Richly illustrated with photos and drawings, Nosotros: The Hispanic People of Oregon recounts the adventures of the early Spanish explorers and then goes on to tell the little-known story of the vaqueros--skilled Hispanic horsemen who helped establish the cattle ranches of Oregon's high desert in the 1800s. It describes the contribution of experienced Mexican mule-packers who brought food and supplies through the rugged territory to miners and other 19th-century settlers. It tells of the braceros--the Mexican farmworkers who worked under contract to the U.S. government to fill labor shortages during World War II.
The book then moves on to the struggles of migrant workers, from the Mexican-American civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s to the national and state legislative reforms of the 1980s. It discusses social policy; Spanish language rights and law; and Hispanic businesses, arts, and festivals. Profiles of Hispanic Oregonians give faces and names to the larger history.
"Nosotros presents a broad cultural tapestry of Oregon's Hispanic people, telling the story of our significant contributions to the quality of life in this state," says Felipe Veloz, past chair of the Oregon State Board of Education. "It is must reading for students and the general public."
Nosotros is available from the Oregon Council for the Humanities, 812 S.W. Washington Street, Suite 225, Portland, Oregon 97205. The cost is $16.95 if purchased at the council office and $18.95 if ordered by mail. The book is also available in bookstores for $21.95. Teachers may receive discounts for books purchased in quantity for classroom use. For more information, call (503) 241-0543.
SIX HISPANIC STUDENTS IN HERMISTON, under the direction of videomaker Brian Lindstrom, have produced an eight-minute documentary capturing the spirit of Eastern Oregon's Mexican-American community as embodied in custom and culture. The video, I Feel Mexican Even Though I Was Born Here, takes viewers into homes, businesses, and studios for an intimate introduction to Hermiston's Hispanic residents. As the camera rolls, a baker prepares traditional breads and pastries. Homemakers cook enchiladas. A potter crafts bowls of clay. A painter, a dance troupe, and a singer demonstrate their arts. A priest talks about an important religious festival. A woman sews a traditional Mexican dress. Another crafts a piħata.
"Today, the rhythms, the sounds, the celebrations, the foods, the arts, and the language of the Mexican people are very much a part of life in Hermiston," the student narrator tells viewers.
The video came about through the collaborative efforts of the Northwest Film Center, the Oregon Folk Arts Program, and the Hermiston School District. It is a product of the film center's statewide Video/Filmmaker-in-Schools program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Oregon Arts Commission.
The video can be obtained from the Portland Art Museum's Northwest Film Center by calling (503) 221-1156 and asking for the education outreach coordinator. The video also can be obtained from the Oregon Folk Arts Program housed at the Oregon Historical Society. For information, call (503) 306-5292.
AN INFORMATION PACKET BRIMMING WITH VALUABLE RESOURCE LEADS is available from the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education. Noting that the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 gives greater emphasis to "integrated and innovative programs that are effective in educating linguistically and culturally diverse students," the packet offers information on model programs that can help educators design and implement programs in their schools.
Among the items included are:
To order the free Information Packet: Effective Program Models, compiled by Barbara Silcox and Kris Anstrom, call (800) 321-NCBE.
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Date of Last Update: 9/28/01 
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