An OSQA Oral History: John Helding

Posted on May 3, 2016 by fernandn

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To celebrate Pride Week 2016, OSQA hosted an event to share information on conducting oral history interviews. The event included an in-person interview with John Helding, an OSU alum who participated in a 1981 ASOSU vote to fund the Gay People’s Alliance. Helding shared his personal story, his experiences at OSU, and how 1981 ASOSU vote impacted and shaped this future, both personally and professionally.

Date: May 3, 2016
Location: Native American Longhouse, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Length: 01:48:45
Interviewee: John Helding
Interviewer: Natalia Fernández

John Helding

John Helding

Interview Video and Transcript (forthcoming)

Bio: John Helding was born February 11, 1958 in Portland, OR, and his family moved to Spokane, WA soon after and lived there for about eight years. Helding grew up in Gresham, OR on the east side of Portland with his family, including his parents and two older sisters. Both of his parents were born and raised in Montana. His father worked in the timber industry; his mother was a stay at home mom during Helding’s early years but then received her elementary teaching degree and taught elementary school in the Gresham school district for 15 years. Helding lived in Gresham until he graduated from high school in 1976. He attended Oregon State University from 1976-1981 and graduated with a degree in industrial engineering. During his time at OSU he sang with the OSU choir all five years, was a resident assistant his junior year, and was an ASOSU senator during his fifth year. After graduating, he moved to Beaverton, OR to work for the company Tektronix for three years as an industrial engineer (1981-1984) – during this time he decided he no longer wished to be an engineer. He then attended Stanford Business School from 1984-1986. After graduating from Stanford, Helding began working for the firm Booz Allen Hamilton and worked for them until the year 2000. He worked as an Associate/Sr. Associate (1986-1990); Western Region Administrative Director (1990-1993); Group Director of Operations, Marketing Intensive Practice (1994-1996); and Senior Director of Global Recruitment (1997-2000). Helding’s other positions have included Chair/Member, Client Security Fund Commission, State Bar of California (1998-2002); Member, Founding Board, San Francisco Friends School (2001-2005); Senior Advisor, Great Place to Work Institute (2003-2006); Member, Board, American Friends Service Committee (2005-2012); Chairperson/Clerk, Board Audit Committee, American Friends Service Committee (2005-2012). As of 2016, Helding’s positions include Chairperson/Clerk, Board, Quaker Voluntary Service (since November 2011); Chairperson, Lopez Island School Board, Lopez Island School District (since 2009); Facilitator, Interpersonal Dynamics Program, Stanford Graduate School of Business (since January 2001); Member, Board of Directors, Marts & Lundy, Inc. (since 2013); Advisor, Helding and Associates (since 2008). After living in San Fransisco for a time, in 2005 he reconnected with an OSU choir alum, a widow with two teenagers, and he moved to live with his new family on Lopez Island, WA; they have been living there since 2006.

Summary: Helding begins the interview by sharing information about his family history and early childhood in Spokane, WA and later Gresham, OR – Helding describes Gresham at the time as a small middle class community. In high school Helding’s activities included participating on the debate team, singing in the choir, playing sports, acting in plays and musicals, and being co-editor of the student newspaper his senior year. He shares some of his memories regarding the lack of open discussion about LGBTQ+ issues and lack of support for LGBTQ+ peoples within the community; a community Helding describes as a complex mix of progressive and conservative attitudes. He notes that at the time, the only instances of discussion of LGBTQ+ peoples was when he and classmates made fun of the community – he describes the ways in which this occurred and his perspectives on why they did this and how it impacted the students who at the time were not openly LGBTQ. Helding recalls the memory of a classmate who committed suicide; he shares that in hindsight, he and other classmates have wondered if their classmate may have been gay and unsupported in that environment. He reflects that although his family was relatively progressive on civil rights and union rights, he notes the lack of discussion regarding LGBTQ+ issues, peoples, and rights. Helding was politically active and focused on issues such as Vietnam and political integrity, but not gay rights – he recalls the lack of language and even being unaware of the concept within his community, let alone being able to discuss it.

Helding then shares his recollections of his time at OSU; he lived in Poling Hall, was an RA in Cauthorn Hall his junior year, and sang with the OSU choir for five years. Helding describes the campus climate in terms of LGBTQ+ issues – he notes that although the issues were not discussed in classes or among his peers, the same jokes and crude attitudes from high school were not expressed. He recalls that instead, there were student activists on campus, including the Gay People’s Alliance, who were leading the conversations for visibility, recognition, and funding within a predominately white and conservative campus and town; one of the key OSU LGBTQ+ activists was Eddie Hickey. Helding also refers to articles and letters to the editor in the OSU student newspaper, The Barometer, about LGBTQ+ issues. And, he remembers being influenced by a subscription to the Atlantic Monthly which covered LGBTQ+ issues on the national level. During his time on campus, he recalls the “morale majority” movement and Evangelical Christian organizations that promoted anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and practice emerging at OSU. Helding then begins the story of the 1981 ASOSU vote to fund the Gay People’s Alliance. He explains that he was always very politically active during his high school years and that he was interested in representing independent students, especially the engineering program, rather than the students most represented by ASOSU, the Greek life affiliated students. Helding recalls that one of the main issues for the senate that year was whether or not student organizations could charge for attendance to film screenings as a way to fund-raise (the local private movie theaters were lobbying against the competition); Helding and other senators drafted a policy to address the issue. He notes that funding was largely the most common issue addressed via ASOSU. He explains that many student groups requested resources but that in his opinion, some received more than their fair share of funding. Helding recalls that he wanted to examine the inequity involved in funding legacy organizations rather than new groups – and he wanted to change that.

The next portion of the interview focuses on the April 28, 1981 meeting in which the ASOSU vote to fund the Gay People’s Alliance was discussed. Helding notes that he recently began to think about the issue due to the university’s diversity initiatives in these past few years – he began to think back on his time at OSU and began researching OSU’s LGBTQ+ history. He found Thomas Kraemer’s Corvallis, Oregon State University gay activism 1969-2004 online, however, it did not include the 1981 vote that Helding recalled. In January of 2016 he came to the OSU Special Collections and Archives Researcher Center to look through the ASOSU meeting minutes for 1980-1981 in which he found the documentation he sought. He shows the meeting agenda and minutes with the information about the vote – he especially notes that while the documents are typed, there are some handwritten notes, most likely written by the faculty advisor, specific to the Gay People’s Alliance (GPA) vote. In the section regarding the student fees allocations, the notes say “GPA $150 18-13” and Helding recognized that as the Gay People’s Alliance vote. As this was the second to last meeting of the year, this was the meeting that student groups lobbied for their organizations to be funded. Eddie Hickey represented the Gay People’s Alliance since the student fees committee had denied them funds and they wanted the senate to overturn that ruling. Helding says that he did not know who they were as individuals or as an organization and that the group of individuals were the first openly gay people with whom he interacted. He says that he was interested in the GPA request because it was a new request and thought it should be more seriously considered. He also recalled that his beliefs had evolved over the course of his college experience and that by that time, he saw LGBTQ+ issues as a civil rights issue and that it was the right thing to do to fund the GPA the amount requested. Helding then describes the process of the debate on whether or not to fund the GPA – he goes into great detail explaining the discussion, which lasted over an hour, and the pros and cons to funding the GPA. The case against funding was that the LGBTQ+ community was immoral and that the university should not fund “a belief.” Helding, a seasoned debater, recalls that he was fighting for the concept, the principle of providing funding. He said that as a public, non-religiously affiliated university, the conservative Christian morality argument was not applicable. He also said that at the time there was research that said that 5-10% of the population was gay and that as a community, and especially at a university, students needed to learn about and discuss LGBTQ+ issues. And, one of the closing arguments he used was that the University of Oregon was already funding their GPA, and therefore, OSU needed to as well. At first there was a verbal vote and it appeared to have passed, but a hand vote was requested by the GPA’s opponents; the final vote was 18-13 in favor. He then reflects on the experience and says that he had no idea that such a debate would ensue and that the GPA request was unexpectedly approved. From his perspective it was a very civil and rational debate as by that time of the year, the group of senators were able to work well together. He also recognized that it was not a monetary issue, it was a symbolic one. Notably, Helding takes time to reflect on his interactions with the GPA members immediately following the meeting. The GPA came to him to thank him for his support, but he did not want to be associated with them as to potentially be thought of as gay himself. He recalls although he was more than willing to support the GPA, he remembers not having the courage or maturity to rise above what others may have thought of him. Helding then describes the aftermath of the vote. At that time, when the senate disagreed with the student fees committee, another committee was formed, an arbitration committee composed of the senior executive senators, the student body officers, a member of the administration, and the faculty advisor – and that they had the final say on the budget. The committee then presented the budget to the President, who at that time was President Robert MacVicar. The arbitration committee approved the entire proposed budget except for the funds for the GPA. And, there was just one short sentence in an article in The Barometer that simply stated that the GPA received no funding. At the next ASOSU meeting, and the last one for the academic year, Helding remembers protesting the decision. He notes that he can only imagine that the administration was against the vote. As Helding was graduating in June, he said he felt very defeated with the lack of the democratic process and that there was nothing he could do. He notes that the Queer Resource Center, now the Pride Center, was not funded until 20 years later, in the 2000-2001 academic year. Helding concludes this portion of the interview by reflecting upon lessons learned at OSU and how he evolved as a human being through his college experiences. He recalls the many diverse students and professors he met, classes he took, and his time on the ASOSU senate – and how his experiences and people he met all helped open and broaden his perspectives. He concludes by expressing that he wishes he had been less fearful to being associated with the GPA. He also surmises that if perhaps he had joined the senate sooner, he may have been in a more powerful position to take part in the arbitration committee and influence the final decision. He further concludes by acknowledging his progress in his personal evolution of knowledge and understanding of human diversity during his time at OSU.

Helding continues the interview with his post-OSU life story. He reflects on the importance of the ASOSU GPA vote and its impact on his career. He recalls that during his time working for the company Tektronix in Beaverton, OR, one of his co-workers was a transvestite – he notes his continued evolution in understanding and appreciating the diversity in the human experience. He also recalls writing about the ASOSU GPA vote as part of his business school applications; he ultimately chose to attend Stanford University. It was at Stanford that he met an even broader group of people from all over the world. In his second year he was in a class called “Interpersonal Dynamics” to develop communication and trust building skills. In the class, two of his classmates and friends were gay, one of which was Mike Smith, a co-founder of the Names Project which created the AIDS Memorial Quilt in 1987. He expressed that at Stanford he became friends with openly gay classmates and that he was part of a student group that organized a campus wide event to fund AIDS/HIV research – an act at the time that was controversial. The event was called “Standford Cares: A Community Response” and the administration became involved and was supportive. Helding connects his OSU experiences to his Stanford activities and credits his continued personal growth later in life to his undergraduate years.

Helding then shares his professional experiences. He describes his work for the firm Booz Allen Hamilton; a firm he worked for from 1986-2000. He was a consultant and later a manager on a variety of issues, including recruitment. At the time the firm included 15,000 people and had a presence in over 25 countries. To give a specific example of his work as an LGBTQ+ community ally, Helding describes an event at Harvard called “Out of the Closet and Into the Board Room” for gay and lesbian business school students. As the Senior Director of Global Recruitment, Helding took the lead to ensure that the firm was represented at the event, and he personally called the chairman of the firm to attend. He recalls the powerful impact of this act for the firm and for the students. He also shares the story of a group of Booz Allen Hamilton firm employees who created an affinity group called GLOBAL for LGBTQ+ employees. There was a backlash from other employees who expressed their objections, and Helding defended the group and advised the senior management should do the same – the chairman of the firm soon sent a company wide memo in full support of the group. Helding shares a story of the firm being in support of an employee who’s sex change operation caused a client to not wish to be served by them and the firm stood by its employee. 

Helding notes that the oral history interview process has enabled him to reflect upon “touch points in time” throughout his life and how each of his experiences built on each other and helped him be more open and more supportive of the LGBTQ+ community. He then reflects that over the years there has been much change within the OSU community and society as a whole. Helding says that it was the courage of LGBTQ+ individuals “coming out” and activities like The Names Project that helped to humanize the issues so that more and more people could feel a more personal connection to LGBTQ+ issues. He says that the fundamental change he has seen is that the issues faced by the LGBTQ+ community are no longer conceptual, they are personal. And, he says that from a business perspective, its smart and good business to hire the best and be diverse in hiring practices. He connects this to present day issues faced by the transgender community.

In the last part of the interview, Helding reflects on his professional life post Booz Allen Hamilton; he shares some of his many positions, mostly independent in the last 15 years. He also talks about his personal life and his involvement in the Quaker faith community which began during his time in San Fransisco in the early 1990s – his group acknowledged gay marriage in 1970. He shares the story of meeting his partner and moving to Lopez Island, WA, to live with her and her two children; they have been living there since 2006. Helding concludes the interview by reflecting upon major moments in his life in the last 40 years, and he especially reflects on his feelings towards OSU and Oregon in general. He says that as a native Oregonian, he has a special connection to the university and the state. He notes how proud he is of OSU for the strides taken to ensure that the campus is inclusive and how it strives toward equity for all. His last thoughts are about his positive experience of sharing his story as an oral history interview and expresses the power of people sharing their stories.

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OSQA at NWA 2016

Posted on April 29, 2016 by fernandn

2016 NWA Seattle logo

On April 29, 2016, OSQA presented as part of a panel discussion at the Northwest Archivists (NWA) conference in Seattle, WA, and was delighted to share information about its work over the past two years!

This panel discussion, “Queering the Archives: Connecting with Your Local LGBTQ+ Communities”, focused on archival repositories dedicated to documenting and preserving the histories of LGBTQ+ communities. The panelists discussed queer archives theory as well as the challenges and best practices of queer history collecting initiatives from the perspectives of academic university archives as well as a community-based archive. The archives represented in this panel discussion included the Gay and Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest (GLAPN), the University of Oregon’s (UO) Lesbian Land Collections, and the recently established Oregon State University Queer Archives (OSQA).

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Information on the Repositories Represented and the Presenters

GLAPN is a community-based archive established in 1994 in Portland, Oregon. Its partnerships with both the Oregon Historical Society to store collections and Portland State University to have students process and collect content, in addition to a number of other collaborations and initiatives, have enabled GLAPN to develop an extensive and in-depth collection. Robin Will, President of GLAPN (the Gay & Lesbian Archives of the Pacific Northwest). Currently serving as both president and webmaster of GLAPN, Mr. Will holds a BA in Arts & Letters from Portland State University, and is retired from a career in the publishing industry.

OSQA is an Oregon State University initiative to preserve and share the stories, histories, and experiences of LGBTQ+ people within the OSU and Corvallis communities. OSQA was established in the Fall of 2014 through a partnership between an archivist and an OSU Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies professor. Bradley Boovy, Oregon State University Assistant Professor in World Languages and Culture & Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, is the co-founder of the Oregon State University Queer Archives. His research bridges cultural history, history of sexuality, queer studies, and gender studies and is informed by cultural studies and queer feminist perspectives. He teaches courses both in the World Languages and Cultures Program and the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program. Boovy joined the OSU community in Fall 2012 after completing his Ph.D. in Germanic Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.

The University of Oregon’s Special Collections and University Archives lesbian land collections comprise over 13 individual collections including the personal papers of women as well as records of specific communities pertaining to the lesbian separatist movement in America. Linda Long is the manuscripts librarian at the University of Oregon, where she has curatorial responsibility for developing manuscript collections and promoting their use. Long spoke about her efforts to develop the lesbian land community records at UO. Linda holds an M.A. in Archives Administration and History from Case Western Reserve University, and an M.L.S. from Brigham Young University.

The Panel Discussion

The panel began with the panelists answering the question: What does is mean to “queer the archives?” and then shared their thoughts regarding a variety of topics:

  • Best Practices When Beginning a Collecting Initiative
  • Collection Development Strategies
  • Project Successes & Lessons Learned
  • Ideas on How to Engage in Successful Outreach Efforts with LGBTQ+ Communities

We recorded the session and it is available online for you to listen!

“Queering the Archives: Connecting with Your Local LGBTQ+ Communities”

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The OMA at the 2016 OLA Conference with REFORMA OR

Posted on April 22, 2016 by fernandn
REFORMA OR Table at OLA 2016

REFORMA OR Table at OLA 2016

On April 20-22, 2016 REFORMA OR participated in the 2016 Oregon Library Association conference in Bend, OR! Chapter members presented a pre-conference workshop titled “¡Bienvenidos a la biblioteca!: Outreach and Engagement with Latino and Spanish Speaking Populations in Your Communities” and staffed a table to raise awareness about the chapter.

The table included chapter information, buttons, membership forms, and a beautiful poster featuring photos of Oregon REFORMISTAS in action, a map of current libraries associated with the chapter, and the mission of REFORMA which is to promote the advancement, growth, improvement, and implementation of library and information services for the Latino and Spanish speaking community in the state of Oregon. We had a number of conference attendees stop by our table who were very excited to learn that our chapter existed!

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The Pre-Conference: “¡Bienvenidos a la biblioteca!: Outreach and Engagement with Latino and Spanish Speaking Populations in Your Communities”

Workshop Description: “REFORMA Oregon is a professional organization for librarians and library staff who serve Spanish speaking and Latino communities. In this half day session, you will learn about REFORMA Oregon, what it has to offer and how you can become involved; hear stories of how librarians are building relationships with their Latino and Spanish speaking communities, their successes and lessons learned; and you will gain outreach strategies, program ideas, and information about resources specific to Latino and Spanish speaking populations. We will also include time for you to share your needs to better serve this diverse community, and together, we will develop ideas for an action plan.”

Workshop Agenda – Wednesday April 20th 8:30am-noon

8:30      Introductions and Agenda for the Morning
9:00      REFORMA OR History and Establishment
9:30      Stories of Our Work with the Latino / Spanish Speaking Community
10:30    Break
10:45    Challenges and Limitations as well as Action Items for the Chapter
11:45    Closing Thoughts and Next Steps
Noon    Workshop Adjourned

The workshop facilitators and presenters included:

  • Martín Blasco, Outreach Librarian for Latino and Youth Services Program, Washington County Coop. Library Services
  • Patty Lara, Outreach Specialist, Hood River County Library District
  • Natalia Fernández, Curator and Archivist, Oregon Multicultural Archives at the Oregon State University Libraries
REFORMA 0R Pre-Conference Workshop

REFORMA 0R Pre-Conference Workshop

One of the most important parts of the workshop was the opportunity for the chapter to hear from librarians across Oregon about their needs and how REFORMA OR could assist them. In small groups, the participants brainstormed ideas and then came together as a large group to share their thoughts. In the coming year, the chapter intends to address some of these needs; check out the full list of needs/ideas below:

REFORMA OR Action Items – Library Needs: Based on an activity by the participants of the REFORMA OR Pre-Conference April 20, 2016

Collection Development

  • Book lists of Spanish books
  • Collection development for academic libraries and public libraries
  • Collaborative collection purchasing tricks
  • List of grants for giveaway books
  • Collection development for all ages
  • Multimedia for kids
  • Music, DVD’s, audiolibros (audiobooks)
  • Create a survey to listserv asking; Survey asking (other) libraries collection development successes
    • Vendors used
    • Collections with highest circulation
    • How do you promote?
    • Best practices for Multimedia (DVD, CD’s, ABCD)
    • Finding culturally appropriate A/V
    • Other

Community Outreach

  • Ways to address misconceptions and policies that prevent patrons from coming in
  • Talking points to speak to Latino community
  • More ways on introducing the concept of libraries for a community
  • More ways to incorporate our Spanish community to our academic library
  • Templates for introductory emails
  • List of local/national (by county) organizations who work w/underserved populations
  • Ideas on how to bring Latino population into the library versus getting resources out to the community
  • Tips on how to bond with the community
  • Success stories of how to recruit Spanish-speaking volunteers
  • Ideas for getting students involved in using library resources (online and print) in a university setting

Advocacy

  • To publishers – bring them here (the materials)
  • Tips on advocacy for changing local government structure
  • Tips for advocacy unchanging city/political practices (culture)
  • How do you change the current culture in your city?

Programming Ideas

  • Cultural specific programming suggestions for adults.
  • Story time resources and easy picture books to read aloud
    • Books and book lists
    • Rhymes
    • What works/doesn’t
    • Help for those who don’t speak Spanish
  • Specific program ideas that libraries are implementing that are awesome
  • Resources for parents
    • Community resources and information on early literacy
  • Tips and tricks on incorporating Spanish into programs in public libraries as an English-speaking (monolingual) librarian
  • Program templates – form? Budget, materials, volunteers, what needs are you meeting, location, time, ages served, food/no food, community partners, PR, marketing materials
  • Programming Materials IN SPANISH! and in an editable format
  • Marketing materials in Spanish
  • Library card applications
  • Welcome to the library brochures [with illustrations]

Collaboration Among Libraries in OR

  • List of organizations working w/undeserved
  • Listing of people in Oregon that are attending FIL to help with/network, ask questions
  • Survival Spanish tips for library staff
  • List of Guadalajara participants/attendees
  • Grants: help with writing grants and searching for grants
  • Common struggles (lack of participating in programs, attending events, using collection, etc.) and how to address them, improve services
  • Spanish programs for librarians i.e. study abroad opportunities
  • Share collection development tips and presentation to listserv
  • Post on the REFORMA OR Blog!
    • Featured “Librarian“ to share your library resources success/failures, etc.
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Voices Without Borders ~ Stories of Latinx and Hmong Students

Posted on March 19, 2016 by fernandn

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. The project began when Yang and Verdugo began sharing both their passion for art as well as their connections to their families’ immigration stories. Yang’s family is Hmong and Verdugo’s is Latinx and while their family stories are unique, they found they had many similarities. And so, they decided to embark on an arts/oral history project to gather together students of both communities to share stories about immigration, assimilation, journeys, and aspirations in connection to themselves as individuals or with their parents.

The stories are showcased in the format of a virtual diary and blog. The diary medium was specifically chosen since it enables individuals to share their experiences in a more personal and meaningful way. The goal of a virtual diary is to provide broad access to the stories so that there can be connections made between many more story circles that will help connect groups with each other or even re-connect members within a group.

Voices Without Borders website

The OMA was honored to be asked to record the student dialogues and make the conversation available online:

OH 18 OMA Oral History Collection
Stories of OSU Hmong and Latinx Students
Arts and Social Justice Practicum Winter 2016
“Voices without Borders” Parts 1 and 2

Part 1
Date: February 23, 2016
Location: Oregon State University Native American Longhouse Eena Haws
Length: 00:32:02 (of 00:42:44 total)
Interviewees: Alejandra Mendoza, Lorena Ambriz, Guadalupe Garcia, Warren Wang, Gina Chang, and Nitché Verdugo
Interviewer: Nitché Verdugo

Part 2
Date: March 4, 2016
Location: Oregon State University
Length: 00:10:42 (00:32:03 – 00:42:44)
Interviewees: Mai Xee Yang and Natalia Fernández
Interviewer: Mai Xee Yang

Interview Audio and Transcript

Interviewee 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.

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.

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Social Justice Tour of Corvallis II

Posted on March 12, 2016 by fernandn

In the spring of 2014 the OMA collaborated with the class Ethnic Studies 553: Ethnohistory Methodology taught by Professor Natchee Barnd. The students used archival resources both in the OMA and the Benton County Historical Society to showcase the histories of the Corvallis area’s traditionally marginalized groups including people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ community. The class researched and wrote the stories and complied them into a fantastic campus and downtown walking tour. This year, we were absolutely delighted to work with Professor Barnd and his students once again for the 2016 Social Justice Tour of Corvallis!

The class consisted of seven students who each researched and wrote about a different Corvallis area story:

Early in the term the class came to the OMA for a discussion about archival research and they soon began delving into the many stories within the collections. Through a peer-review process, the students complied a set of 15 stories and chose locations of significance around the OSU campus and Corvallis downtown area to highlight the histories based on 5 themes ~ land/voice, identity, resilience, legacy, and belonging:

The stories included in the tour bring to light and showcase the lives of the…

  • Kalapuya peoples who lived on the land prior to the establishment of OSU
  • Black Student Union protest against BYU in 1970
  • activities and (mis)representation of the OSU Cosmopolitan Club during the early 20th century
  • marriage of members of the LGBTQ+ community once same-sex marriage was legalized in Oregon
  • story of Pedro Duarte, a student from Guam who played as part of OSU’s baseball team during the early 1910s
  • Collins brothers, the first Native American students to attend and graduate from OSU, then known as Oregon Agricultural College (OAC)
  • Tibet House mural in downtown Corvallis
  • OAC student Ray Yasui and his resilience in the face of prejudice and non-inclusiveness due to his Japanese heritage
  • community of Corvallis area Chinese immigrants who are not well documented
  • Julius “Caesar” Taylor Short who during the 1870s lived part of his life in Oregon as a domestic servant after being freed from slavery
  • Chung Kwai Lui, the university’s first female PhD graduate in 1941 with physics degrees
  • legacy of the Corvallis Black Boots, African American men who worked as shoe shiners during the 1920s-1940s
  • Laura Cornutt, a College of Forestry applicant who in 1957 was rejected on the basis of her gender
  • Peggy Jo Nulson, a student who in the early 1970s fought back against homophobia on campus

At the end of the term, the class invited a group of OSU community members to take part in a student led tour and the OMA was there!

Here are some photos from the March 11, 2016 tour:

Also, if you are interested in more OSU stories regarding people of color, be sure to check out the campus tour guidebook Untold Stories: Histories of Students of Color at OSU

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RG 248 Centro Cultural César Chávez

Posted on March 5, 2016 by fernandn

RG 248 CCCC Collection

The Centro Cultural César Chávez (CCCC) collection is now available and open for research!

The collection documents the activities and events organized by the center such as staff retreats, open houses, César Chávez Tribute Month, holiday celebrations, lectures, and workshops pertaining to Latino/a community issues. Also of note are several marches and demonstrations that are depicted in the collection.

The collection consists of administrative records, information on events and community outreach, financial records, photographs, a small collection of films, and publications generated by the Centro Cultural César Chávez. Collection contents include administrative notes, meeting minutes, staff notes, agendas, maintenance documents, forms, staff bios, and files pertaining to the various cultural centers on campus. Also included are materials pertaining to events such as Día de Los Muertos/ Day of the Dead and the César Chávez Tribute Celebration, budget requests, invoices, pay roll, purchase requests, and statement documents. Photographic materials include undated color photographs and 16 digitized photograph albums that are available online. The albums include about 1350 photographs depicting the Center staff; Oregon State students, faculty, and staff who participated in Center events and activities; and numerous events and activities during the 1990s and 2000s. The original albums have been retained by the Center. The small collection of films and recorded events include 1 DVD and 4 digitized recordings (the original VHS tapes were not retained). Content ranges from a movie about the Los Angeles Chicano blowouts of the 1960s to UFW materials and a lecture. Publications consist of brochures, flyers, newsletters, and a number of newspaper clippings.

Centro Cultural César Chávez Records, 1973-2015

Daniel Loera, OMA student worker 2015-2016 arranged and described the collection; below is his reflection processing the collection…

This past term I worked on the Centro Cultural César Chávez collection and was able to go through the task of processing the material we received in the fall. I’d like to share with you my experiences of working on a collection and what it means to process a collection. To begin, I want to say this was a pretty rewarding experience because it felt like things were coming full circle for me; I’ve done research with collections in the past so being able to process one for researchers was the other side to what I was accustomed to. So what does it mean to process a collection? Well, the process of processing a collection is a multi-step process that includes organizing archival materials, creating a finding aid, labeling the folders and boxes, and using Archon to make the information accessible online (Archon is a program specifically for archival description and access). As you can see there aren’t too many steps to processing a collection, but it remains a time consuming process. First things first, you receive the material, usually in boxes, binders, or folders. You take note of what’s there and begin thinking of ways to organize the material. Since it was my first time I went ahead and made a list of what was there, trying to keep as many things as I could in their original place. There’s really no specific way to do this so it’s always a learning experience. Being a history major helped a lot because I was able to organize material into what I saw would make sense to a historian doing research. Then, as you move along, you start to see how things will fit and where they’ll fit. The following step is creating the finding aid based off what you know is there. In my experience, it’s always a good idea to have a physical and digital idea of what’s there; it makes it easier when moving material around. Creating the finding aid is usually the longest step in the process because you need to have a complete idea of how the collection will be organized; this includes the name of each folder, creating the different series, series descriptions, scope and content of the collection and then plugging the information into Archon. By this time, I had gone through a number of ways in which to organize the material, sometimes adding folders, other times merging material together. It was a time consuming process, but once you have all the main pieces in the right place, everything falls into place. After that, the finding aid is sent to be reviewed, you receive feedback, and you apply any last changes. The final steps include labeling the folders and then finding a shelf location where to store the collection. In my experience, I had a great time working with the additions to the Centro collection. At first, it was a bit daunting because the material was all over the place and I didn’t know where to begin. Once, I got my bearings it was smooth sailing from there. My favorite part of processing was being able to work with new material, having the opportunity to create a historical record and being able to see your work displayed in the finding aid. As a student of history, I feel archivists leave their imprint on the historical records they work with, be it in collecting this material or processing it for future generations of researchers. All in all, it was an enjoyable learning experience and I look forward to working on new collections in the term to come.

~ Daniel Loera, OMA student worker

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Loretta Milton and OSU’s 1969 BSU Walkout

Posted on February 19, 2016 by fernandn

Jeremy Davis and Loretta Milton

On February 19th as part of the OSU Lonnie B Harris Black Cultural Center’s Black History Month celebrations, the BCC hosted an incredible event that included Loretta Milton, along with the artist Jeremy Davis. Davis painted a magnificent mural entitled “Predicting a Movement” for the BCC’s gathering hall featuring the OSU Black Student Union Walkout of 1969 – a protest sparked in support of OSU student athlete Fred Milton, Loretta Milton’s husband. After the event, Loretta along with her daughter and grandson, shared a family oral history interview with the OMA.

Fred Milton Family Oral History Interview

Date: February 19, 2016
Location: Oregon State University Lonnie B Harris Black Cultural Center
Length: 01:04:02
Interviewees: Loretta Milton, Zalika Gardner, and Isaiah Adams 
Interviewer: Dwaine Plaza

Interview Audio and Transcript

Milton Family Bios

Loretta Milton grew up in Roseburg, Oregon, and attended OSU in the late 1960s. She met her husband, Fred Milton, at OSU. They married in 1969 and moved to Utah where she worked as a teacher’s aide at the Edith Bowen Lab School while Fred completed his degree at Utah State University. For a short time, while Fred Milton played for the Montreal Alouettes, a Canadian football team, Loretta worked as a waitress. Loretta and Fred moved to Portland, Oregon, in the early 1970s, had several children, and were married until his death in 2011. Zalika Gardner, born 1973 in Portland, Oregon, is daughter to Fred and Loretta Milton. Isaiah Adams is Zalika Gardner’s son and Fred and Loretta Milton’s grandson.

Interview Summary

The Fred Milton family interview begins with Loretta Milton, Fred Milton’s widow, sharing her experiences while attending Oregon State University during the 1969 Black Student Union (BSU) Walkout, her relationship with Fred Milton, including their struggles as an interracial marriage, and their lives in Utah, Montreal, Canada, and eventually Portland, Oregon. Loretta describes Fred’s dissatisfaction with the Canadian football team and his subsequent jobs in Portland as a community liaison for the police, his employment at IBM, and his work for the city government. Zalika Gardner, Loretta and Fred’s first child, then shares some recollections of her father including: his wisdom, sensitivity, and sense of humor; his love to share stories; his talent as an athlete; his very humble personality; and his values. Gardner then describes her grandfather, a sharecropper who worked in Arkansas and then moved with his family to the West and worked on the railroad; his personality and influence on Fred’s life. The conversation then returns to Loretta who describes in more detail the circumstances and events of the BSU Walkout at OSU in 1969, the students who led the Walkout, and the campus reaction. Isaiah Adams, Loretta and Fred’s grandson and Zalika Gardner’s son, shares his perspective on his relationship with his grandfather, his admiration for his grandparents, and the values that he learned from Milton. The interview turns back to Loretta who describes some of the personal aspects of her marriage with Fred including his talent for letter writing, the evolution of their relationship with her parents, and his integrity. Loretta then shares her knowledge regarding the relationship between Fred Milton and football coach Dee Andros including their time while Fred attended OSU and their reconciliation during Fred’s candidacy for Portland County Commissioner. Both Loretta and Zalika describe Fred’s intellect and love of learning and the environment in addition to his athletic abilities, and Isaiah shares how those characteristics within his grandfather affected him. The family recollects on Milton’s many talents as an athlete and his passion for coaching. They conclude the interview by reflecting upon the positive impact that Milton had on the OSU campus and the significance of his story and legacy.

For more information about the 1969 Black Student Union Walkout, check out the 1969 BSU Walkout Flickr Set and, here are two links for the OSU Pauling Blog that also discuss the Walkout: The 1969 Black Student Union Walkout and A Lecture Interrupted and a Campus Torn Apart

“Predicting a Movement” by artist Jeremy Davis

And, to see the BCC event, click here for the video recording!

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The Color of Night: Max G. Geier Book Reading and Talk

Posted on February 17, 2016 by fernandn

Black History Month honors the significant role African Americans have in our society that is often overlooked in traditional history lessons. On Wednesday, February 17th, 2016, the OMA and the OSU Press hosted a book reading and talk by author Max G. Geier about his book The Color of Night: Race, Railroaders, and Murder in the Wartime West. The book highlights the murder trial of Robert Folkes who was charged with murder in rural Oregon. Folkes’ trial, controversial conviction, and resulting execution provokes thought about race, class, and privilege in Oregon.

And, Natalia Fernández, Curator and Archivist for the OMA, presented a new collection of Oregon African American railroad porter oral history interviews. The Oregon Cultural Trust awarded a $5,000 grant that will enable the OMA to transfer the histories to digital form. This grant project will include the creation of a website for the interview audio and transcripts, which will be made available to researchers, students, teachers, and the general public.

“The information gained through the interviews can be used to broaden the level of understanding of how African Americans played a significant role in the social and economic changes to the Portland area and the state as a whole during the 20th century. The stories shared have the potential to deepen public knowledge and appreciation of the African American experience and perspective in Oregon.” Natalia Fernández, Curator and Archivist, Oregon Multicultural Archives.

________________________________________________________________________

Working, Race, and Homeland : Divided Lives in the Wartime West

By Dr. Max G. Geier, Professor of History, Emeritus, Western Oregon University

Professor Max Geier Book Talk

Murder trials, as one social critic famously observed, often reveal more about the community that stages them than about the case on which they are focused. This book (The Color of Night: Race, Railroaders, and Murder in the Wartime West) focuses on a murder and subsequent trial in the mid-Willamette Valley, and those events open a window on how wage-earning workers experienced life in the pre-war and wartime period in the rural northwest. Executioners working for the state of Oregon killed Robert E. Lee Folkes in January 1945, but in the process of killing Folkes, investigating officials working toward that end gathered and preserved information that helps us peer into the background of that man’s life as a common worker in a community of organized labor and political activists. Folkes first attracted public attention in Oregon as a murder suspect who faced trial in Albany during 1943 and then execution in Salem in early 1945. Before that, however, he was a wage-earning man who spent much of his life in Oregon as an employee of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Like many railroad workers, he lived with a foot in two worlds: a home life in the southern California community of South Central Los Angeles, and an away life on the road aboard trains travelling through northern California and Oregon, terminating in Portland, Oregon, and then returning via the same route. As a Black man born in rural Arkansas, he was a survivor of Jim Crow America. As a railroad worker in the early 1940s, he joined an organized labor movement that pushed back against legal segregation and demanded equal employment opportunities and better working and living conditions for people of color. As a young man who made a living cooking meals for railroad passengers and crew during a period of wartime mobilization, he was a service worker who was not considered a “serviceman” by the people of Linn County who sat as jurors as his trial. As a Black man working in a service job designated defense critical, he was protected from the military draft, but he was not protected from the suspicions of those who assumed he was a shirker or a troublemaker. As a member of a labor union local that was in the midst of contentious contract negotiations with the railroad at the time of the murder, he was a symbol of organized resistance to the wartime speedup and dangerous working conditions that he, and men like him, daily confronted. As a self-starting, accomplished young man with demonstrated success working autonomously and with minimal supervision, he was targeted for special treatment by railroad investigators who were engaged in an organized campaign to break the union and control worker unrest in a period of unprecedented profits for the company. In the campaign to make an example of Folkes, the railroad found ready support among state and county officials, and among local jurors drawn from the farm-owning families of Linn County, Oregon. In killing Folkes, however, they also brought African American men and women into the heart of the county seat. The experience of those men and women in that mid-Valley setting opens a window on race and labor relations at mid-century in and beyond western Oregon.

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OSU Pride Center Scrapbooks

Posted on February 6, 2016 by fernandn

Pride Center Scrapbooks

The OSU Pride Center scrapbooks are now available!

The Pride Center serves as Oregon State University’s resource center for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) members of the OSU community and their allies. In addition to its roles in outreach and education, the center provides a safe space for anyone in the community to “explore aspects of sexual orientation and gender identity in an open and non-judgmental atmosphere.” The Pride Center was originally founded as the Queer Resource Center in 2001 and was initially housed in Benton Annex with the OSU Women’s Center. In 2004, the Queer Resource Center (QRC) moved to a permanent location on the south edge of campus at 1553 SW “A” Avenue. In that same year, the QRC was re-named the OSU Pride Center. The Pride Center works closely with the OSU Rainbow Continuum, SOL (LGBTQQIA People of Color Support Group), and the ASOSU Queer Affairs Task Force. It is administered by Diversity and Cultural Engagement.

The Pride Center collection (RG 236) includes 10 scrapbooks that represent over 15 years of the Pride Center’s history. All of the albums have been digitized and the physical albums remain at the Pride Center.

The Pride Center scrapbooks, PDF links and descriptions are below:

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 1997
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 1997 includes flyers, photos, and news clippings about Queer Pride in The Daily Barometer; a dog wash fundraiser event; Pride Week 1997; Ka’ahumanu lecture on racial and bisexual issues; Evangelical Perv Association booth; Lesbian Avengers Performance; Queer Ball; Community News on Pride at OSU; “Did You See Ellen?” screening on her coming out; Asian Cultural newsletter; screening of “The Wedding Banquet” for Queer Pride and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month; Queer Pride week itinerary; screening of “Transsexual Menace.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 1999-2000
Description The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 1999-2000 includes news clippings about the Rainbow Continuum in The Daily Barometer 1999-2000; Oregon State University Pride, 2000 The Newqueer Family Pamphlet; and Drag Show 2000 Poster.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 1999-2003
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 1999-2003 includes a call for Queer Resource Center; AIDs Debates; Military “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Controversy; Letters to the Editor of The Daily Barometer; numerous articles regarding queer involvement in The Daily Barometer; information on the death of former Justice Thurgood Marshal; Campus Republican Community vs. the Campus Queer Community; funnies and comics in response to Queer happenings on campus and in the nation; Defeat of Measure 9 celebration; Pride Week 2001 schedule; QRC funds controversy; National Coming-Out Day itineraries 2001-2003; American Red Cross Blood Drive homophobic controversy; Greek and Queer Groups connect; article “Military Dismisses 6 Gay Arabic Linguists Amid Translator Shortage”; “Queer Like Me” The Daily Barometer series by Katie Willson; Pride Week 2003 posters.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2001-2002
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2001-2002 includes news clippings regarding a call for the Queer Resource Center; proceedings of how the Queer Resource Center began and the progression of the center; the article “QRC Passes Unanimously as Fifth Cultural Resource Center”; the controversy over the proposed QRC budget and the inclusion of the Center at all; Ice Cream Social event; Coming Out Day celebration, 2001; Queer Resource Center lunch-in; Drag Show, 2002; “Ask the Sexpert” event with Kathy Greaves; Greek Hate from QRC Hoax; Cultural Centers’ End of the Year Reception; Queer Pride Week, 2002; Healthy Queer Relationships Informational; QRC’s First Birthday Celebration; Greek and Queer Communities Work Together in the Wake of Firework/Beer Bottle Attack at QRC Camp-Out; Intersections of Race/Ethnicity and Sexuality Informational; Free Bowling with Cultural Centers Event.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2003-2004
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2003-2004 includes photos and news clippings of advertisements to promote the three Queer Organizations on Campus (Rainbow Continuum, Queer Resource Center, Queer Affairs Taskforce); events of Queer History Month; National Coming Out Day, 2003; QRC Open House and Barbeque; “Outlines” the QRC’s Newsletter; the blood drive controversy in regards to AIDs; Trans Day of Remembrance; QRC Ice Cream Social; HIV in the Queer Community Informational; QRC and Rainbow Continuum Pamphlets; Lavender Graduation, 2004. News clippings include information on the equal marriage controversy and community responses; LGBTQ Terms; Queer Support and Milestones in other States; Drag Competition, 2003; Being Queer in a Native American Community; political comics and articles discussing sex education; FDA discrimination in regards to blood drives; Jeanette Jackson’s purchase of S&M clothing for a performance, and the comparison of homosexuals to predators; article on the Day of Purity; San Francisco Legalizing Equal Marriage and Ignoring Discriminatory Laws to Ink over 1,000 Marriage Licenses in four days; and George Bush Jr. denies support of same sex marriage.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2005-2006
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2005-2006 includes information on the Pride Center Covenant Signing Ceremony, Event Sponsor list, Event Guest Book; Drag Competition, 2005; Drag Clothing Swap; news clippings of Oregon Governor attempting to end discrimination; March 2006 Supreme Court ruling on military recruiting in universities; “Yeas and Nays” on the Brokeback Mountain premiere; Moonlight Breakfast with NAL, APCC, BCC, PC, and CCCC; poster for Pride Center’s brown bag lunch classes; political comics depicting George Bush Jr.; news clippings of gay student being dismissed from OSU; news clippings on Pride Center being vandalized; Drag Show, 2006; Queer Agenda Rainbow Continuum poster; Pride Week, 2006 Itinerary; Lube Olympics, 2006.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2008-2009
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2008-2009 includes photos of the Pride Center; profile pages on Pride Center staff; Connect Week, 2008; Ice Cream Social; news clippings on Cultural Centers’ Open House; National Coming Out Week; Equality U Premiere film screening; Faculty and Staff On Campus support list; panel on Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Athletes, Speaker Estra Tuaolo news clippings; The Laramie Project screening and Candlelight Vigil, October 14, 2008; One Voice Recited by External Coordinator of SOL, Renee Roman-Nose; Sex Party with SHS; Transgender Awareness Week; World AIDs Day; Polyamory/Non-Monogamy & Relationship Diversity event; First Annual Cultural Wellness Stride; “Paris is Burning” film screening; Drag Show, 2009; various news clippings of Pride Center mentions in local newspapers.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2009-2010
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2009-2010 includes profile pages of Pride Center staff; Staff favorites page; Welcome Week Barbeque; Connect Week, 2009; Hot Coco Chanel Social, October, 2009; Progressive Feast; Queer Health Awareness Month; Tea at the Pride Center; Queer Sex 101; Puppet Plays for Trans Awareness Week; Gender Your Cookie Event; Queer Tree of Life Drawing; Pride Center Pamphlet Q-Connect.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2010-2011
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2010-2011 includes profile pages of Pride Center staff; Connect Week, 2010; Queer History Month; National Coming Out Day October 11th; staff retreat to Seaside, OR; Pride Center 10th Birthday Celebration 2011 in Women’s Center; Pride Week, 2011, Keynote Speaker Dan Savage, It Gets Better Project; Drag Show, 2011.

OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2012-2013
The OSU Pride Center Scrapbook 2012-2013 includes profile pages of Pride Center staff.

And, here is a link to All 10 PC Scrapbooks

Also, be sure to check out the archival collections of various other OSU cultural resource centers: the BCC and APCC and CCCC.

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MLK Jr. Celebrations 2016

Posted on January 18, 2016 by fernandn

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” ~ Martin Luther King Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963. This quotation is the theme to the 2016 OSU MLK Jr. celebrations as it still rings true for our society today. Within the context of the letter, Dr. King wrote about the “interrelatedness of all communities and states,” our shared commonalities, and that “whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” The events from this year’s celebrations highlight Dr. King’s message and connect it to our own Corvallis area and OSU communities.

Two of the events as part of the celebrations included a lecture by Professor Joseph Orosco who spoke about “Places of Injustice” within the Corvallis community and the 34th annual Peace Breakfast that featured keynote speaker Jeff Chang who spoke about student activism. As part of his lecture, Orosco noted that there are a number of local places named after historical figures, specifically white men, with ties to racism and discrimination. He described the histories of the of these men and asked the audience to think about these locations and what it means to have them named after these historical figures – he expressed that how we name our community spaces (or when we leave places named as they are), such as parks, buildings, and geographic areas, is a reflection of our community values and who we are today. Jeff Chang’s keynote address at the breakfast complimented Orosco’s lecture by recounting the bigger picture of student activism and how communities are coming together to strive for equity for all.

And, the OMA’s “Untold Stories: Histories of Student of Color at OSU” campus tour guidebook is a perfect combination of the two topics – the significance of honoring student led social justice activism and their connections to physical locations on the OSU campus. The guidebook was featured at both events!

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