Izabel Nuñez Pérez Oral History Interview

Pérez describes her childhood in Healdsburg, California and the obstacles she faced living in a predominately white, upper-class area. She discusses her upbringing in an agricultural tourism economy, an environment with a large class and racial divide among wealthy (and predominantly white) residents and the (mostly Mexican-American) people who worked for them. She talks about her attraction to the “liberal facade” of Oregon and how that idea did not match with her experiences as a woman of color in a predominantly white community.

Pérez also reflects on the importance of finding a community of friends to support her and help her cope with these experiences. Pérez then shares how she became involved with the Associated Students of Oregon State University (ASOSU) and her experiences as student body president. In this, she discusses how she focused on using the presidency as a platform of student activism, addressing the difficulties faced by racial minority students on campus.

Isabel Nuñez Pérez is a first-generation college student who, at the time of this interview, was the president of ASOSU and a fourth-year student studying political science at Oregon State University.