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Synopsis:

The story of Oregon’s first immigrant Latina legislator, Teresa Alonso Leon, the film follows her journey to the Oregon capitol from San Jeronimo, Michoacán, México. As a child of migrant farmers, Teresa worked in the fields alongside her parents and gained leadership skills helping care for her younger siblings. Encouraged by her teachers, Teresa became the first in her family to graduate college and pursued a career developing education opportunities for young people of underrepresented and low income communities. As the Representative for District 22, one of the most diverse districts and home to the largest Latino community in the state, Teresa works to pass policies that support education, health, affordable housing, and social justice.

 

Producer’s Bio:

Kisa Clark is a second-year PhD student in Media Studies. As a researcher interested in the role of culture in communicative processes, this course helped develop my understanding of the important historical, racial, and political factors that shape a place and the communities within it. Utilizing documentary film as an effective research tool to better understand and add to the underdeveloped narrative of Oregon’s Latino history has been a uniquely valuable and thought-provoking experience.

 

Synopsis:

This documentary tells the story of Rommel Antonio Sobalvarro Sr., a Nicaraguan man in his -mid 40’s who immigrated to California when he was four months old with his family. He grew up and spent most of his early adult life in Lancaster, California and was a member of a local Crip street gang for many years until he became a father and wanted to lead a better life for his family. In Oregon, he found value in the jobs he held and has been in a management position for nearly two decades.

 

Producer’s Bio:

I am a graduating senior at the University of Oregon and am majoring in Anthropology with concentrations in both Cultural Anthropology and Archaeology and have a minor in Earth Sciences: Geology. What began as an interest in archaeology grew into a passion for learning more about living cultures and peoples as well. I enrolled in the Latino Roots courses after taking a class on Immigration and Farmworkers, which was also taught by Dr. Lynn Stephen, in the Fall of 2019. These classes helped give me an understanding of the historical processes that led to Latino/a immigration and settlement in Oregon and gave me the opportunity to add to the scholarship of Latino/a people in Oregon through the recorded oral history interview, family images procured, and the documentary film I produced. Documentary films are a favorite genre of mine; and the interviewing and media editing skills I learned in this course, even during a pandemic, will be useful as I begin to navigate my post-college career.

 

Synopsis:

This documentary is about a Mexican-immigrant single mother, Esperanza Mora, who
has struggled with racial descrimination and the difficulties of raising her daughter on her own;
this documentary also shows Karina Mora, her daughters’ experience growing up with a single
mother. Esperanza shares her experience living in Michoacan Mexico within the 14 years she
lived there, and her experience in the United States. This includes her life as an immigrant
agricultural worker and the difficulties she has had to overcome. Which is significant due to the
fact that it can raise awareness for many people who have experienced similar situations and can show how many people deal with certain experiences as immigrants, or single parents, or even both.

 

Producer’s Bio:

I am Karina Mora, 21-years-old currently enrolled at University of Oregon as a Junior. I am a first generation in my family to have the opportunity to attend a higher education (college) and taking this class as a Latina, really helped my growth in my Latino roots. I was able to have two amazing professors, Dr. Stephen and Dr. Martinez, who are passionate about this class, which has been an amazing experience for the past two terms. I enjoy learning about my roots and where I come from, I also love watching documentaries of people out there and their experience as a Latino! Every story is different, is diverse but with many similarities that can be related to which I see it as an opportunity to learn about others and their own experience as a Latino.

 

Synopsis:

This short movie documents the life and journey of Vannia Glasinovic from her childhood in Bolivia to her work as an immigration attorney in Eugene, Oregon. It starts by discussing her current life during the Coronavirus pandemic, before diving into her story. This film highlights her childhood in Bolivia and the changes she has seen there since she moved to the United States. It also covers her switch from environmental law to immigraiton law as well as her battles against discrimination both in her practice and her life as a whole. Vannia discusses the recent changes in immigration law, as well as what she thinks the future holds.

 

Producer’s Bio:

My name is Jackson McCormick and I am a junior at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications majoring in public relations with a minor in anthropology. The Latino Roots course has sparked a passion for storytelling and videography, and I am excited to build off of what I have learned from this course. 

I want to give my utmost appreciation to Professor Martinez and Professor Stephen for the opportunity to be a part of this course, and Vannia Glasinovic for working with me to make this movie during these very uncertain times.

 

Synopsis:

This is a short documentary focusing on Emily Chavez, who has been undocumented for fifteen years and a DACA recipient for five years. Emily’s parents are featured in the film and provide insight to achievements and experiences they have lived through together as a family. This documentary is significant in current times as the pending Supreme Court decision on the removal of DACA continues to loom over thousands of families.

 

Producer’s Bio:

Emily Alejandra Chavez Romero is a second-year student studying Ethnic Studies and Latin American Studies at the University of Oregon.

The Latino Roots course has provided a safe space and an engaging community. The material in class provides insight to social issues that continue to negatively impact Latinx families across Oregon. It has been a privilege to be a student under Professor Stephen and Professor Martinez, their passion for La Raza inspire me to continue pursuing my educational aspirations and dreams.

 

Synopsis:

“Aqui es Home” represents the oral story told by Andres López. He is a son, a brother and most importantly a father. His story begins in Hostotipaquillo, Jalisco Mexico and a small ranch named “El Ojo De Agua” in Nayarit, Mexico. As he tells his story we puzzle together the fundamental pieces that pushed him to move and establish a family in Oregon. He made a long trip as a fourteen year old boy that completely changed the path he was on. As education was pushed to the side, he dedicated himself to his work and his family. Without regret he proudly tells us his story of how Oregon became home.

 

Producer’s Bio:

My name is Belén López-Delgado and I am a senior at the University of Oregon, majoring in biological anthropology and Spanish. This class has not just enhanced my skills and pushed me outside of my comfort zone, but it has taught me about my roots. On an academic level my goals included improving my Spanish and trying to get a better understanding about the Latinx community in Oregon. This class helped me with transcribing and translating Spanish and improved my understanding of many of the push and pull factors that have and continue to impact the Latinx community around us. On a personal level my goal was to get to know more about my own roots. I decided to interview my dad and I was able to unlock many things about my roots and my family that I probably would have never explored if it was not for this class.

 

 

Synopsis:

This film tells the story of José González’ life and the founding of Milagro, the Pacific Northwest’s premier Latino theatre, arts, and culture organization. The narrative follows José’s life as he moved from Texas to Oregon as a teenager and experienced a solitude upon leaving his family and culture behind in Texas. José eventually found his calling in the theatre and went on to co-found Milagro as a means to address his own desire for community and culture. Making Milagro explores the power of art and theatre as a vehicle for building community by bringing people together, making and preserving history, and diversifying the culture of the Pacific Northwest.

 

Producer’s Bio:

Annalise Gardella is a first year PhD student in Cultural Anthropology. She holds a BA in International Affairs and Spanish from the University of Nevada, Reno and an MA in Latin American Studies from the University of Arizona. Annalise’s master’s work focuses on LGBTQ organization in El Salvador and the relationship between violence and activism. Her areas of study include gender violence, queer representation in media, feminist organization, and queer social movements in Central America. The Latino Roots course provided new perspectives on how to share ethnographic work in accessible and engaging ways, and Annalise hopes to use the methods she learned in this class to share and disseminate her work in El Salvador.

“The Story of Izza Porter”                 

A documentary by Claire Winograd

 

Synopsis:

Izza was born in Reinosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and now lives in Oregon. She explains the importance of family in her life and how she misses them. Izza met her husband while learning Tae Kwon Do and now she has two daughters.

 

Producer/Director bio:

Claire Winograd studies Ethnic Studies.

 

“The Story of Izza Porter” (La Historia de Izza Porter)

Un documental de Claire Winograd

 

Sinopsis/resumen de la película:

Izza nació en Reynosa, Tamaulipas, México, y ahora vive en Oregón. Izza explica la importancia que tiene su familia and su vida y cuenta que los extraña mucho. Izza conoció a su esposo cuando estaba aprendiendo Tae Kwon Do; ahora tienen dos hijas.

 

Biografía del productor/director:

Claire Winograd estudia la licenciatura en Estudios Etnicos.

“Norma Scovell: Norma”

A documentary by Heidi Rangel

 

Synopsis: 

This documentary captures the journey of Norma Scovell, a U.S.-born woman who grew up in Coahuila, Mexico, and who now lives in Oregon. Norma volunteers as a community translator and educational assistant to English as a second language speakers. Through the film, Norma explains her love of education, of the Spanish language, her community and culture.

 

Producer/Director Bio: 

Heidi Rangel is a student of Cultural Anthropology.

 

“Norma Scovell: Norma”

Un documental de Heidi Rangel

 

Sinopsis/resumen de la película:

Este documental cuenta la historia de Norma Scovell, una mujer nacida en los Estados Unidos que creció en Coahuila, México, y que ahora vive en Oregón. Norma es voluntaria como traductora comunitaria y asistente educativa para personas que el inglés es su segundo idioma. A través del documental, Norma explica su amor por la educación, de la lengua española, el oír a su comunidad y su cultura.

 

Biografía del productor/director:

Heidi Rangel es estudiante de Antropología Cultural.