Theme: Ethnic Studies
Janet Nishihara Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
September 2, 2015
Janet Nishihara (b. 1956) first came into contact with OSU as an undergraduate, majoring
in English Education and completing her degree in 1978. She returned to Oregon State
in 1980 as a master's degree student in the College Student Services Administration
program, a time period during which she also became involved with the Educational
Opportunities Program (EOP) at OSU. For more than three decades following, Nishihara
has played a central role in a wide variety of student support and diversity development
initiatives on campus. In 2009, after many years on staff, Nishihara was promoted
to director of EOP, the mission of which is to provide support for the personal and
academic development of traditionally underrepresented students at OSU. In her interview,
Nishihara reflects on her upbringing as a third generation Japanese-American raised
in rural eastern Oregon; discusses her multifaceted experiences as a student and faculty
member at OSU; and shares her perspective on diversity advancement at the university
from the mid-1970s to present day.
José-Antonio Orosco Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
June 25, 2015
José-Antonio Orosco (b. 1971) is a Philosophy professor at OSU and the director of
the university's Peace Studies program. A former union organizer and student activist,
Orosco is presently the faculty advisor for the Centro Cultural César Chávez as well
as the OSU chapter of Movimiento Estudantil Chicano/Chicana de Aztlan. The author
of the 2008 book, Cesar Chavez and the Common Sense of Nonviolence, Orosco is also a founding member of OSU Faculty and Staff for Peace and Justice,
a co-founder of the Anarres Project for Alternative Futures, and president of the
OSU chapter of the American Association of University Professors. His interview focuses
on the path that he has taken as an academic and activist, his involvement with student
organizations and multicultural programming, and his perspectives on the teaching
and practice of engaged philosophy.
Larry Roper Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Janice Dilg.
November 7, 2014
Larry Roper (b. 1953) served as Vice Provost for Student Affairs from 1995 to his
retirement from upper administration in 2014. During his years as Vice Provost, Roper
proved instrumental to a number of university initiatives, including the OSU "Campus
Compact," the development of the first-year experience program, and a university-wide
assessment effort. Roper, who is one of the first African American upper administrators
in Oregon State history, has also been central to a variety of diversity actions both
on campus and in the community. A faculty member in the OSU Ethnic Studies department,
Roper now directs both the College Student Services Administration program as well
as the undergraduate minor in Social Justice. His interview traces his progression
as a leader within academia; documents his activities and contacts at Oregon State;
and reflects on both the continuing issues and the gradual progress of diversity enhancement
at OSU.
Patti Sakurai Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
March 2, 2015
Patti Sakurai (b. 1966) has been a faculty member in OSU's Ethnic Studies department
since its founding in 1996. A scholar whose interests range from Japanese American
citizenship to Korean television dramas, Sakurai has also created nineteen different
courses in Ethnic Studies and Women's Studies during her tenure at Oregon State.
Sakurai has likewise branched out into the world of multimedia, producing documentary
shorts on a variety of subjects and serving as a charter member of the production
collective behind APA Compass, an Asian and Pacific American public affairs show broadcast on KBOO community radio.
Her interview focuses on her scholarly evolution from English to Ethnic Studies, the
history and ambitions of OSU's Ethnic Studies department, and the issues faced by
communities of color at OSU today.
Nicthé Verdugo Oral History Interview
Life history interview conducted by Chris Petersen.
February 13, 2015
Nicthé Verdugo (class of 2015) was heavily involved with a variety of student activist
groups during her undergraduate years at OSU. An Ethnic Studies major who also minored
in Women's Studies, Verdugo spent two years on staff at the OSU Women's Center and
was also an active member of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) and
the Alta Gracia workers rights campaign, as organized by United Students Against Sweatshops,
a group that she helped to found. In her interview Verdugo discusses the development
of her own sense of identity, her activism in support of fair labor practices, the
culture of the Women's Center, and evolving conceptions of feminism among young people
today.