EUGENE, Ore. -- (June 1, 2011) - A June 6 event will celebrate a partnership between the University of Oregon and the state's most influential Latino organization, and will also spotlight a bond between Oregon's flagship university and the region's fastest-growing demographic group.
The Latino farmworkers' union PCUN - which was established in 1985 by 80 farmworkers, and has grown to a membership of more than 5,000 - will donate all of its historic documents, including those that led to the group's formation, to the UO Libraries special collections and university archives units. The library has agreed to preserve, organize and make the papers available for research projects.
PCUN - Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (in English, the Northwest Treeplanters and Farmworkers United) - is Oregon's oldest and largest Latino union. The organization was founded by Cipriano Ferrel, who graduated from Mount Angel's Colegio Cesar Chavez - the nation's first accredited, independent four-year Chicano college, which closed in 1983.
A celebration of the donation will include remarks from UO President Richard Lariviere and PCUN President Ramon Ramirez, as well as representatives of other Latino groups and local dignitaries. The 5 p.m. festivities at the UO's Knight Library - "The PCUN-UO Partnership: Celebrating Latino History" - will also feature the screening of documentary videos and other exhibits of student work showcasing Latino history.
The papers and several other items depicting Latino history in Oregon will be on display, and UO Assistant Vice President Emilio Hernandez will play music with his band, the Jimmie G. Revue.
The event will serve as a touchstone in the university's continuing efforts to make higher education a realistic goal for non-traditional college students, such as children from Oregon's Latino community.
In spite of recent news stories in the Eugene-Springfield area about those who are critical of a growing population of recent Latin American immigrants, the university continues to embrace a demographic group that has added texture and depth to the UO community for generations.
Some examples:
• The UO's Center for Latino and Latin American Studies was established a year ago. The center recognizes the importance of Latino communities throughout the U.S., and combines their study with analysis of the histories, politics and cultures of Latin American countries.
• The Rites of Passage and Oportunidades programs both are "pipeline programs," in that they target middle school and high school students (in these cases, Latino) who would be good candidates for college education, except for their cultural or socio-economic backgrounds. Students are exposed to the college experience and are shown that it can be a tangible opportunity for them.
• The Latino Roots Project, completed in 2009-10, is a collection of photographic panels, a booklet, two documentary films, a website and a digital archive that tell the stories of seven Latino immigrant families, establishing their lives in Lane County. The project was on display for more than a year at the Lane County Historical Museum, and is currently at the UO's Knight Library.
• HEP (High School Equivalency Program) has been operating since 1967 at the UO, serving children from the families of migrant or seasonal farmworkers.
• The Raza Unida Youth Conference has been held annually for seven years at the UO, as a full day of workshops for Latino high school students from around the state. It is presented by M.E.Ch.A., the Latino student organization that has been active on the UO campus for more than 30 years.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is among the 108 institutions chosen from 4,633 U.S. universities for top-tier designation of "Very High Research Activity" in the 2010 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The UO also is one of two Pacific Northwest members of the Association of American Universities.
MEDIA CONTACT: Joe Mosley, UO media relations, 541-346-3606, jmosley@uoregon.edu
SOURCE: Eli Meyer, assistant director of Center for Latino & Latin American Studies, 541-346-5286, emeyer@uoregon.edu