018

Extent: 185.0 gigabytes

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Scope and Content Notes

Biographical / Historical Notes

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OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project

Sofia Baum is an undergraduate at OSU who identifies as multiracial person, specifically a Mexican Jew. She grew up in Junction City, Oregon, 30 miles south of Corvallis.

Kali Furman is originally from Idaho and is an Oregon transplant who is a PhD in Women Gender and Sexuality Studies student focusing on social justice education with a hope to be an instructor or a full professor in higher education that can center social justice, particularly racial and gender justice.

Vanessa Johnson is a multiracial woman who worked at Oregon State University from 2014-2016 in the Student Affairs Research Evaluation and Planning office as a coordinator. In 2016, she decided to move back to Utah to be closer to family and to pursue further education.

Charlene Martinez is the associate director at Diversity and Cultural Engagement at OSU who has worked with several multiracial organizations at various universities. She identifies as multiracial Asian and Latina.

Kim McAloney is a professional faculty member at OSU who works in the Educational Opportunities Program. She is currently a doctoral student in the College of Education. McAloney identifies as multiracial and black.

Erich Pitcher works for Diversity and Cultural Engagement as an associate director for research and communication.

Jonathan Stoll self-identifies as a ‘pigh’ (Portuguese, Indian, German, Hungarian), who is multiracial and the father of two multiracial girls. He works at Oregon State University as the Director of Corvallis Community Relations and as the co-interim Assistant Dean of Student Life. He participated in the OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017.

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2015 OSU Students of Color Speak Out Interviews

Haniya Ferrell ~ At the time of the interview, Haniya Ferrell was an undergraduate student at Oregon State University. During her time at OSU, she worked at the Centro Cultural César Chávez, Social Change Leadership Programs, and in ASOSU as the Coordinator of Multicultural Affairs. Ferrell was one of the three students - along with Jasmine Armas and Jessanne Pope - who organized the 2015 OSU Students of Color Speak Out. She was raised in Antioch, California.

Jasmine Armas ~ At the time of the interview, Jasmine Armas was a fourth-year undergraduate student studying zoology at Oregon State University. Armas was involved in various campus groups Kappa Delta Chi Sorority incorporated, a Latina founded organization, Social Change Leadership Programs, and Student Leadership Involvement. Jasmine Armas was one of the three students - along with Haniya Ferrell and Jesseanne Pope - involved with organizing the Students of Color Speak Out event in 2015. Armas is from Los Angeles county California, specifically Maywood and Lakewood, California.

Jesseanne Pope ~ At the time of the interview Jesseanne Pope was a recent alumnus of Oregon State University. During her time at OSU, she worked in various positions, including the Hattie Redmond Women and Gender Center (previously called the Women’s Center) and the Social Change Leadership Programs, and she described her participation in the Examining White Identity retreat as transformative. Pope was one of the three students – along with Haniya Ferrell and Jasmine Armas – who organized the 2015 Students of Color Speak Out at Oregon State University. Pope was born in Roseburg, Oregon, and was brought up in Grants Pass, Oregon.

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Bios Organized By Individual

Reverend Alcena Elaine Boozer (b.1938), born Alcena Elaine Caldwell on March 19, 1938 was the Rector of the St. Philip the Deacon Parish for 17 years. Alcena grew up in Northeast Portland and was the fifth of six children. She studied education at Portland State University and got married during her last year in 1960. Over the next 14 years she taught Social Studies, was a counselor and eventually appointed Vice Principal at Grant High School. In 1983 she decided to go to Seminary at Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She was one of the first women ordained in the Diocese of Oregon and one of only 3 African American women ordained in the Episcopal Church nationally. In 1993 Alcena Boozer became Rector of St. Philip in Portland, Oregon, the church she grew up in, and retired in 2012.

Maria Chavez-Haroldson, Owner of Culturally Responsive Solutions, a consulting business focusing on equitable, diverse, and inclusive organizational development practices. Chavez-Haroldson has over 25 years of professional experience as an administrator and leader of social justice change in state governments and non-profits.

Carl Deiz (b.1920) born November, 16 1920, has been a prominent member of St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church since 1921. Raised in Northeast Portland, Carl graduated from Franklin High School and soon after worked on the railroad as a waiter. In 1942 he was drafted and sent to Montgomery, Alabama. His older brother, who had been drafted two years prior, had already been trained as a Tuskegee Airman. After finishing officer's school in Miami, Carl arrived in Tuskegee and trained as a pilot. Upon not passing his last eye exam he became a supply officer at Tuskegee. He was discharge in 1945 and returned to Portland where he studied Business Administration at the University of Portland on the G.I. Bill. He eventually worked for the Forest Service and Bonneville Power Administration. In 1949 he married Mercedes Deiz, who became the first African American female judge in Oregon. Deiz continues to volunteer his time and effort at St. Philip the Deacon.

Tara DeMaderios is a recent OSU alumna, now living in the Midwest where she is perusing a Master’s degree. She identifies as multiracial, mixed black and white. DeMaderios participated in the OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017.

Allison Davis-White Eyes, OSU Director of Community Diversity Relations in the Office of Institutional Diversity, previously the Assistant Vice Provost and Director, Diversity & Cultural Engagement. Her research interests include; intersectional theory, the queering of identity and space, and the mobility and migration of culture and identity.

Earnel Durden (b. circa 1937) attended OSU from 1955-1959 as a football player and a student studying physical education and science for a teaching degree. He played on the 1957 Rose Bowl team under Coach Tommy Prothro, and in his sophomore year, Durden was selected as "Joe College." He was one of the few, first African American students to attend OSU—prior to OSU having their first African American female student. Due to this, Durden had many experiences dealing with cultural differences in Corvallis regarding a lack of knowledge and interaction with African American people.

Emalydia Flenory, at the time of her interview, was pursuing an MA degree in English at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on black and white masculinity in relation to sexual politics and popular culture. She was a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the School of Writing, Literature & Film, a Steering Committee Member of the Women of Color Caucus, and the Secretary of the Black Graduate Student Association.

Katie Hutchinson, at the time of her interview, is currently pursuing an MFA concentrated in creative non-fiction at Oregon State University. Her writing centers on kinship, spirituality, race, landscape and anti-capitalism.

Shireen Hyrapiet was born in Kolkata (Calcutta), India. She went to school and college in India acquiring a Bachelor of Science degree with Honors in Geography from Loreto College, Kolkata. In 2001, Shireen moved to the United States for graduate work. She spent a few years at Millersville University in Pennsylvania before beginning a Master of Science degree in Fire and Emergency Management Administration at Oklahoma State University. Shireen went on to receive a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University before accepting an Instructor position at Oregon State University. She is currently a Senior Instructor I teaching courses on Geography of the Non-Western World, Sustainability for the Common Good, Human-Environment Geography, Environmental Justice, Geography of Disaster Management, and regional courses on Asia and Latin America.

Elizabeth Kaweesa is a third year PhD student in the Chemistry department at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on drug discovery as well as cancer research. Elizabeth also serves as the president of the Black Graduate Student Association. Elizabeth is from a fishing village near Lake Victoria in Uganda.

Urmila Mali was born in Kathmadu, Nepal, in 1969. She lived in Nepal until her family moved to Tillamook, Oregon, in 1979. There she attended school from fourth grade through high school. After graduating from high school, she chose to go to Oregon State University, following in her sister's footsteps. During her undergrad years, she studied broadcast communication and earned a degree in Masters of Art in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus in anthropology and women's studies. As of 2017, she is an Academic Counselor for the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP), which involves working with non-traditional students to provide academic and personal support.

Justin McDaniels spent time abroad before his family finally settled in Canby, Oregon. Being a biracial person in the predominantly white Pacific Northwest gave him a childhood that did not include conversations about race until he entered college at Oregon State University. Once he was aware of the complexities surrounded race and the injustices, he became a student activist on campus to empower marginalized students. Oregon State University’s failure to respond to racist events on this campus led to the “I, Too, Am OSU” movement and the Solidarity March in 2014. With a continued focus on social justice, at the time of the interview, McDaniels was a political science major with a focus on international relations.

Ramycia McGhee is a Chicago native and holds a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from UW-Whitewater, M.S.in Journalism from Roosevelt University, and an Ed.D in Education Leadership Management from Capella University. Before beginning her career at Linn Benton in fall 2017, she worked as an adjunct English instructor for City Colleges of Chicago. Her specialties include developmental writing and adjunct professional development.

Loretta Milton grew up in Roseburg, Oregon, and attended OSU in the late 1960s. She met her husband, Fred Milton, at OSU. They married in 1969 and moved to Utah where she worked as a teacher’s aide at the Edith Bowen Lab School while Fred completed his degree at Utah State University. For a short time, while Fred Milton played for the Montreal Alouettes, a Canadian football team, Loretta worked as a waitress. Loretta and Fred moved to Portland, Oregon, in the early 1970s, had several children, and were married until his death in 2011. Zalika Gardner, born 1973 in Portland, Oregon, is daughter to Fred and Loretta Milton. Isaiah Adams is Zalika Gardner’s son and Fred and Loretta Milton’s grandson.

Norm Monroe (b. 1939) is OSU's first African-American basketball player for the Men's Team. He played during 1960-1961, but left the team half-way through the season. In a brief Barometer article in January of 1961 it states that Monroe left the basketball team in order to focus on Track. That year and the next, he was one of OSU's star Track and Field Athletes.

Jean Moule (b. 1945) received her doctorate in education from OSU in 1998 and began teaching in the College of Education that same year. Specializing in the topic of multicultural issues in education, Moule authored the book Cultural Competence: a Primer for Educators. Prior to her position at OSU, Moule worked for nearly two decades as a teacher and TAG (Talented and Gifted Program) coordinator for several Oregon (K-12) public schools. From 2003 to 2009, Moule served as director of OSU's Master of Arts in Teaching Elementary Education Immersion Program (a program which she initiated). Moule's career as an instructor at OSU has included the teaching of online coursework, primarily the class: "Racial and Cultural Harmony in the K-12 Classroom" since 2002.

Janet Nishihara is a third generation Japanese American who was born in 1959 in Ontario, Oregon. Growing up in the rural town of Veil, Oregon, Nishihara's high school did not provide many academic opportunities. She earned her bachelor's degree in English education from Oregon State University as well as her master's degree. She has held positions at the university such as a graduate teaching assistant, a writing instructor, an academic counselor, supervisor, and the director of the Educational Opportunities Program. Currently, her position is interim associate provost for academic success and engagement and director of advising on campus. Her current duties include: coordinating the work in regards to the first year experience, improving academic advising, and overseeing academic support programs for students.

Karen Olivo (b. 1939) is the widow of Colegio César Chávez student and groundskeeper, Arthur Olivo. Born in Chicago, at age 6 her family moved to Anchorage, Alaska and then to Yakutat, where she lived with the Tlinget indigenous people. In 1977, while living in Sunnyvale, California and attending De Anza Community College, she met Arthur Olivo. Arthur was a teacher for the Center for Employment Training. When he was offered a job in Tigard, Oregon in 1979, Karen and her youngest son Andrew moved from Sunnyvale to Oregon with Arthur. In the Fall of 1980 Arthur enrolled at Colegio César Chávez and was also the college's groundskeeper. Karen, Arthur and Andrew lived on the property of Colegio César Chávez until they were asked to vacate in 1982. Karen has lived in Gervais, Oregon, since 1983. She has volunteered for nearly a decade with the Foster Grandparents organization as a "Grandparent" at the Western Oregon University Day Care Center and the Jensen Arctic Museum.

Andrew Parodi (b.1975) was born in Mountain View, California. He is the son of Karen Olivo and the stepson of Arthur Olivo. He lived at Colegio César Chávez with Karen and Arthur from 1980-1982. He attended Western Oregon University.

Justeen Quartey is a fourth year Public Health major and the president of the Black Student Union at Oregon State University. Justine was born and raised in Sacramento, California.

Eli Eric Saslow is an American journalist who writes for The Washington Post and ESPN The Magazine. he wrote the 2018 book Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist.

Dr. Susan Shaw, OSU Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and previously Director of the School of Language, Culture, and Society. Shaw’s work on Women’s Theology has been widely circulated in a majority of Huffington Post articles. Shaw is also a co-author of one of the most used Women Studies textbooks in the country, Women's Voices, Feminist Visions: Classic and Contemporary Readings.

Sarah Smith, an Alumni of Oregon State University, is a University Development Project Coordinator 1 for the Carlson College of Veterinarian Medicine at Oregon State University. Sarah is from Beaverton, Oregon.

Kayla Spears is the Student Leadership Liaison at the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center. Kayla is a fourth year Political Science major and the vice president of the NAACP chapter at Oregon State University.

Marilyn Stewart grew up in Marianna, Florida. She began her college experience at the Chiploa Junior College with the goal of becoming an accountant. In the mid-1980s, Stewart joined the military for eight years where she continued taking courses and met her husband. She came to Oregon State in 1989 to earn her bachelor's degree in business and her master's degree in education. She began her work with the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) at OSU as an office coordinator in 1994 after returning to Benton County. Since then she has held other positions such as executive assistant, office coordinator, operations manager, advisor, and academic counselor. Her current title is acting co-director for EOP.

Tenisha Tevis, is an Assistant professor in College of Education with an emphasis in Adult and Higher education at Oregon State University. Tenisha’s research focuses on the policies and practices higher education administrators utilize to help disenfranchised students gain access to and persist through college. Specifically, she explores disability services and the polarizing effects of race. Tenisha grew up in Sacramento, California but came to Oregon from Stockton, California.

Antonio Torres was born in Viña del Mar, Chile, in 1949. He received his undergraduate degree in math and chemical engineering at the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago. After being accepted to MIT, Torres moved to the United States and received a master's in food microbiology and a PhD in food engineering. He has been at Oregon State University since 1984 and now holds the position of associate professor of food processing engineering. Several of his job duties include: research, training, and teaching. He has also contributed to creating a scholarship program for students of diversity. With a love of travel, Torres continues to foster international relationships to places such as Mexico, Spain, and Germany while maintaining his career at OSU.

Juan "Tony" Trujillo was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, in 1964. After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees at Brigham Young University, he went on to receive his PhD in Ibero-Romance Philology and Linguistics from the University of Texas in Austin. He has been a professor at Oregon State University since 1997 as an Assistant Professor in the School of Language and Society at Oregon State University. His job duties include: classroom instruction, scholarship development, and administrative responsibilities. He also helped develop a Difference, Power, and Discrimination course, and the Spanish Learning Community course, which is a 15 credit language-intensive course. Recently, Trujillo has been developing documentaries and writings to both further his career and self-awareness.

Charlie White (b. 1938) transferred to OSU as a junior in 1964 to join the Men's Basketball Team as the first African-American player recruited on scholarship and only the second ever on the team. In his first year he earned the Attitude and Leadership Trophy and was the second highest scoring player for the season. The next season, as team captain, he led the Beavers to the Pacific 8 Conference Championship. In 1967 he became OSU's Assistant to the Freshman Coach.

Luhui Whitebear, Member of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation, OSU Ph.D. student, a mother, poet, and Indigenous activist. Her research focuses on a variety of Indigenous issues ranging from the violence against Indigenous women, reclaiming of Indigenous identity, as well as Indigenous movements of resistance and natural resource protection, such as her work with the Dakota Access Pipeline Resistance Movement.

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Bios Organized by Panel or Group Interview

Participants in the 2015 OSU Arts and Social Justice Living-Learning Community group interview included Hunter Briggs and Jacq Allen. At the time of the interview, Briggs was a freshman at OSU majoring in ethnic studies with a focus on pre-law. Allen was a fourth year student in public health with an option in health promotion and health behavior. Both participated in the arts and social justice living learning community.

Participants in the 2018 OSU Integrated Learning for Social Change (ILSC) and Arts and Social Justice Living Learning Community group interviews included Micknai Arefaine, Graduate Teaching Assistant for AYA, the Women of Color initiative; Charlene Martinez, the self-defined "masterweaver" and Associate Director of ILSC; Elirissa Hui, Graduate Teaching Assistant for ILSC; Poiema Lee, Student Ambassador for ILSC and AYA, the Women of Color initiative; Mackenzie Gipple, Student Ambassador for ILSC; Havani Fifita, Leadership Liaison for ILSC; Hunter Briggs, Leadership Liaison for ILSC; Jeremiah Allen, a student within the Arts and Social Justice Living Learning Community; and Hope Trautman, Peer Facilitator for SOL, the Multicultural LGBTQ+ Support Group.

Participants in the OSU Hmong and Latinx Students "Voices Without Borders" group interview included Alejandra Mendoza born in Fresno, CA and raised in Boardman, OR, and majoring in Mathematics; Lorena Ambriz born in Mexico, raised in Eastern Oregon, and majoring in Sociology; Guadalupe “Lupe” Garcia from Salem, OR, and majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences; Warren Wang from Portland, OR, and majoring in Biochemistry/Biophysics; Gina Chang from Portland, OR, and majoring in Psychology; Nitché Verdugo from Southern California and Mexico and majoring in Ethnic Studies with a focus on Chicanx/Latinx Studies; Mai Xee Yang from Portland, OR, and earning a Bachelors in Fine Arts. Natalia Fernández from Tucson, AZ, and an archivist. Mendoza, Ambriz, Garcia, Verdugo, and Yang are members of M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán). Wang and Chang are members of the OSU Hmong Club.

Participants in the OSU Asian Pacific Islander American, Mixed Heritage Focus Group: Charlene Martinez, associate director at Diversity and Cultural Engagement; Daniel Cespedes, an employee within the Office of Finance and Administration; Reagan Le, associated director of the Asian and Pacific Cultural Center; Stephanie Shippen, an employee within Counseling & Psychological Services; Hevani Fifita, Delfine Defrank, Olivia Calvillo, Makayla Bello, Marwah Al-Jilani, Jason Tena-Encarnacion, Aisha McKee, Mackenzie Gipple, all OSU students at the time of the interview. All participated in the OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017.

Participants in the OSU African American, Mixed Heritage Focus Group: Charlene Martinez, associate director at Diversity and Cultural Engagement; Kim McAloney, a professional faculty member at OSU who works in the Educational Opportunities Program; Mackenzie Gipple, Keyshawn Davis, Breonna Keller-Robbins, Marwah al-Jilani, Justeen Quartey, and Hevani Fifita, all OSU students at the time of the interview. All participated in the OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017.

Participants in the Race in America: Black Woman Series: Iyunolu Osagie, Professor of English, School of Writing, Literature and Film within the College of Liberal Arts; Charlene Alexander, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer in the Office of Institutional Diversity; Allison Davis White-Eyes, Director of Community Diversity Relations in the Office of Institutional Diversity, previously the Assistant Vice Provost and Director, Diversity & Cultural Engagement

Participants in the St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church and Urban League of Portland group interview: Herbert Amerson was president of the Board of Directors of the Urban League. Allison Logan Belcher and her family have been members of the church since 1967. Geoffrey Brooks was baptized and raised in the church. He became a public school teacher. His father was the director of the Urban League and his mentors were Joe Nunn's mother and father. Gerry Caldwell (b. 1940) was baptized in St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church and was a lifelong member and supporter of the Urban League of Portland. He served for twenty-eight years in the U.S. Army. Myrtle Carr became a member of St. Philips in 1949 and worked with the Urban League for thirty-six years. She served on the Oregon Episcopal Council and on the Vestry. Joe Nunn grew up in the church and served as an altar boy. As an adult he became a public school teacher as his mother, father, and grandfather were before him.

Participants in the Student Activists: The Civil Rights Histories of Oregon’s Universities and Colleges panel: Hannah Leah Crummé, worked at The National Archives of the UK before joining the Watzek Library at Lewis and Clark College in Portland as the head of special collections and college archives. She received her BA from Pomona College in Claremont, California and completed her doctoral research at King's College, London. Eva Guggemos has been the Archivist at Pacific University in Forest Grove since 2011. She previously worked at the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University. She has an MLS from Simmons School of Library and Information Science, an MA in History from Yale University, and a BA from the University of Kansas.Cristine Paschild has been the Head of Special Collections and the University Archivist at Portland State University Library since 2008. Before joining Portland State, she spent seven years with the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles as an archivist and the director of the collections management and access unit. Paschild holds an M.A. in English and an M.L.I.S. with an archives specialization, both from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Natalia Fernández, is an associate professor and the Curator and Archivist of the Oregon Multicultural Archives (OMA) and the OSU Queer Archives (OSQA) here at the Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center. Fernandez is a board member on the Oregon Black Pioneers’ Board of Directors, and served on the Racing to Change exhibit advisory committee.

Participants in the 2019 MLK Jr. Week Event – “Dr. King’s Legacy Lives On: Student Activism at OSU” panel: Darius Northern, People of Colour; William Miller, Indigenous Peoples’ Day; Raven Waldron, Scab Sheet, Dr. Asmatey, Indigenous Queer and Two-Spirit Student Alliance; Azeem Hussaini, SUPER, Building Names, Tuition Costs; and Sienna Kaske, Here to Stay and DACA.

Participants in the 2020 Educational Opportunities Program 50th Anniversary Event: Dorian Smith, Dr. Robert Thompson, Dr. Dwaine Plaza, Dr. Janet Nishihara, Dr. Larry Griggs, Ruta Faifaiese, Kim McAloney, and Urmila Mali.

Participants in the 2020 Palmer Patton Lecture: Larry Landis, Director of OSU’s Special Collections and Archives Research Center, and Dwaine Plaza, OSU Professor of Sociology.

Participants in the 2020 "Where Do We Go From Here?" Panel: Tamara Lash (she/her), OSU Alumna ‘20, Social Justice Program Coordinator for YWCA of Greater Portland; Andres Larios Brown (He/They), former Multiracial Aikido Facilitator and Marriage and Family Therapist at OSU. Currently researching Familial Queer Identity processes for Religiously Conservative Cultures, and Diversity Training in Marriage and Family Therapy Programs; Larry Roper (he/him), OSU Professor Emeritus of Language, Culture, and Society; Damoni Wright, Associate Vice Provost for Engagement & Inclusion and ED Student Experiences & Engagement at OSU; and Charlene Martinez, Associate Director of Student Experiences & Engagement at OSU.

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research. Access to the Norm Monroe audio file is by permission of Norm Monroe.

Arrangement

Preferred Citation: Oregon Multicultural Archives Oral History Collection (OH 018), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Acquisition Note: All interviews were conducted by OSU Libraries Special Collections & Archives Research Center (SCARC) staff or colleagues, or in some instances by non-SCARC staff, as indicated.

Acquired: Future additions to this collection are anticipated.

Languages of Materials

English

Other

Container List

Series 1: Interviews, 2011 Add to Shelf

The interview audio and transcript for Digital File 1 are available upon patron request. Transcribed audio for Digital files 2 and 3 are vailable online.

Extent: 3 sound files

Digital File 1: Monroe, Norm, May 18, 2011 Add to Shelf: Norm Monroe discusses growing up in Washington D.C. and his early experiences with sports; moving to California to attend Compton Junior College and join the track team and later being recruited by the Oregon State University track team; his experiences at OSU as an athlete, for both track and basketball, as a student, as well as a newcomer to Corvallis during the early 1960s; his return to Washington D.C. and working at a hospital morgue and later at the National History Museum; his journey back to Oregon and residence in Lake Oswego with a job with the Law Enforcement Assistance Administration; and his personal and professional experiences with Mental Health. [Interview conducted by Dwaine Plaza. Transcript available online.] Access to the Norm Monroe audio file is by permission of Norm Monroe.; Extent: 1:20:02
Digital File 2: White, Charlie, May 18, 2011 Add to Shelf: White discusses growing up in Detroit during the 1950s; joining the military and playing basketball oversees; his journey from junior college in Southern California to Oregon State University after being recruited for the OSU Men's Basketball Team; his experiences both as an athlete and student at OSU and as a newcomer to Corvallis, 1964-1967; his work for the Crown-Zellerbach manufacturing facility in Antioch, California with the specific job to integrate the workforce; and his life-long passion for basketball. [Interview conducted by Dwaine Plaza. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 48:08
Digital File 3: Moule, Jean, October 17, 2011 Add to Shelf: Moule begins by talking about her family, specifically the histories of her father and mother; she reflects on her childhood and school experiences including her early years in New York City and visiting South Carolina, and later being raised in Los Angeles, California; she concludes by discussing her academic experiences, social/political activism, and personal relationship with her husband while at the University of California at Berkeley during the mid-1960s. [Interview conducted by Natalia Fernández. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 1:29:20

Series 2: Interviews, 2012 Add to Shelf

Transcribed audio is available online for all interviews in this series except Digital File 10. Reference audio and transcript access for Digital folder 10 is available upon patron reuest.

Extent: 7 sound files

Digital File 4: Moule, Jean, February 9, 2012 Add to Shelf: Moule begins by explaining her preparation process for this interview, part 2 of 3, which covers the time period after Moule's graduation from Berkeley in 1967 through the early 1990s before beginning her graduate work at OSU. Moule first discusses her experiences as a student in a teacher education program during the late 1960s, her various jobs during her time in the Northern California area, and her and her husband's move to Oregon. Moule then describes her family life and experiences, her involvement in the Christian community and how it influenced and affected her teaching, her work with the Talented and Gifted Program, and her various teaching experiences including her time as a substitute teacher and her work with the incarcerated. [Interview conducted by Natalia Fernández. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 1:30:35
Digital File 5: Moule, Jean, May 8, 2012 Add to Shelf: Moule begins by describing her journey to OSU's College of Education doctoral program and explaining her activities as a student including her participation in the 1996 student boycott; Moule recalls her feelings and specific experiences of her treatment on campus; she then explains the development of the courses she taught as well as her transition to a faculty member; Moule continues by explaining the Immersion Program she initiated along with her overall workload and continued curriculum development regarding multicultural issues in education – for additional context and depth, Moule includes excerpts from student reflections. In the second half of the interview Moule discusses the book she authored, the tenure and promotion process, and her overall relationship with her department. Throughout the interview Moule describes the challenges she overcame during her time at OSU, specifically the racism she endured, and she reads from an article in which she states various racist scenarios and how to “lighten the load.” Towards the end of the interview, Moule explains one of her favorite activities, geocaching, and she concludes the interview by reading the 2003 commencement speech she gave to OSU graduates. [Interview conducted by Natalia Fernández. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 2:46:50
Digital File 6: Deiz, Carl, May 19, 2012 Add to Shelf: Deiz discusses his parents and their journey to Portland, working on the railroad as a waiter, being drafted and sent to Montgomery, Alabama in 1942. He explains his brother and his role in the Tuskegee Airmen, being discharged and attending University of Portland on the G.I. Bill. He concludes the interview by sharing information regarding his meeting and marrying his wife, Judge Mercedes Deiz, their three children, and his photography hobby as well as being a part of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. [Interview conducted by Chris Petersen. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 33:32
Digital File 7: Boozer, Alcena, May 19, 2012 Add to Shelf: Boozer discusses her family, especially how her mother and father met and her oldest brother, who was the first African American Pharmacist at OSU. She details her time at Portland State University, obtaining her Bachelors in Education and Graduate Certificate in Counseling, working at Grant High School as a teacher, counselor and vice principal, and leaving for Seminary at Church Divinity School of the Pacific. She explains her husband's occupation and her two sons Bentley and Clark. She shares her thoughts on the Church and her faith, how she came to the conclusion to become a Deacon, influential figures in her life. She concludes with her hobbies of activism, hiking and gardening. [Interview conducted by Chris Petersen. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 19:17
Digital File 8: Deiz, Carl, May 30, 2012 Add to Shelf: Deiz discusses the Southeast Portland neighborhood he grew up in, the activities he was involved in as a kid, especially being a boy scout. He explains the personalities and lives of his parents. Deiz discussed his feelings about the Tuskegee program, how is brother was involved in the Tuskegee Airmen, the training process, how popular culture has portrayed the Tuskegee Airmen. He shares his memories on the Vanport Flood and what he lost in the flood. He explains how he met his wife, how she became a judge, what challenges if any she faced, and how he felt about her becoming a judge. Deiz concludes the interview by discussing his involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in Portland and the place St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church has had in his life. [Interview conducted by Chris Petersen. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 1:27:06
Digital File 9: Boozer, Alcena, May 30, 2012 Add to Shelf: Boozer discusses the multiethnic neighborhood she grew up in Northeast Portland, the significant places people in the community would gather at, how her family hosted black entertainers from out of town, such as Lionel Hampton. She describes her time in school at the challenges she faced in high school. She details the day of the Vanport Flood, what she saw, what she heard and how the community reacted. How she met her husband and her wedding day. She then discusses her involvement in civil rights in the 60s, public demonstrations in Oregon, Freedom Riders, the ongoing Civil Rights Movement in Oregon, names main figures of the Civil Rights movement in Portland, her thoughts on national Civil Rights activists such as Malcolm X, Dr. King and the Black Panthers. She discusses her feelings on the last draft board and "Project Return." Boozer explains her time at the Seminary, the transition from the Seminary to becoming a Reverend, her experience being Vicar of Emmanuel Missions in Birkenfeld and St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, the changing demographic of St. Philip. Afterwards, she goes into details about past reverends, Ramsey Schadewitz, Karl Reich, Sally Lambert, and Richard Green. She concludes the interview by explaining the difficulty she had leaving the church when she retired, how the church is connected to the Urban League of Portland, and her thoughts her own life and what she has accomplished. [Interview conducted by Chris Petersen. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 1:03:27
Digital File 10: Olivo, Karen and Andrew Parodi, July 23, 2012 Add to Shelf: Karen Olivo and Andrew Parodi begin by chronicling Karen's early life and her time spent living in Alaska. They continue by discussing how Karen met Arthur Olivo, her future husband, while attending De Anza Community College; Arthur's work at Center for Employment Training in central California; and how Arthur and Karen began their relationship. The bulk of the interview begins when they explain Arthur's decision to move to Oregon. During this part of the interview they detail their time working and living at Colegio César Chávez in Mount Angel, Oregon. They discuss the physical grounds of the college; the people they interacted with while they were there; events at the college; ethnic discrimination they endured; and the politics behind the closing of the college. Throughout the interview the two discuss aspects of Mexican culture and the family structure of the culture. They conclude by explaining the end of Arthur's life and how having him in their life impacted them. [Interview conducted by Natalia Fernández. Interview audio and transcript available upon request.]; Extent: 2:26:43

Series 3: Interview, 2013 Add to Shelf

Interview audio and transcript for Digital file 11 are available upon request.

Extent: 1 sound file

Digital File 11: St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church/Urban League of Portland group interview, Mat 8, 2013 Add to Shelf: Participants were: Herbert Amerson, Geoffrey Brooks, Gerry Caldwell, Myrtle Carr, Allison Logan Belcher and Joe Nunn. The group discusses the Urban League of Portland, St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church, and the city of Portland with a particular focus on the times during which each participant was growing up. Other topics discussed include: housing and job discrimination, racism, the Ku Klux Klan, and education. The interview and transcript for this oral history are available upon patron request.; Extent: 1:16:31

Series 4: Interviews, 2014 Add to Shelf

Transcribed audio recordings for the interviews in this series are avialable online.

Extent: 1 sound file and 5 video files

Digital File 12: Durden, Earnel, February 18, 2014 Add to Shelf: Durden discusses his high school years in Los Angeles as an African American and rising football player; recruitment and experiences as a student, African American, and athlete at Oregon State University; his relationship with Tommy Prothro as a player and assistant coach; his various coaching experiences at Compton Junior College, Long Beach State University, UCLA, and for the Rams; and a brief description of his children's sports careers. [Interview conducted by Dwaine Plaza in connection with an event focusing on the desegregation of OSU football. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 1:20:00
Digital File 13: Trujillo, Juan, October 29, 2014 Add to Shelf: This interview begins with Juan Trujillo’s background, including where he was raised and the background of his parents. Trujillo then discusses his education from high school to college at BYU and then in Texas. He also mentions several of his past mentors before stating his reasons for choosing to apply for a job at Oregon State University. After this, he details the past job duties he has held and his current position as assistant professor in the School of Language, Culture, and Society. The classes he teaches and has taught range from Spanish linguistics, to English linguistics, to the Spanish Learning Community class, to DPD courses. Staying with the theme of OSU, Trujillo notes several people of importance from the university. To focus on diversity at OSU, Trujillo chronicles the changes in diversity at the university, the failures of the current OSU administrative bureaucracy to effect change, the cultural centers, his role in supporting faculty of color, and his recommendations for a more diverse campus. Trujillo highlights the lack of access to resources that people of color face at OSU and in Corvallis due to its limitations as a small community. Then, speaking on a national level, Trujillo talks of the racism and wage disparity that many minorities face. The interview transitions into a more personal tone when Trujillo relays his decision to obtain a PhD, his recognition of his ethnic background, his production of a short film documentary regarding gay Mormon experiences, and his expressions through writing. To end the interview, Trujillo highlights his challenges at the university in regards to receiving tenure as well as noting his accomplishments. [Interview conducted by Buddy Terry, Reilly Quinn, and William Rowley as part of the Fall 2014 U-Engage ALS 199 “Untold Stories: Histories of People of Color in Oregon” OSU Faculty/Staff Oral History Project complied to create the digital book Untold Stories: Oral Histories of Faculty & Staff of Color at Oregon State University. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 0:59:25
Digital File 14: Torres, Antonio, October 30, 2014 Add to Shelf: Antonio Torres begins by discussing his cultural background, being raised in Chile, and his education from elementary school to his undergraduate degree in Chile, to his masters and PhD at MIT in the United States. Torres then talks about his first mentor, his decision to come to Oregon State University, and his first impressions thereof. After this, he discusses his love of travel before delving into his jobs duties at Oregon State, including his role as a researcher and as an instructor. Because of the community at OSU, Torres notes several people he sees as people of importance to him from EOP and his graduate students. Also included in this is the importance of the creative architecture of some of OSU’s buildings. The interview switches to discuss diversity when Torres details personal experiences he had when first arriving in Corvallis. He has seen an increase in diversity over the years, and he highlights this when discusses the cultural centers. Building on this, Torres articulates Oregon State’s role in supporting faculty and students of color and his recommendations to improve that role. He then expresses frustration over the campus’ overutilization of its buildings before highlighting the differences between teaching in the United States and teaching overseas. He then details his scholarship program and the student successes therein. To end the interview, Torres reveals some of his greatest accomplishments: his students and his kids. [Interview conducted by Jacob Dimm, Nick Hawkins, and Jacob Novotny as part of the Fall 2014 U-Engage ALS 199 “Untold Stories: Histories of People of Color in Oregon” OSU Faculty/Staff Oral History Project complied to create the digital book Untold Stories: Oral Histories of Faculty & Staff of Color at Oregon State University. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 1:01:29
Digital File 15: Stewart, Marilyn, November 3, 2014 Add to Shelf: Marilyn Stewart discusses her transition from high school to college and several experiences therein. She highlights some of her mentors while noting several courses in which she enrolled while in the military. Moving to Oregon State University, her initial impression was of the campus’ visual beauty. She has held many positions at OSU including: executive assistant, office coordinator, operations manager, advisor, academic counselor, and her current position as acting co-director for EOP. Highlighting the ways in which her poor experience with her high school counselor helped place her on a path of providing assistance to others, Stewart notes several people who have been important to her regarding her work at OSU. In terms of diversity, she feels that it has declined over time, but the Intercultural Student Services has helped this to change. Therefore, recruiting, preparing, and retaining students and faculty of color is the role of OSU as it pertains to fostering diversity. She gives some recommendations on how to accomplish this while highlighting the financial issues that people of color face. Following this, Stewart recounts her hiring process, how she came to the Corvallis community, the role of her programing in providing academic support to students, the challenges of her job, and the overall goal of helping students. In closing, Stewart touches upon her accomplishments, such as her family, joining the military, her college degrees, and student successes. [Interview conducted by Jordan Rodgers, Jenny Vorvik, and Viktor Rodriquez as part of the Fall 2014 U-Engage ALS 199 “Untold Stories: Histories of People of Color in Oregon” OSU Faculty/Staff Oral History Project complied to create the digital book Untold Stories: Oral Histories of Faculty & Staff of Color at Oregon State University. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 0:37:22
Digital File 16: Mali, Urmila, November 14, 2014 Add to Shelf: Urmila Mali details her transition from high school in Tillamook to college in Corvallis as a positive experience due to the diversity of international students present at OSU. Some of her mentors include her sisters, EOP coworkers, and others. Mali then talks about her decision to attend OSU, her impressions of campus, her transition towards receiving a master’s degree, and her current position as acting co-director for Education Opportunities Program. Her usual position is as an academic counselor within EOP, and she relays the duties embedded within that position. Mali expresses gratitude for the diversity of the staff working in her department while detailing the increase of opportunities available to students of color. Within that, she mentions International Student Services as an important program for giving a voice to people of color. Following this acknowledgement, Mali recognizes the role of OSU in supporting students and staff of color as not only recruitment, but also retention. Moving away from OSU, Mali discusses her relationship with the Nepalese Association of Oregon, including her family’s initial involvement, its growth, and its events. She then mentions the documentary entitled Color of Fear as a tool for recognizing the racism that exists locally. This is followed by challenges Mali has faced in her career along with her accomplishments. In closing, Mali reiterates the importance of providing support services to students and staff in order to retain the diversity at OSU. [Interview conducted by Emilee Boyd, Jessica Tafoya, and Lauren Kimura as part of the Fall 2014 U-Engage ALS 199 “Untold Stories: Histories of People of Color in Oregon” OSU Faculty/Staff Oral History Project complied to create the digital book Untold Stories: Oral Histories of Faculty & Staff of Color at Oregon State University. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 0:39:31
Digital File 17: Nishihara, Janet, November 18, 2014 Add to Shelf: Janet Nishihara discusses her transition from high school to college as an exciting opportunity while acknowledging several of her mentors at OSU. After highlighting various positions she has held at OSU, Nishihara relays her current position's job duties as interim associate provost for academic success and engagement and director of advising on campus. Regarding diversity, she discusses the changes she has seen at the university, which has improved in terms of student recruitment and retention. She brings attention to several important initiatives such as the Difference, Power, and Discrimination program and the cultural centers. Furthering this, Nishihara states what she believes to be OSU’s role in supporting staff and faculty of color within the Corvallis community. On a more personal level, Nishihara describes her role in supporting diversity as interacting with students and maintaining the momentum of change on campus. When discussing the numbers regarding diversity, Nishihara sees an increase in the university’s efforts to support students of color. This increase is, in part, due to the walk-out of black students in the 1960s that she chronicles as leading to the establishment of the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP). Immigrant acculturation is an issue she discusses before talking about the Asian Pacific Cultural Center, its start, its role, and its new location. Relating back to her career, Nishihara then talks about the role of EOP and TRIO. Before closing, Nishihara recounts some of her greatest challenges including adjusting to a bigger city and being a woman of color on campus as well as some of her accomplishments including the DPD and student successes. [Interview conducted by Karly Rodgers, Hayley Pearson, and San Poil Whitehead as part of the Fall 2014 U-Engage ALS 199 “Untold Stories: Histories of People of Color in Oregon” OSU Faculty/Staff Oral History Project complied to create the digital book Untold Stories: Oral Histories of Faculty & Staff of Color at Oregon State University. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 0:42:16

Series 5: Interview, 2015 Add to Shelf

Transcribed audio recordings for this series are available online.

Extent: 1 sound file

Digital File 18: OSU Arts and Social Justice Living-Learning Community group interview, March 18, 2015 Add to Shelf: Participants were: Hunter Briggs and Jacq Allen. The interview begins with each interviewee discussing his/her major and his/her decision to enroll in Oregon State University. Following this, they chronicle their personal growth since attending Oregon State and being a part of the arts and social justice living learning community. The students then discuss their inspirations, ranging from family to friends to teachers. Personally, they each discuss their identities, the power structures within those identities, and how those have changed or been reinforced within the college setting. Focusing on the arts and social justice classes, they discuss the dynamics and what they found to be most impactful in the lectures, activities, and guests—many of which brought attention to the power hierarchy and identities of society. Within this same line of thought, they outlined their visions for the future and the ways in which programs like this can help spread equality. In ending, the students discuss some of the community projects they have conducted, what activism means, and thoughts they wish to express to the community about social inequalities. [Interview conducted by Maria Garcia. Transcribed audio available online.]; Extent: 0:31:20

Series 6: Interviews, 2016 Add to Shelf

Transcripts for this series, as well as audio or video files as applicable, are available online.

Extent: 4 sound files and 2 video files

Digital File 19: Fred Milton Family group interview, February 19, 2016 Add to Shelf: Participants were: Loretta Milton, Zalika Gardner, and Isaiah Adams. The Fred Milton family interview begins with Loretta Milton, Fred Milton’s widow, sharing her experiences while attending Oregon State University during the 1969 Black Student Union (BSU) Walkout, her relationship with Fred Milton, including their struggles as an interracial marriage, and their lives in Utah, Montreal, Canada, and eventually Portland, Oregon. Loretta describes Fred’s dissatisfaction with the Canadian football team and his subsequent jobs in Portland as a community liaison for the police, his employment at IBM, and his work for the city government. Zalika Gardner, Loretta and Fred’s first child, then shares some recollections of her father including: his wisdom, sensitivity, and sense of humor; his love to share stories; his talent as an athlete; his very humble personality; and his values. Gardner then describes her grandfather, a sharecropper who worked in Arkansas and then moved with his family to the West and worked on the railroad; his personality and influence on Fred’s life. The conversation then returns to Loretta who describes in more detail the circumstances and events of the BSU Walkout at OSU in 1969, the students who led the Walkout, and the campus reaction. Isaiah Adams, Loretta and Fred’s grandson and Zalika Gardner’s son, shares his perspective on his relationship with his grandfather, his admiration for his grandparents, and the values that he learned from Milton. The interview turns back to Loretta who describes some of the personal aspects of her marriage with Fred including his talent for letter writing, the evolution of their relationship with her parents, and his integrity. Loretta then shares her knowledge regarding the relationship between Fred Milton and football coach Dee Andros including their time while Fred attended OSU and their reconciliation during Fred’s candidacy for Portland County Commissioner. Both Loretta and Zalika describe Fred’s intellect and love of learning and the environment in addition to his athletic abilities, and Isaiah shares how those characteristics within his grandfather affected him. The family recollects on Milton’s many talents as an athlete and his passion for coaching. They conclude the interview by reflecting upon the positive impact that Milton had on the OSU campus and the significance of his story and legacy. [Interview conducted by Dwaine Plaza. Transcribed audio available online.]
Digital File 20: “Voices Without Borders” Stories of OSU Hmong and Latinx Students, February and March, 2016 Add to Shelf: During winter term 2016, two OSU student activists Mai Xee Yang and Nicthé Verdugo worked with Charlene Martinez, Associate Director of Integrated Learning for Social Change within Diversity & Cultural Engagement, on a project entitled Voices Without Borders for their Arts and Social Justice Practicum course. Part 1 of the interview begins with project participant introductions and with Verdugo explaining the interview purpose and structure. The purpose is to bring together the Hmong and Latino/Chicano communities to speak about the stories behind their families coming to the United States. The interview structure is for each person to have four minutes to share their story, followed by an opportunity for artistic expression, and closing with a reconvening to reflect on the stories shared and artwork created. The participants Alejandra Mendoza, Lorena Ambriz, Guadalupe Garcia, Warren Wang, Gina Chang, and Nitché Verdugo then share their parents’ immigration stories, their connections to their race/ethnicity, and reflections upon their own identities. In Part 2 Mai Xee Yang and Natalia Fernández share their family immigration stories and how they have shaped their lives. [Interview conducted by Nicthé Verdugo and Mai Xee Yang. Transcribed audio available online.]
Digital File 21: Vanessa Johnson and Jonathan Stoll, November 21, 2016 Add to Shelf: OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017 --- Vanessa Johnson and Jonathan Stoll discus how they identify as multiracial people and how this identity as affected them throughout their lives. They discuss how other people related to their identities as they grew up through to the present day. Vanessa Johnson discusses growing up as a multiracial woman and how separated she became from her mother’s native language, Spanish. Johnathan Stoll talks about his search for identity growing up and how disconnected he felt from his mother’s heritage. They both discuss coming to Corvallis and finding community there. They talk about how their identities have changed over the years. [Audio and transcript are online.]
Digital File 22: Charlene Martinez and Tara DeMaderios, November 22, 2016 Add to Shelf: OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017 --- Charlene Martinez and Tara DeMaderios discuss how they identify as multiracial women, how that identity has changed over time, and how other people interact with them based on their racial and ethnic identities. They discuss their relationship with activism and motherhood. Tara DeMaderios discusses her internship with Charlene Martinez. [Video and transcript are online.]
Digital File 23: OSU Mixed Heritage focus group interview (general), November 30, 2016 Add to Shelf: OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017 --- Mixed Heritage Focus Group (general) interviewees included Charlene Martinez, Tara DeMaderios, Vanessa Johnson, Kim McAloney, and Erich Pitcher, Facilitator: Kali Furman. The participants of the focus group discusses their involvement in the creation of Multiracial Beavers at OSU as students, staff, and faculty. They talk about how their experiences in Multiracial Beavers changed their lives and what the most exciting part of forming Multiracial Beavers was. The group discusses what their experiences in Oregon as multiracial people were like and how it differed from the places they were from. They conclude by sharing their hopes for the future of Multiracial Beavers and multiracial work on college campuses. [Video and transcript are online.]
Digital File 24: Sofia Baum and Kim McAloney, December 12, 2016 Add to Shelf: OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017 --- Sofia Baum and Kim McAloney discuss how they identify as multiracial people and how this identity has affected them throughout their lives. They discuss how other people related to their identities as they grew up through to the present day. Kim McAloney discusses growing up in California and moving to Georgia as a mixed race black woman. Sofia Baum discusses her life as a Jewish Mexican. They talk about how they related to their identities as they have aged and how their identities have changed over the years. [Audio and transcript are online.]

Series 7: Interviews, 2017 Add to Shelf

Materials from this series, including audio, video, and transcripts, are available online.

Exent: 5 sound files and 4 video files

Digital File 25: Kali Furman and Erich Pitcher, January 27, 2017 Add to Shelf

OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017 --- Erich Pitcher interviews Kali Furman about her involvement with the Multiracial Beavers Oral History project. She discusses how she met Charlene Martinez, and how their relationship developed. She also discusses growing up in a predominantly white and religious community as an outsider due to her parents’ marital status and atheism. [Audio and transcript are online.]

Digital File 26: OSU Mixed Heritage Asian American and Pacific Islander focus group interview, March 17, 2017 Add to Shelf

OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017 --- OSU Mixed Heritage Asian American and Pacific Islander focus group interviewees included Charlene Martinez, Daniel Cespedes, Hevani Fifta, Delfine De Frank, Olivia Calvillo, Reagan Le, Stephanie Shippen, Makayla Bello, Marwah Al-Jilani, Jason Tena-Encarnacion, Aisha McKee, Mackenzie Gipple - all of which are OSU faculty, staff, or students. The group discusses how they identify as multiracial people and how that has affected them in their lives as well as during their time on campus at OSU. They discuss how they are perceived and treated based on their race. They also discuss how connected or disconnected they feel from their cultures. Language is brought up often as an important factor in feel as if they belong vs not belong. They discuss some of the difficulties of bringing their multiple ethnic identities into interactions with other people who aren’t multiethnic as well as some of the privileges that are assigned to them based on skin tone. They also talk about how similar their experiences are and how grateful they are to have a space in which they can be multiethnic people. They end the discussion by writing down their name and a word they feel that they are on an index card which they share with the group. [Interview facilitated by Charlene Martinez. Audio and transcript are online.]

Digital File 27: OSU African American, Mixed Heritage focus group interview, May 16, 2017 Add to Shelf

OSU Multiracial Beavers Oral History Project 2016-2017 --- The group interviewees share their names and identities before talking sharing stories about belonging as people with mixed African American heritage. They discuss how they are viewed based on skin tone and how they are constantly perceived as either being not black enough or not white enough because of that. They also discuss the value of having a group to identify with. They move on to discussing the differences between where they grew up and OSU in terms both of ethnic makeup and how they were treated. They talk about micro aggressions they have experienced in their lives here as well. The group discusses how multiracially conscious different spaces at OSU are; the culture centers vs other places on campus. They close the discussion out by writing down messages on index cards and sharing them with each other. [Audio and transcript are online.]

Digital File 28: Haniya Ferrell ~ 2015 OSU Students of Color Speak Out, May 26, 2017 Add to Shelf

Haniya Ferrell discusses growing up in Antioch, California, and how her community shaped her. Ferrell then details her decision-making process for coming to Oregon State University. She describes her involvement in social justice programs and initiatives on campus and how she came to be involved. Afterwards, Ferrell describes the process leading up to the Speak Out event. She then retells what happened after the event and the expected outcomes. Ferrell concludes the interview by discussing the campus “climate” after the event, and the first steps the administrators can take to create a better environment for students of color. [Interviewer Lyndi-Rae Petty. Transcribed audio available online].

Digital File 29: Jesseanne Pope ~ 2015 OSU Students of Color Speak Out, May 26, 2017 Add to Shelf

Jesseanne Pope discusses what it was like growing up in the Southern Oregon town of Grants Pass and how their community shaped them. Pope explains the process of their decision to attend Oregon State University and explains how they got involved with social justice work on campus. Pope goes on to explain their involvement in the planning of the Speak Out event, the demands of the Speak Out, and the reaction of the Oregon State University administration. Pope also details the campus climate that sparked them into co-organizing the Speak Out with two other students. Pope details their view of how the university decentered the voices of students of color. Finally, Pope concludes the interview with their advice to future Oregon State students. [Interviewer Lyndi-Rae Petty. Transcribed audio available online].

Digital File 30: Jasmine Armas ~ 2015 OSU Students of Color Speak Out, May 30, 2017 Add to Shelf

Jasmine Armas discusses growing up in Los Angeles county, particularly Maywood and Lakewood, California. Armas talks about how her community helped shape her. Armas goes on to describe her decision-making process for picking Oregon State University for her college education. Armas then comments on her first impressions of the university. She then discusses how she came to be involved with social justice work on campus and how she became involved with the organization of the Speak Out. Armas then gives her opinion on how things can be made better for students of color after the Speak Out. Afterwards, Armas also describes the campus climate post Speak Out. Armas concludes the interview offering advice to new students on how to conduct social justice work on campus. [Interviewer Lyndi-Rae Petty. Transcribed audion available online].

Digital File 31: Panel - “Race in America: The Black Woman”, October 18, 2017 Add to Shelf

The four panelists Iyunolu Osagie, Charlene Alexander, Allison Davis White-Eyes, and Jennifer Brown all speak about their personal and professional journeys within higher education and academia (note: Dr. Brown requested to not be recorded). They share their experiences as black women in the locations in which they were raised, were they studied, and their time at Oregon State University. The event also features various short videos featuring inspirational black women speaking about their identities; they include Maya Angelou performing her poem “Still I Rise” as well as the actresses Tracee Ellis Ross, Taraji P. Henson, and Uzo Aduba. The recording also includes a short question and answer session. [Video and blog post with more information.]

Digital File 32: Hyrapiet, Shireen, October 26 and November 9, 2017 Add to Shelf

Note: this two part interview was combined into one audio file

In part one (the October 26 intreview), Dr. Hyrapiet discusses her studies in Kolkata, India and her journey into the field of geography. She then tells how she came to the United States to attend school in Pennsylvania. She arrived in the United States two weeks before 9-11. She talks about dealing with her own feelings over this tragedy, and the backlash toward her and other immigrants by the community. After her time in Pennsylvania, she briefly discusses her move to Alabama and then on to Oklahoma for graduate school. In the final part of the interview she returns us to Pennsylvania to discuss a racist comment made to her by her landlord, the aftermath of it and the “interesting and memorable” friendship that arose from it. In part two (the November 9 interview), Dr. Hyrapiet takes up where she left off in Pennsylvania, and her subsequent move to Alabama, which a place she said she felt very at home because of the large African American community she lived in. She then moves on to Oklahoma and her time there. At Oklahoma State University, she was the president of the Indian Student Association for two years and then was president of the International Student Organization for one year. It was during one her tenures as president that an ongoing discriminatory issue at a local restaurant frequented by international graduate students came to head. She discusses the evening it happened, and her role in the event and the events following. A link to her letter to the editor is included within her interview. She explains how her time in the United States made her more aware of her privileges at home. She reflects on her time in the southern United States and the effect of xenophobia has had on her, making her a “veteran” which makes her, in her eyes, more responsible for speaking up for those more vulnerable than her. Steered by a question from the interviewer, she returns to her time in Alabama and discusses what she liked about her time there. At this point, the main portion of the interview is concluded. As this was for my, the interviewers, class where I was to practice interviewing, I, at this point, asked her questions simply for the practice of asking questions. There was no particular direction, and while there are some interesting parts, the information gathered is more arbitrary. She briefly discusses living in Corvallis and her transition from India to the United States. She talks for some length on not fitting in within the Indian community and not feeling like she fits in within the American community, a kind of limbo and wonders if it will change when she becomes a citizen. She touches on her wish to address poverty within her own country and poverty within her new country. She speaks to an aspirational India, the influence of American, Australian and European culture on India, and reflects on the current political cycle. [Audio and transcript are online.]

Digital File 33: Urmila Mali, November 17, 2017 Add to Shelf

Mali begins by discussing how she arrived in the United States via the American Nepal Education Foundation Association founder Hugh Wood, an educator at the University of Oregon. She and her sisters were fostered by Dr. Wood in Tillamook, Oregon. She talks about her time in the Tillamook Public School system and how she handled the discrimination she and her sisters faced. She also tells how she and her sisters were able to retain their Nepali cultural traditions, and how they still maintain them today. She expresses her feeling at the loss of her Nepali, and a feeling of relief that she has not lost her Newari. In the 1990s, her parents arrived via green cards obtained through her sister, and she discusses her family’s navigation through H1B VISAs, the VISA lottery and her feelings regarding no one in her family retaining Nepali citizenship. Led by questions of the interviewer she talks about her American-ness, and this leads into a discussion of a visit she made to Nepal, the overwhelming feelings she had as she attempted to reconcile her childhood memories with today’s Nepal. She talks briefly on the Oregon Nepali community, her graduate studies at Oregon State University and her work at the Educational Opportunities Program. Again, in response to an interviewer led question, she talks about where she feels her voice as an immigrant fits in the conversation of race and racism with the United States, incidents at OSU and another incident of racism her sister encountered while traveling through Idaho. [Audio and transcript are online.]

Series 8: Interviews, 2018 Add to Shelf

Materials from this collection, including audio, video, transcripts, and blog posts, are available online.

Extent: 1 sound file and 6 video files

Digital File 34: Panel - "Race in America: The Black Woman", February 7, 2018 Add to Shelf: The seven panelists featured in this discussion share their personal experiences with colorism throughout their lives. Colorism is prejudice or discrimination against individuals with darker skin tone/complexion, typically among people within the same ethnic group. Colorism is not just an issue in the United States or isolated to African American communities, it occurs globally as well. [Video and blog post with more information.]
Digital File 35: Panel - "Feminist Forward: The Future of the Feminist Movement", February 13, 2018 Add to Shelf: The panel "Feminist Forward: The Future of the Feminist Movement" featured Dr. Allison Davis-White Eyes, Dr. Susan Shaw, Maria Chavez-Haroldson, and Luhui Whitebear. Topics discussed included being a leader and leadership, being a feminist, ethics of care, feminism, strategies to interrupt and make change (personally, ideologies, structures, etc.), as well as where the Feminist Movement is going in 2018, and beyond. [Video and blog post with more information.]
Digital File 36: Panel - "Student Activists: The Civil Rights Histories of Oregon’s Universities and Colleges", April 14, 2018 Add to Shelf: The panel "Student Activists: The Civil Rights Histories of Oregon's Universities and Colleges" was an opportunity for attendees to learn what was happening during the Civil Rights Movement on Oregon’s college campuses - including PSU, Lewis & Clark College, Pacific University, OSU, and the UO - and how student activism during the 1960s and 1970s helped shaped what higher education is for students today. [Video and blog post with more information.]
Digital File 37: Integrated Learning for Social Change - Leadership Team, April 25, 2018 Add to Shelf: The Leadership Team Interview with Charlene Martinez, Micknai Arefaine, and Elirissa Hui discusses the origins of the Integrated Learning for Social Change, meaningful experiences, how the program has grown, and hopes for the future. Overall themes of leadership, community, activism, self-care, care work, and social justice. Each member of the leadership team discusses the importance of their work with students of color and it can have a positive impact on the community at large. The questions asked include "How did you first get involved with ILSC? What has been the most impactful connection or experience? These could be mental or emotional connections made during your time with ILSC? What are some of your hopes for ILSC? And just hopes in general? How do all of you practice self-care? What do you think catalyzed ILSC to form? Why is this work important? As leaders of the team and on this campus, how has your leadership grown and how have you been able to reflect on it?" [(00:47:56) Interviewees: Micknai Arefaine, Charlene Martinez, Elirissa Hui; Interviewer: Hunter Briggs; Interview is available online]
Digital File 38: Integrated Learning for Social Change - Student Team, May 9, 2018 Add to Shelf: The Integrated Learning for Social Change Student Team Interview includes four students that have all being involved with ILSC for at least one year. They discuss how the being part of this program has helped them grow as students, community members, and in discovering their personal identities. Each of the students share how the ILSC has taught them more about activism, empathy, compassion, and inclusion which are values they plan to take with them into their future careers.The questions asked include “Words or phrase that comes to mind when you think of ILSC? How did you first get involved with ILSC? How do you think your involvement with ILSC has helped you with the understanding of your identities? Can you all share an experience or connection you’ve had during your time with ILSC? How do you see ILSC working beyond this space? How would you apply this knowledge and skills you gained at ILSC in your future life?” [(00:37:35) Interviewees: Poiema Lee, Mackenzie Gipple, Havani Fifita, Hunter Briggs; Interviewer: Elirissa Hui; Interview is available online]
Digital File 39: Arts and Social Justice Living Learning Community - Cohort, May 15, 2018 Add to Shelf: This interview was an informal conversation about the Arts and Social Justice Living Learning Community (ASJ). Within this learning community, there was emphasis put on storytelling and vulnerability. The importance of storytelling in activism has allowed each of the interview participants to build community centered on empathy, understanding, education, leadership, and personal growth. They also shared how storytelling in an immerse experience like ASJ is a form of art and social justice work that gives people space to be their authentic self. Additionally, each of the participants discusses how they have grown since being together in ASJ, reflections on lessons learned, and plans for the future. [(00:46:47) Interviewees: Jeremiah Allen, Charlene Martinez, Hunter Briggs; Interviewer: Hunter Briggs; Interview is available online]
Digital File 40: Arts and Social Justice Living Learning Community - Focus Group, May 23, 2018 Add to Shelf: Hope Trautman and Poiema Lee share how the Arts and Social Justice Living Learning Community (ASJ) has positively affected their higher education experience. They helped organize two Open-Mic events and Trans Day of Remembrance on campus. The ASJ community helped them become more aware of their own identities and the identities of those around them. Each of them share how they brought both art and social justice into their classes, which helped them grow in understanding their own identities. Now that ASJ no longer exists, they discuss how the values of this program can thrive in other ways and their fears about the OSU community losing focus on social justice work. The questions asked include “Words that come to mind when thinking of ASJ? How did you get involved with ASJ? What was the most shocking (both positive/negative) about the community/class? Have there been people or connections that you made because of ASJ? Tell me about the two open mic events? Do you think being involved with ASJ helped you be aware of your own identities? What role did art have in facilitating identity? What do you think about the community and what do you think prompted the ASJ to be created? How does it feel that ASJ is gone? Hopes and fears for it on/off campus? [(00:21:06) Interviewees: Hope Trautman, Poiema Lee; Interviewer: Hunter Briggs; Interview is available online]

Series 9: Interviews, 2019 Add to Shelf

Video and audio files for this series are available online.

Extent: 3 video files; 1 audio file

Digital File 41: Panel - "Dr. King’s Legacy Lives On: Student Activism at OSU", January 24, 2019 Add to Shelf: MLK Jr. Week 2019 featured a panel of current and former OSU students who have spearheaded activism at OSU. The students shared their recent experiences with using speech and activism to initiate change on campus. Among other things, panelists detailed their experience with activism at OSU, the barriers or challenges they experienced and their advice for student activists concerning organizing, cultivating relationships, and building coalitions. For more information, and a link to the video recording, see the OMA blog post MLK Jr. Week Event – “Dr. King’s Legacy Lives On: Student Activism at OSU”
Digital File 42: McDaniels, Justin, February 15, 2019 Add to Shelf: Justin McDaniels was one of the Oregon State University students that mobilized the “I, Too, Am OSU” campaign and the Solidarity March in 2014. These movements were in response to the lack of response from university administration in protecting marginalized students. McDaniels begins his interview by sharing stories from his childhood growing up in Canby, Oregon, specifically his high school and early college experiences. McDaniels also shares his coming out story, as well as his experiences as a queer biracial cis-gendered man. He discusses, in-depth, his participation and leadership in the “I, Too, Am OSU” campaign and the Solidarity March in 2014 – he discusses the campus climate, the impetus for the campaign and march, the administrative response, the behind the scenes planning, and the impact of his activism, as well as his support group and mentors. As a student who took an academic break and returned four years later, he has the unique perspective of learning that despite how powerful these movements felt in the moment, the same racist undertones exist on the campus. He expresses his thoughts regarding racist complacency, the concept of diversity within a university setting, and the lack of meaningful actions taken by university administrators. Video and indexed interview available online.
Digital File 43: Saslow, Eli, February 28, 2019 Add to Shelf: An interview with Portland-based journalist Eli Saslow, conducted by OSU Professor Elizabeth Barstow, to answer questions regarding his 2018 book Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist. Video available online.
Digital File 44: Women of Color in Academia ~ a conversation between Emalydia Flenory and Katie Hutchinson, December 2019 Add to Shelf: This interview was for a project in an Oregon State University Ethnic Studies course. The idea behind the interview is that the conversation would be an episode within a podcast series examining how we interact with race and ethnicity on a daily basis. Podcast Description: Are you a woman of color in academia who's TIRED? You're not alone! Join Emalydia Flenory as she chats with fellow women of color who are trying to navigate whiteness in academia as well as our white allies. Cracking the Ivory Tower makes whiteness visible by discussing topics related to white identity, whiteness in academia, racial fatigue, the emotional burden that is placed on us as women of color, and the overall tomfoolery of predominantly white institutions. Episode Description: In this episode, Emalydia brings in Katie Hutchinson as her guest! They talk about the labor black women perform when white spaces are in need of trauma porn, expectations that (white) academia has of black women, bridging the gap between the academy and the "real world" and their experience with being bi/multi-racial in America. Audio available online - 01:21:57.

Series 10: Interviews, 2020 Add to Shelf

Interview videos for this series are available online.

Extent: 3 video files

Digital File 45: Educational Opportunities Program 50th Anniversary Event, February 7, 2020 Add to Shelf: Oregon State University’s Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) began in 1969 with 48 students. Fifty years later, EOP serves over 400 students from historically underrepresented backgrounds, including (but not limited to) students of color, low-income students, first-generation in college and undocumented or DACAmented students. As a part of the EOP 50th anniversary celebration year, various OSU faculty and staff including Dorian Smith, Dr. Robert Thompson, Dr. Dwaine Plaza, Dr. Janet Nishihara, Dr. Larry Griggs, Ruta Faifaiese, Kim McAloney, and Urmila Mali, spoke at an event in which they talked about the context of the 1950s and 1960s within United States history in which the EOP was established, the OSU history leading to the creation of the EOP, personal reflections about the work of the EOP, and plans for the future of the EOP. Video available online.
Digital File 46: Palmer Patton Lecture, February 24, 2020 Add to Shelf: In this lecture, Larry Landis (Director of OSU’s Special Collections and Archives Research Center) and Dwaine Plaza (Professor of Sociology) presented together at the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center to unveil the story of Palmer Patton. Patton attended Oregon Agricultural College from 1916-1920 as an African American male who “passed” throughout his student life as a white male. Patton ultimately graduated from OAC with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the School of Agriculture and served as a faculty member in agriculture during the 1920-1921 academic year. Video and Transcription and Event Blog Post available online.
Digital File 47: Where Do We Go From Here: Battle Ground or Sacred Ground? Panel, November 5, 2020 Add to Shelf: This virtual event, which took place the week of the 2020 USA elections, was an intergenerational conversation and collective reflection with five justice and equity leaders of the Oregon State University community. The event was described as such: "Remaining connected has never been more important and necessary in these times. The panel discussion is intended as a moment to gather and reflect, allow for critical conversations to emerge, and center care as we make meaning of the election amidst multiple pandemics. The intended audience are current students. We will make a targeted effort to outreach with student leaders. This will, however, be open to the public and advertised widely." The five panelists included Tamara Lash (she/her), OSU Alumna ‘20, Social Justice Program Coordinator for YWCA of Greater Portland; Andres Larios Brown (He/They), former Multiracial Aikido Facilitator and Marriage and Family Therapist at OSU. Currently researching Familial Queer Identity processes for Religiously Conservative Cultures, and Diversity Training in Marriage and Family Therapy Programs; Larry Roper (he/him), OSU Professor Emeritus of Language, Culture, and Society; Damoni Wright, Associate Vice Provost for Engagement & Inclusion and ED Student Experiences & Engagement at OSU; and Charlene Martinez, Associate Director of Student Experiences & Engagement at OSU. Video available online.

Series 11: Interviews, 2024 Add to Shelf

Interview audio in this series is available online.

Extent: 1 video file

Digital File 48: George Cabrera, March 13, 2024 Add to Shelf: (02:02:14) Accomplished and recognized professor Dr. George Albert Cabrera retails in detail his experiences as an educator in Oregon educational institutions like McMinnville High School, Linfield University, Oregon State University, Western Oregon University, and Chemeteka Community College. George Albert Cabrera, born in 1946, reflects on his family's roots in Mexico and their migration journey, which eventually led to his upbringing in Southern California. His early life was shaped by the loss of his mother and subsequent years in institutional care, during which he lost touch with his culture and language. Despite these hardships, a pivotal kindergarten teacher ignited in Cabrera a passion for education, setting the course for his lifelong ambition to become an educator. Cabrera's experiences in institutions exposed him to emotional and physical struggles, as well as the impacts of abuse and discrimination. These challenges became the foundation of his deep commitment to social justice. In high school during the 1960s, Cabrera became involved in civil rights movements, particularly those advocating for Chicano pride and fighting systemic racism. Educators played a critical role in Cabrera’s life, guiding him to achieve his ambitions. He attended Oregon State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in 1968, followed by two master’s degrees in education between 1969 and 1972. He later earned a Ph.D. in Literacy and Learning Disabilities from Syracuse University in 1982. In the early 1970s, Cabrera began teaching at McMinnville High School in Oregon, becoming the first teacher of color in the district. He faced significant institutional barriers but remained committed to supporting marginalized students, particularly Latino youth. Cabrera advocated for diversity in education and helped students overcome challenges such as discrimination and poverty. His involvement with federal programs like Upward Bound further demonstrated his dedication to helping minority students access higher education. Cabrera’s academic career grew as he became a professor at both Oregon State University and Western Oregon University. There, he worked tirelessly to promote equity and diversity, often facing resistance from predominantly white faculty. He collaborated with colleagues to recruit and retain students of color, believing strongly in the need for representation and inclusion in academia. Interviewer: Sharon Salgado. Transcript available upon request. Interview available online. [Note: the interviewer verbally shares the interview took place in 2023, but the correct year is 2024]; Bio: Dr. George Albert Cabrera was born on August 2, 1946, into a Mexican-American family with deep roots in South Central Mexico. His paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States around 1905, settling in Juárez, El Paso in search of better opportunities. After surviving the hardships of the Great Depression, the family moved to Southern California, where they worked as agricultural laborers, a common path for many immigrant families during that era.Cabrera’s early childhood was marred by tragedy and hardship. His mother passed away when he was just three years old due to a congenital heart condition. As his father was unable to care for him, he was placed in an institution at the age of five. From then on, Cabrera’s formative years were spent in various institutional settings. These places were harsh, often violent, and emotionally neglectful environments where children from different ethnicities and backgrounds were housed together. Despite these challenges, Cabrera found an escape through education, excelling academically and becoming socially aware at a young age.During the 1960s, amidst the civil rights movement, Cabrera became active in Latino community activism, participating in school walkouts and developing a growing pride in his Chicano identity. This period ignited his lifelong commitment to social justice, a principle that would guide his career and advocacy work.After graduating from high school in 1964, Cabrera left Southern California for Oregon, drawn by the state’s natural beauty and a desire to start anew. With little guidance from high school counselors, he found his way to Oregon State University (OSU), where he encountered a supportive academic environment. Professors like Ned Marchefel recognized his potential and encouraged him to strive for academic excellence, even planting the idea that Cabrera could one day earn a PhD. His time at OSU was transformative, solidifying his passion for education and social justice, and eventually led to his role as a mentor at the university.Cabrera’s journey to higher education, however, was interrupted by the Vietnam War. In 1969, shortly after earning his first master’s degree, he was drafted into the military. Despite opportunities to pursue higher-ranking positions, Cabrera chose to serve as an infantryman, completing two years of service before returning to OSU to continue his studies. After earning a second master’s degree, he took the advice of mentors like Dr. Marchefel and later pursued a PhD in Literacy and Learning Disabilities at Syracuse University.Cabrera’s career as an educator began with a historic role in McMinnville, Oregon, where he became the first teacher of color in the entire school district. In this position, he faced significant challenges as he navigated the difficulties of being one of the only Latino educators in a predominantly white community. Oregon, during the 1960s and 1970s, lacked diversity, and Cabrera often felt isolated, especially as he worked with a small number of Mexican-American students—fewer than thirty in 1972. Nevertheless, he played a crucial role in helping many of these students join the Upward Bound program at Linfield University, offering them educational support and opportunities they had previously been denied.Throughout his time in McMinnville, Cabrera encountered institutional racism. Faculty members and leaders often exhibited overt discrimination toward Latino and Black students, and the students’ efforts were frequently diminished. Despite these barriers, Cabrera persisted in advocating for his students. It took 25 years for McMinnville High School to elect its first Latino student body president—a significant milestone achieved by none other than Cabrera’s son, who also brought the first MEChA conference to the school, further demonstrating the lasting impact of Cabrera’s influence.Following his PhD in 1982, Cabrera returned to Oregon to teach at both OSU and Western Oregon University (WOU). As a professor, Cabrera became a respected figure in the field of education, focusing on creating opportunities for students of color and advocating for diversity and equity within the university system. He believed deeply in the importance of having diverse voices in decision-making roles and worked tirelessly to recruit, retain, and support Latinx students in higher education.Cabrera’s commitment to his students extended far beyond the classroom. He was heavily involved in community outreach, particularly through programs like Upward Bound, which provided educational support to disadvantaged youth. His personal experiences with institutionalization and discrimination fueled his desire to mentor and guide students who faced similar struggles. Often, Cabrera supported his students financially, quietly offering scholarships under the name of the Demara Foundation—named after his mother—to help them with tuition and books.One of Cabrera’s most significant contributions was his role in advocating for the recruitment and retention of Latino students and faculty at WOU. Alongside his colleagues, Dr. Leo Rasca and Dr. Debbie Treviño, Cabrera worked tirelessly to create a more inclusive environment at the university. They focused on diversifying the faculty and providing resources for Latinx students, recognizing that representation was key to fostering a more equitable academic environment.Despite these efforts, Cabrera often felt isolated, especially as one of the few faculty members of color at WOU. Yet, his influence on his students was profound. Many of his former students, including Josh Rojas and Sabino Corona, went on to become community leaders, educators, and advocates for social justice, inspired by Cabrera’s mentorship and unwavering support.Dr. George Cabrera’s importance as a professor of color in Oregon is multi-dimensional. As a trailblazer in academia, he not only opened doors for students of color but also acted as a relentless advocate for justice and equity within the educational system. His career is a testament to the power of representation, mentorship, and advocacy in an era and state where diversity in higher education was severely lacking. Cabrera was a lifeline for many students who, before encountering him, had seen academic success as an unreachable goal. His efforts helped pave the way for future generations of students and faculty of color, pushing Oregon’s educational institutions toward a more inclusive and equitable future.Through his tireless work creating opportunities for students of color, challenging institutional racism, and advocating for systemic change, Dr. Cabrera left a lasting impact not only on the individuals he mentored but on the broader landscape of education in Oregon. His legacy continues to inspire students, educators, and community leaders to this day.

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