Yajaira Hernandez Oral History Interview

Yajaira Hernandez is a bilingual family intervention therapist in the city of Salem, Oregon, who works in mental health crisis intervention for Latinx families. Hernandez studied international relations at the University of San Diego, and earned her Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University.

In her interview, Hernandez reflects on her experience of growing up in two cultures - her Mexican culture at home and her American culture in school and with her peers. She also considers the ways that gender inequities within Mexican culture affected her upbringing. Hernandez talks about how her parents strongly encouraged her to get an education, and how being a first-generation college student was something that allowed her to empower herself and also gave her the skills needed to empower others.

Next, she discusses her time working with a nonprofit in Oregon that focused on early childhood, and how she was struck by the lack of support and resources available to Latinx communities in rural Oregon. She then shares how these experiences led her to find her calling as a social worker. She also reflects on the relationship between social inequities and mental health, and on how being a bilingual therapist helps her better serve her Spanish-speaking clients.