Karen Olivo and Andrew Parodi Oral History Interview

Interviewee: Karen Olivo and Andrew Parodi
Interviewer: Natalia Fernández

Interview Date: July 23, 2012
Location: Corvallis, Oregon
Duration: 2:26:43
 

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.

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 (b. 1975) 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.

Dublin Core

Title

Karen Olivo and Andrew Parodi Oral History Interview

Description

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.

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 (b. 1975) 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.

Creator

Karen Olivo and Andrew Parodi

Source

Oregon Multicultural Archives Oral History Collection

Publisher

Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries

Date

July 23, 2012

Contributor

Natalia Fernández

Format

Born Digital

Language

English

Type

Oral History

Identifier

OH18-oliva-karen-and-andrew-parodi-20120723

Oral History Item Type Metadata

Interviewer

Natalia Fernández

Interviewee

Karen Olivo and Andrew Parodi

Location

Corvallis, Oregon

Original Format

Born Digital

Duration

2:26:43

OHMS Object

Interview Format

audio