During winter term 2016, two OSU student activists Mai Xee Yang and Nicthé Verdugo worked with Charlene Martinez, Associate Director of Integrated Learning for Social Change within Diversity & Cultural Engagement, on a project entitled Voices Without Borders for their Arts and Social Justice Practicum course. For more information, see the OMA blog: http://wpmu.library.oregonstate.edu/oregon-multicultural-archives/2016/03/19/voiceswithoutborders/, Interview Summary: Part 1 of the interview begins with project participant introductions and with Verdugo explaining the interview purpose and structure. The purpose is to bring together the Hmong and Latino/Chicano communities to speak about the stories behind their families coming to the United States. The interview structure is for each person to have four minutes to share their story, followed by an opportunity for artistic expression, and closing with a reconvening to reflect on the stories shared and artwork created. The participants Alejandra Mendoza, Lorena Ambriz, Guadalupe Garcia, Warren Wang, Gina Chang, and Nitché Verdugo then share their parents’ immigration stories, their connections to their race/ethnicity, and reflections upon their own identities. In Part 2 Mai Xee Yang and Natalia Fernández share their family immigration stories and how they have shaped their lives. Audio file available via MediaSpace: https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/t/0_8rt11i4v, Project Participant Bios: Alejandra Mendoza was born in Fresno, CA and raised in Boardman, OR, and is majoring in Mathematics; Lorena Ambriz was born in Mexico, raised in Eastern Oregon, and is majoring in Sociology; Guadalupe “Lupe” Garcia is from Salem, OR, and is majoring in Human Development and Family Sciences; Warren Wang is from Portland, OR, and is majoring in Biochemistry/Biophysics; Gina Chang is from Portland, OR, and is majoring in Psychology; Nitché Verdugo is from Southern California and Mexico and is majoring in Ethnic Studies with a focus on Chicanx/Latinx Studies; Mai Xee Yang is from Portland, OR, and is earning a Bachelors in Fine Arts. Natalia Fernández is from Tucson, AZ, and is an archivist. Mendoza, Ambriz, Garcia, Verdugo, and Yang are members of M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán). Wang and Chang are members of the OSU Hmong Club.
Durden, Earnel, February 18, 2014. Durden discusses his high school years in Los Angeles as an African American and rising football player; recruitment and experiences as a student, African American, and athlete at Oregon State University; his relationship with Tommy Prothro as a player and assistant coach; his various coaching experiences at Compton Junior College, Long Beach State University, UCLA, and for the Rams; and a brief description of his children's sports careers. [Interview conducted by Dwaine Plaza in connection with an event focusing on the desegregation of OSU football. Interview Audio: http://media.oregonstate.edu/media/Earnel+Durden+Oral+History+Interview/0_5cvqw5cu Related Materials: OSU Football Desegregation Event: http://wpmu.library.oregonstate.edu/oregon-multicultural-archives/2014/02/20/osu-football-desegregation-event/
OSU Arts and Social Justice Living-Learning Community group interview, March 18, 2015. Participants were: Hunter Briggs and Jacq Allen. The interview begins with each interviewee discussing his/her major and his/her decision to enroll in Oregon State University. Following this, they chronicle their personal growth since attending Oregon State and being a part of the arts and social justice living learning community. The students then discuss their inspirations, ranging from family to friends to teachers. Personally, they each discuss their identities, the power structures within those identities, and how those have changed or been reinforced within the college setting. Focusing on the arts and social justice classes, they discuss the dynamics and what they found to be most impactful in the lectures, activities, and guests—many of which brought attention to the power hierarchy and identities of society. Within this same line of thought, they outlined their visions for the future and the ways in which programs like this can help spread equality. In ending, the students discuss some of the community projects they have conducted, what activism means, and thoughts they wish to express to the community about social inequalities. [Interview conducted by Maria Garcia. Audio available online.
