“Pancho: Un Boricua en Oregon” is the story of Francisco López, a dedicated family man living in Oregon for close to 25 years. Francisco (commonly referred to as Pancho) was born and raised in the Caribbean, on the island of Puerto Rico. The film seeks to draw attention to a different yet equally important aspect of immigration in the U.S.: Puerto Rican identity and perspective. What drove Pancho to move all the way to Oregon is a story of love, learning, and family. This is not a story of peril and injustice, but merely a look into what crosses the mind of the individual Puerto Rican when confronted with the duality of their identity, and what it gives and takes.
As an undergrad student studying Ethnic Studies, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of such a special project that highlighted the history of Latinos in Oregon. It has been an amazing experience learning about Oregon’s history and connecting with Izza Porter who emigrated with her family from Monterrey to Oregon. I’m excited to use the skills that I learned while making this documentary later in my life.
Rosa Camarena is a sophomore at the University of Oregon majoring in Spanish and possibly Latino Studies. When Rosa was just one year old her parents immigrated with her to Oregon. Rosa has struggled with language and stereotypes as she has moved through the school system. She chose her major because she wants to give back to her community in Woodburn and raise a family there.
Yadira Janet Mendoza tells her story of growing up in Chiapas, Mexico as a child migrant worker. Having come from a family of farm workers who moved from one temporary job to another, Janet was only able to attend school for two hours after an eight hour day of working out in the fields. As she grew older, little opportunity existed for her with only having a third grade education level. At the age of 18, Janet moved to Albany, Oregon in pursuit of a new life. This transition led to new job opportunities cleaning houses and to meeting her husband, Oscar. Her reputation as a great cleaner grew quickly and she started her own business, MOJY, which she named after the initials of her family members. Now having three employees, Janet's dream is to return to school to study finance or administration and learn English. Her life shows of her hard dedication to survive and support her family.
