Zavier Borja Oral History Interview

Zavier Borja is an activist and community organizer, who was based in Bend, Oregon at the time of the interview. In it, Borja reflects on his experience growing up in Madras, Oregon as a first-generation Mexican American, and on how his experiences as a self-described “White Mexican” made it difficult for him to find a place for himself growing up. He further describes how, when living in places outside Oregon, he discovered that there were organizations dedicated to assisting underrepresented groups, and how that inspired him to come back to Oregon and create similar organizations in his home state.

Merging his love of the outdoors with his activism, Borja created a local chapter of Latino Outdoors, and later founded Vamanos Outside. Both of these organizations are dedicated to encouraging Latinos to engage with outdoor activities. Borja was motivated to create these organizations when he began participating in more outdoor activities himself, and realized that it was predominantly white, wealthy people who were able to do so. Borja shares his thoughts on the barriers that Latino people face in engaging with the outdoors, and how he has worked to address them. In 2021, Borja was elected to hold a position on the Bend Parks and Recreation board. At the time of the interview, Borja was in the process of campaigning for his election, and he discussed his motivations for running for the position, and the goals he would have as a board member.