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Synopsis:

This documentary presents the story of Fabio Ramos de Andrade, who lives in Eugene with his wife and their 12-years old twin sons. Fabio misses the way life was in Brazil, specifically in his hometown Salvador, capital of Bahia, an old city known for its afrodiasporic traditions, religions, and celebrations. Fabio immigrated to Eugene, Oregon, nine years ago in order to study a doctorate in education. Today he manages the office of human rights of the City of Eugene. This movie addresses Fabio’s memories of Salvador and his experiences as a Latino man inhabiting a predominantly white American town. Reflecting on the parallels between the states of Bahia and Oregon, Fabio discusses how racism has historically been affecting both places. Fabio’s testimony shows his strategies of resilience in Eugene and how racism creates violent situations, unwelcoming spaces, and ongoing diasporas.

Producer’s Bio:

Kaito Campos de Novais is a PhD student in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oregon. He was raised in Goiânia, a city in the middle of the Brazilian savannah, where he got a bachelor’s degree in Social Communication/Journalism and a master’s in Social Anthropology from the Universidade Federal de Goiás. Before starting his doctorate, he worked as a teacher, illustrator, and journalist. His works focus on LGBTQ+ activism, decoloniality, visual anthropology, gender, sexuality, and race. Since 2015, he investigates social movements of mothers of LGBTQ+ people who denounce human rights violations in Brazil. The Latino Roots course has helped Kaito to learn new audiovisual skills, which he will use further as a visual ethnographer, and to reflect on the history of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx people living in Oregon.

Synopsis:

This documentary honors the life of Jesús Guzmán Quezada (Don Chuy). During his childhood, he lived through poverty and watched his family struggle to survive in Jalisco. He made the decision to leave his family and his loved ones in hopes of a better life as a teenager. Jesus immigrated to California and worked in every field he could. He eventually found himself in Oregon. The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) changed the life of Jesus forever. He was given permanent U.S. residency. Jesus lived a transborder life, traveling back and forth to Mexico and the United States.

He then met Reyna Duran Lopez in the early 2000s, and soon they fell in love. They eventually got married and worked together in the fields for years. Jesus passed away in January of 2019. Reyna helps tell his life story.

Este documental honra la vida de Jesús Guzmán Quezada (Don Chuy). Durante su infancia vivió en la pobreza y vio a su familia luchar por sobrevivir en Jalisco. Tomó la decisión de dejar a su familia y a sus seres queridos con la esperanza de una vida mejor cuando era adolescente. Jesús emigró a California y trabajó en todos los campos que pudo. Eventualmente se encontró en Oregón. La Ley de Reforma y Control de Inmigración de 1986 (IRCA) cambió la vida de Jesús para siempre. Se le otorgó la residencia permanente en los Estados Unidos. Jesús vivió una vida transfronteriza, viajando de ida y vuelta a México y Estados Unidos.

Luego conoció a Reyna Duran Lopez, y pronto se enamoraron. Eventualmente se casaron y trabajaron juntos en el campo durante muchos años. Jesús falleció en Enero de 2019. Reyna ayuda a contar la historia de su vida.

Producer’s Bio:

Angel Saul Escorcia-Nuñez is a third year student at the University of Oregon majoring in Journalism and Communications with a minor in Latinx Studies. He is a first generation Latino student who grew up in Oregon and Mexico. Angel aspires to empower the community through storytelling.

The Latino Roots course has expanded my knowledge of Latino history in the state of Oregon. Through this film I can honor Don Chuy and bring his spirit to the University of Oregon. Thank you to Professor Martinez and Professor Stephen for your support, guidance and efforts.

Angel Saul Escorcia-Nuñez es estudiante de tercer año en la Universidad de Oregón especializándose en Periodismo y Comunicaciones y Estudios Latinx. Es un estudiante Latino de primera generación que creció en Oregón y México. Angel aspira a empoderar a la comunidad a través de historias.

El curso Latino Roots ha ampliado mi conocimiento sobre la historia Latina en el estado de Oregón. A través de esta película puedo honrar a Don Chuy y traer su espíritu a la Universidad de Oregón. Muchas gracias a la Profesora Martínez y a la Profesora Stephen por su apoyo, orientación y esfuerzos.

Synopsis:

Maria Cortes, is an Indigenous woman from Santa Maria, Tindu, Oaxaca. She was raised in a small village alongside with her sister, grandparents, and parents who spoke Mixtec. She migrated to the US as a motivated women searching for opportunities and a better life then her home country. She lived in California for a short period of time but ultimately moved to Oregon, which became her permanent home. She currently resides in Woodburn, OR, where she has made a positive impact on the Latino community. She is a healthy workplace organizer at PCUN where she focuses on the health and safety of Latino farmworkers and supports Latino women in native healing. Maria has dedicated her life encouraging Latino women and Latino farmworkers fight for their rights and empower them to rise above all trials.

Producer’s Bio:

Ruby Velasquez is a first-generation college student at the University of Oregon. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Humanities and an Ethnic Studies minor. Her concentration is on Latinx cultural studies. Through this course, she has been able to focus on her personal Hispanic roots and discover an inspiring Latino community where her voice is heard. In the last 6 months Ruby has challenged herself to filming a documentary, where she shares Maria Cortes personal journey to the US and the impact she has made in the Latino community. Her overall goal was to showcase Maria Cortes and her dedication to the Latino community, in hopes to inspire other Latina women.

Synopsis:

The film will follow the Sincuir Alvarez’ family in their lifelong journey to remain together and build a home founded in love, hope, and perseverance. The film is about a series of anecdotes telling the highs and lows of the family. The film is meant to inspire audiences to believe in the power of love and the strength of family ties.

Producer’s Bio:

Kat Sincuir Alvarez is an undergraduate student at the University of Oregon, class of 2023. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema Studies with a double minor in Cultural Anthropology and Folklore. She plans to revolutionize the Hollywood film industry by both raising Latinx voices and talent while normalizing BIPOC representation. Additionally, she plans to work in ethnographic research in Latin America to share the stories of traditional folklore pertinent in Central and South America. Through this course, Kat has been able to in her cinematic skills, and love for storytelling. What she realized after a span of 20 weeks, is how much the story of her family unraveled in front of her eyes. Her goal for this film was to brighten and inspire all viewers to believe in the power of love and family ties in a world that can be so dark and dull.

Synopsis:

This film tells the story of Reyna Lopez and her transformation into a community organizer fighting for the rights of farmworkers in Oregon. Reyna is the first womxn executive director at one of Oregon’s farmworker labor unions, PCUN, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste, in Woodburn, Oregon as of January 19, 2018. The seeds of her transformation into a powerful community organizer were first planted in the fields where her father worked and nurtured her deep commitment to being an example to her family and community. After completing college, working in low-payment jobs, and learning the in and outs of grassroots campaigning, it was after being arrested and being held at a big warehouse among other movement leaders, that she found her recommitment to the labor movement. Today, some of the many battles she is fighting for include immigrant and farmworker rights and the empowerment of Latinx families and individuals.

Producer’s Bio:

My name is Karina Gonzalez and I am currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Family and Human Services with a minor in Latinx Studies here at the University of Oregon. The skills and knowledge I have gained through this class have not only affected my understanding of Latino Roots throughout the state of Oregon, but also have aided in the discovery of my own family’s roots. These are skills that I will continue to take with me beyond the classroom. Beginning in 2022 and lasting for five months was a project that entailed tasks that I had never done before. Understanding and telling Reyna’s story as genuinely as possible was the goal of this project.

 

Synopsis:

This film tells the story of the personal struggles of a first generation college student, Brenda Ocampo. The daughter of immigrants from the Mexican states of Morelos and Oaxaca, Brenda first enjoys the tight-knit Latinx community her parents fostered in Eugene, Oregon. When she takes the chance to attend a High School outside of her neighborhood in hopes of attaining a better education, Brenda finds herself feeling isolated and out of place in the majority-white, and more academically rigorous school. As a result, Brenda is admitted into a mental health treatment facility before returning to school. Through the encouragement of a PE teacher, Brenda joins a school program designed to help under-represented students make connections, achieve their academic goals, and attend college.

 

Producer’s Bio:

Sofia Vicente-Vidal is a third-year graduate student in the UO’s department of Anthropology. The Latino Roots course has given me the valuable skill of documentary filmmaking which I plan to continue playing with and exploring other stories to tell through movies. This was an especially meaningful project as I can personally relate to many of the struggles Brenda describes in her own journey as an outsider in institutions of public and higher education. I hope middle school and high school students who view this film and identify with Brenda will start to imagine their own path towards belonging and achieving their academic, creative, and professional goals.

 

Synopsis:

Growing up in Santa Ana, California, nearly two hours away from the Mexican Border, artist Sergio B. Sanchez was exposed to both a life rich in culture, and a life of risky and dangerous activity. As someone who experienced a possible parent deportation and a continuous life in poverty, Sergio began to act up and immerse himself in the easy money-making life. By the time he was in middle school, Sergio was beginning to fall down the wrong path. But through the support of his family, teachers, mentors, and his love for art, Sergio was able to change his ways and strive for better choices. Sergio has overcome adversities and now hopes to inspire others through his artistic talents and experiences.

 

Producer’s Bio:

Noeli Martinez-Gabriel is an undergraduate student at the University of Oregon. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism at the School of Journalism and Communications with a minor in Spanish. Her focus is in print and multimedia reporting. Through this course, she has been able to apply her journalistic skills and her passion for storytelling. In the span of 20 weeks, Noeli challenged herself to make documentary film which she had never done before. Her overall goal, was to truthfully share Sergio’s life story.

 

Synopsis:

The young adulthood of Mexican immigrant Luis Alberto Navez Dircio: Luis was brought to the United States with his mother at the age of 8, pursuing a better life for their family. This film explores the environments Luis grew up in, and the various challenges these environmnents created, as well as how he plans to give back to the community that allowed him to find success.

Synopsis:

Carol Rodgers is the first generation daughter of Costa Rican immigrants Juan and Sally Bonilla, who entered the U.S. in the early 1960s. Carol’s niece, Miranda Harding, facilitates a discussion of Carol’s life, who spent her childhood in La Puente, California. The Bonillas moved to Costa Rica for a year when Carol was young before she reentered and finished school in La Puente. While on summer vacation in Oregon, Juan finds a farm house that he loves, causing the Bonillas to relocate to Hillsboro. Carol quickly found love and has spent 30 years raising her family in Hillsboro while working as a judge’s assistant for Washington County.

 

Producer’s Bio:

I am Miranda Harding and I am completing an undergraduate degree in Anthropology with a double concentration in cultural anthropology and archaeology and a minor in History. Latino Roots I and II gave me invaluable insight into the process of conducting research with living people towards the goal of forming a coherent narrative.

 

Synopsis:

This film is about Eliezer Chey Gonzalez. He was raised in Huandacarao, Michoacán, Mexico, and he migrated to Eugene when he was 14 and a half. He had to attend North Eugene High School after going to the same school for 11 years. He graduated high school and was accepted at the University of Oregon where he earned a bachelor degree in sociology with a minor in business. He is married with two children and works for the Department of Human Services in the child welfare department. This story is important, because it shows that Mexican migrants are productive, responsible and are family-oriented people and not all criminals like the Trump administration wants everyone to believe.

 

Producer’s Bio:

My name is Mark Howard. I am a senior at the University of Oregon where I’m a journalism major and an anthropology minor. Most of my classes are taken at UO’s School of Journalism and Communication (SOJC). This course helped me learn about the history of Mexican migration in the US, and it showed me the complex workings of transborder communities.  It also taught me the fundamentals of documentary theory, filmmaking and interviewing. All of these skills will be useful to my future as a journalist and videographer.