Mexicanos in Oregon: Their Stories, Their Lives

Mexicanos in Oregon: Their Stories, Their Lives sheds new light on why migrants come to Oregon, what their experiences are when they settle here, and how they adapt to life in the United States.

Although Oregon has had a settled Mexican-origin population since the mid-nineteenth century, the number of Latinos residing in Oregon has grown dramatically over the last two decades, leading to increased diversity across the state, particularly visible in the public school system and in agricultural and service occupations.

Mexicanos in Oregon explores this history of migration and settlement of mexicanos, highlighting their sustained practices of community building, their struggles for integration, and their contributions to the economic and cultural life of the state. Using archival records, primary and secondary sources, demographic statistics, and personal testimonies, and drawing from multiple disciplines, Gonzales-Berry and Mendoza create a picture of the economic, political, social, and cultural conditions that have shaped the lives of mexicanos. The blend of scholarly research and individual stories reflects the very human dimension and complex forces that make up the mexicano experience in Oregon.

Erlinda Gonzales-Berry co-edited The Contested Homeland: A Chicano History of New Mexico and edited Paso porAqui: The Literary Heritage of New Mexico. She served as professor and Chair in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Oregon State University and is currently Executive Director of Casa Latinos Unidos cle Benton County.
Marcela Menwdoza's articles and chapters on immigration have been published widely, including in the Oregon Review of International Law, The Journal of the Association of Mexican American Educators, The journal of Economic Issues, and The Latino Research Review. She serves as Executive Director of Centro LatinoAmericano