Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies Commons^™

Oregon Latino Agenda For Action Stronger Together Fuerza Unida Report: Executive Summary, Cynthia Carmina Gomez, Ronald L. Mize

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Welcome to the Oregon Latino Agenda for Action (OLAA) Biennial Summit 2016. With the help of various organizations and community leaders, OLAA held our first ever summit in Salem, Oregon, in 2010. OLAA’s first statewide summit was designed to provide an opportunity to gather as a community, under the banner of “One United Voice - Una Voz Unida.” The end result was a gathering of our diverse Latino community in Oregon which started a dialogue intended to articulate the ways in which we could gather with the intent of improving the lives of all Latinos in Oregon. This initial Summit …

More Than A Misunderstood Religion: Rediscovering Vodou As A Tool Of Survival And A Vehicle For Independence In Colonial Haiti, Eliza M. Kamerling-Brown

Young Historians Conference

The majority of Americans today closely associate the term “Voodoo” with satanism, witchcraft and barbaric sacrifice. Yet, far from these ill­-formed depictions and misconceptions— which first took root through the western dominance of 18th century colonial Haiti and have been perpetuated through mediums of popular culture ever since—a closer look at Haitian Vodou will illuminate that the spiritual practice transcends religion alone and should be better recognized as the very mechanism of unity that spurred Afro­-Caribbean independence via the Haitian Revolution of 1791. This paper explores not only the ways in which Haitian Vodou has been intentionally demonized throughout history …

Since Time Immemorial: The Decline Of Columbia River Basin Salmon, Samuel J. Levin

Young Historians Conference

Since Time Immemorial: The Decline of Columbia River Basin Salmon studies the near extinction of what has been historically the world’s largest salmon population. By examining the issue systemically, my paper reveals that the environmental misjudgments that have brought the salmon so near extinction are not isolated, but rather are the product of cultural trends. A study of these misjudgments reveals a culture within the Columbia Basin that has, since the mid-19^th century, sought expansion for expansion’s sake and valued short-term wealth over long-term sustainability. My paper illustrates how his philosophy has guided and continues to guide Columbia Basin …

Ridiculous Flix: Buckskin, Boycotts, And Busted Hollywood Narratives, Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr.

Indigenous Nations Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In April 2015, actor Loren Anthony and eight extras from the cast of Adam Sandler’s Netflix production Ridiculous Six had walked off the set due to repeated insults and derogatory remarks embedded in the script. The claim was the film included disrespect of women, elders, and sacred items, and it exceeded the actors’ capacity to overlook the intended “satire” of the production. The author examines derogatory Indian stereotypes in several films, and the social media campaign to boycott Netflix - #NotYourHollywoodIndian and #WalkOff Netflix.

Study Of Prestige And Resource Control Using Fish Remains From Cathlapotle, A Plankhouse Village On The Lower Columbia River, J. Shoshana Rosenberg

Dissertations and Theses

Social inequality is a trademark of Northwest Coast native societies, and the relationship between social prestige and resource control, particularly resource ownership, is an important research issue on the Northwest Coast. Faunal remains are one potential but as yet underutilized path for examining this relationship. My thesis work takes on this approach through the analysis of fish remains from the Cathlapotle archaeological site (45CL1). Cathlapotle is a large Chinookan village site located on the Lower Columbia River that was extensively excavated in the 1990s. Previous work has established prestige distinctions between houses and house compartments, making it possible to examine …

Playing With History: A Black Camera Interview With Kevin Willmott, Derrais Carter

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The George Bernard Shaw quotation in the epigraph is both a charge and a warning. Truth is a bitter pill best taken with syrup. Failure to comply could result in the truth-teller’s figurative death. In the case of the black filmmaker, that death looks like empty theater seats. It is a film with no audience, no home. The Shaw quote opens Kevin Willmott’s 2004 film C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America. The film is a mockumentary about what the United States would have become had the South won the Civil War. Using satire to poke fun at a seemingly ludicrous …

El Reto De Una Democracia Planetaria: Vandana Shiva Y La Relevancia Del Feminismo Tradicional, Priya Kapoor

International & Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Este artículo analiza el caso de la activista ambiental y científica Vandana Shiva y su visión de una tierra democrática, al tiempo que examina la teoría feminista. Shiva media múltiples realidades de compañías multinacionales de biotecnología, movilizaciones populares y su propia marca de prácticas feministas. El activismo de Shiva muestra la posición intermediaria de mujeres líderes que deben balancear y comunicar asertivamente las relaciones entre el Estado y las corporaciones, mientras al mismo tiempo reivindican un liderazgo moral.

While examining transnational feminist theory, this article scrutinizes the case of environmental activist and scientist Vandana Shiva and her vision of an …

Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) Ecological Knowledge Of Piñon-Juniper Woodlands: Implications For Conservation And Sustainable Resource Use In Two Southern Nevada Protected Areas, Brian John Lefler

Dissertations and Theses

Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) have inhabited the southern Great Basin for thousands of years, and consider Nuvagantu (where snow sits) in the Spring Mountains landscape to be the locus of their creation as a people. Their ancestral territory spans parts of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California. My research identifies and describes the heterogeneous character of Nuwuvi ecological knowledge (NEK) of piñon-juniper woodland ecosystems within two federal protected areas (PAs) in southeastern Nevada, the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) and the Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR), as remembered and practiced to varying degrees by 22 select Nuwuvi knowledge holders. I focus …

Afro-Ecuadorian Educational Movement: Racial Oppression, Its Origins And Oral Tradition, Ethan Johnson

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this paper, three objectives are presented, first, to describe the socio-historical context of Afro-Ecuadorians generally and specifically related to education. Here, it is demonstrated how colonial and nation building practices and processes have attempted to silence and make absent the contributions people of African descent have made to development of the nation. Second, the Afro-Ecuadorian social movement is considered within the local, regional and global socio-historical context, and it is argued that the Afro-Ecuadorian Etnoeducación is part of a continuous struggle for freedom and inclusion in the nation as full citizens. The third area of analysis focuses on one …

Racism, Heterosexism, Depression, And Hiv Risk Behaviors Of Native Men Who Have Sex With Men: Findings From The Honor Project, Matthew Alan Town

Dissertations and Theses

Racial minority men who have sex with men (MSM) experience greater levels of discrimination and higher rates of HIV infection. However, little is known about the associations between racial and heterosexist discrimination and HIV risk behavior. Further, little is known about the mechanisms of the association between racial and heterosexist discrimination and HIV risk behavior. There is some evidence to suggest that depression may be a mechanism that mediates the relationship between racial and heterosexist discrimination and HIV risk behavior. Thus, one purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which discrimination based on both race and sexual …

Beyond Black And White: An Examination Of Afrocentric Facial Features And Sex In Criminal Sentencing, Amanda Mae Petersen

Dissertations and Theses

Research on race and sentencing is increasingly moving beyond racial category analyses to include more subtle attributes such as skin tone and facial features. In keeping with this progression, this research examines the extent to which convicted offenders' Afrocentric facial features interact with sex in order to create longer criminal sentences for stereotypically Black males and females. A random sample of Black and White males and females currently serving prison sentences in the state of Oregon were selected for inclusion in the study. A preliminary regression analysis was run in order to determine the effect of broad racial category on …

Trauma-Informed Research And Planning: Understanding Government And Urban Native Community Partnerships To Addressing Substance-Exposed Pregnancies In Portland, Or, Amanda Mercier

Dissertations and Theses

In 2011, representatives from the Multnomah County Health Departments and several Native-serving organizations came together to address substance-exposed pregnancies among urban Native Americans in Portland, Oregon. From these partnerships, the Future Generations Collaborative was formed representing a significant shift toward community-led maternal child health research and planning. Additionally, the Future Generations Collaborative adopted a historical trauma-informed community based participatory research and planning process. This is particularly significant considering government agencies' role in colonization within Native communities. The purpose of this case study is to explore partnerships between government agencies and the Portland Native community within the Future Generations Collaborative. Given …

Exploring Colonization And Ethnogenesis Through An Analysis Of The Flaked Glass Tools Of The Lower Columbia Chinookans And Fur Traders, Stephanie Catherine Simmons

Dissertations and Theses

At the end of the 18th century, Anglo Americans and Europeans entered the mouth of the Columbia River for the first time. There they encountered large villages of Chinookan and other Native Americans. Soon afterwards, the Chinookan People became involved in the global fur trade. Pelts, supplies, and native made goods were exchanged with fur traders, who in return provided Chinookans with a number of trade goods. Over the next 40 years, life changed greatly for the Chinookans; new trade and political alliances were created, foreign goods were introduced, and diseases killed large portions of the population (Hajda 1984; Gibson …

"Dangerous Subjects": James D. Saules And The Enforcement Of The Color Line In Oregon, Kenneth Robert Coleman

Dissertations and Theses

In June of 1844, James D. Saules, a black sailor turned farmer living in Oregon's Willamette Valley, was arrested and convicted for allegedly inciting Indians to violence against a settler named Charles E. Pickett. Three years earlier, Saules had deserted the United States Exploring Expedition, married a Chinookan woman, and started a freight business on the Columbia River. Less than two months following Saules' arrest, Oregon's Provisional Government passed its infamous "Lash Law," banning the immigration of free black people to the region. While the government repealed the law in 1845, Oregon passed a territorial black exclusion law in 1849 …

Lifeblood Of The Earth: Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) Hydrological Knowledge And Perceptions Of Restoration In Two Southern Nevada Protected Areas, Kendra Lesley Wendel

Dissertations and Theses

In the arid landscapes of the southern Great Basin and northern Mojave Desert, issues surrounding water resource management are often politically contentious. Nuwuvi (Southern Paiute) have known and managed these resources for thousands of years prior to Euro-American arrival in the region. A variety of factors, including federal policies that resulted in the creation of reservations and forced placement in boarding schools, as well as contemporary resource commodification, have influenced Nuwuvi knowledge and practice.

In this thesis, I examined the character of Nuwuvi ethnohydrological knowledge, including management knowledge, of two protected areas: Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA), managed by …

Teaching Australian Literature In A Class About Literatures Of Social Reform, Per Henningsgaard

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article presents an intriguing thesis about proximity and identification, distance and empathy based on the experience of teaching Sally Morgan’s My Place to American university students alongside Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin in a class examining literature as an agent of social change. Indeed, its response to the question, “How does the Australian production of My Place influence its American reception?” will surprise many people. Students more readily demonstrate empathy with characters and are prepared to ascribe their unenviable life circumstances to social structures that propagate oppression when reading literature about cultural groups …

Identity Development Of Adolescent Gay Black Males, Miles James Allen Crumley

Dissertations and Theses

During adolescence, self-identified gay black males may develop their identities differently than their gay white male counterparts. This may be attributed to the reconciliation of stressors when developing gay, black, and male identities within certain environmental contexts. To investigate this, twelve qualitative interviews were conducted of gay black males from which developmental themes were extracted. While many of the developmental processes are similar to their white homosexual counterparts, some differences were noted regarding racism, objectification by the white gay community, and use of the internet to develop particular identities. A new theory using dynamic systems theory that includes many complexities …

A Hidden History: The Stories And Struggles Of Oregon's African American Communities, Walidah Imarisha

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

A Conversation Project program reveals the stories and struggles of Oregon's African American communities. Walidah Imarisha led this Oregon Humanities sponsored Conversation Project program entitled, “Why Aren't There More Black People in Oregon? A Hidden History.” This article describes her efforts in organizing and leading the program, and includes details of Oregon's history, how the state was "was created as a white utopian homeland," subsequent policies such as the "lash law," and hundreds of years of activism that is ushering change. The Hidden History Timeline embedded in this article starts with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, covers the founding of …

Disruptions In The Dream City: Unsettled Ideologies At The 1905 World's Fair In Portland, Oregon, Kat Cleland

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the experiences of fairgoers at the Lewis and Clark Centennial, American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair held in Portland, Oregon from June to October of 1905. Historians have framed world's fairs and international expositions as sites of legitimating narratives and restagings of empire and nationhood. This thesis focuses on women, Asian Americans, and Native Americans who interrupted and disrupted the performance and exhibition of U.S. imperialism in the specific case of Portland, Oregon. It considers who benefitted from or endured loss in the demonstrations of imperial culture at the Fair. Following the premises that metropolitan and colonial …

The Role Of Psycho-Sociocultural Factors In Suicide Risk Among Mong/Hmong Youth, Tangjudy Vang

Dissertations and Theses

This study examined psychological, social, and cultural factors that can affect suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth between the ages of 18 and 25. Emerging evidence suggests that Mong/Hmong youth are at an increased risk for suicide (Huang, Lee, & Arganza, 2004; Jesilow & Xiong, 2007). Additionally, initial findings and theories have suggested potential associations between Mong/Hmong youth suicide risk and intergenerational family conflict, ethnic identity, acculturation, depression, and spirituality. The seriousness of suicide risk among Mong/Hmong youth in this country has been overlooked for decades; therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine these associations with the hope that …

Attitudes Toward Science (Ats): An Examination Of Scientists' And Native Americans' Cultural Values And Ats And Their Effect On Action Priorities, Adam T. Murry

Dissertations and Theses

Science has been identified as a crucial element in the competitiveness and sustainability of America in the global economy. American citizens, especially minority populations, however, are not pursuing science education or careers. Past research has implicated `attitudes toward science' as an important factor in the public's participation in science. I applied Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behavior to attitudes toward science to predict science-related sustainability-action intentions and evaluated whether scientists and Native Americans differed in their general attitudes toward science, cultural values, and specific beliefs about science. Analyses revealed that positive attitude toward science and the cultural value of individualism …

Exploring Four Barriers Experienced By African Americans In Healthcare: Perceived Discrimination, Medical Mistrust, Race Discordance, And Poor Communication, Adolfo Gabriel Cuevas

Dissertations and Theses

For many health conditions, African Americans bear a disproportionate burden of disease, injury, death, and disability compared to European Americans. African Americans also use health services less frequently than do European Americans and this underuse of services contributes to health disparities in the United States. Studies have shown that some disparities are present not as a result of poor access to care, but, to a certain extent, as a result of the experiences patients have at their doctors' offices. It is, therefore, essential to understand African American patients' perspectives and experiences with healthcare providers. Past studies have shown that four …

Trans-Americanity: Subaltern Modernities, Global Coloniality, And The Cultures Of Greater Mexico, By José David Saldívar, Elena Avilés

Chicano/Latino Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This book review evaluates the latest publication of comparative inter-American scholar José David Saldívar.

Expectations And Preferences For Counseling And Psychotherapy In Native Americans, Mark Beitel, Ahkeyah Andrada Allahjah, Christopher Cutter, Ned Blackhawk, Theodore C. Van Alst, Jr., Declan T. Barry

Indigenous Nations Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

We provide a broad overview of the research on expectations and preferences for counseling and psychotherapy with Native Americans and identify a critical lack of research in this area. We conclude that increased research could improve the effectiveness of counseling and psychotherapy for Native peoples. For example, understanding and engaging patients’ expectations and preferences would likely lead to increased retention and satisfaction. Finally, we suggest that a Native American clinical practice network might be one way to generate clinical and research knowledge in the area of expectations and preferences for psychotherapy and counseling.

Motivation In The Portland Chinuk Wawa Language Community, Abigail Elaina Pecore

Dissertations and Theses

Throughout the world, languages are becoming extinct at an alarming rate. Perhaps half of the 6,000-7,000 languages worldwide will go extinct in the next 50-100 years. One of these dying languages, Chinook Jargon or Chinuk Wawa, a language found in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, is in the process of being revitalized through the concerted efforts of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde (CTGR). Reasons to revitalize endangered languages often seem irrelevant to our modern daily lives, and revitalizing these languages is a difficult process requiring much dedication, commitment, and persistence. In light of this significant struggle, understanding …

Portland's Goose Hollow, Tracy J. Prince

Curriculum and Instruction Faculty Publications and Presentations

One of Portland’s oldest neighborhoods, Goose Hollow is steps from downtown and beloved for its quirky character, historic homes, spectacular views, and walkability. Over a century ago, the actual “hollow” was dramatically altered when the meandering Tanner Creek, in a deep gulch with several trestle bridge crossings, was diverted underground and infilled. The creek’s presence is still felt in the ravine carved through the Tualatin Mountains (spanned by the Vista Bridge) and in the neighborhood’s identity. This book provides definitive answers to how Goose Hollow got its name and how Tanner Creek Gulch was filled. Stories are also told of …

Youth Movement: Building Assets Of Community For School Reform, Ethan Johnson, Andraé Brown

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Social capital can be used to measure the health and wellness of a community. Through an ethnographic account of one school and community in Northern California, we demonstrate how social and economic forces diminished this community’s social capital and consequently its health. We also show how one community-based organization took into account this larger social and economic context to develop creative interventions to address interracial violence within a school. Their efforts built trust, increased social networks and accountability, which resulted in empowering previously marginalized members of the community. Organizers encouraged counselors to work creatively to expand their scope of their …

The Portland State University Task Force On Latina/O Student Success, Carlos J. Crespo

Global Diversity and Inclusion Publications and Presentations

In the fall of 2009, Portland State University President Wim Wiewel commissioned a Task Force, and an associated Advisory Board composed of community stakeholders, to make strategic recommendations concerning how Portland State can best serve the higher education needs and aspirations of Oregon’s Latino community. President Wiewel further charged the Task Force to base its recommendations on the best research and evidence available and to consider the most effective investment of PSU resources.

The Task Force met monthly from September 2009 to May 2010. It reviewed the literature, studied relevant data, learned from the success of comparable institutions, and performed …

Desegregation And Multiculturalism In The Portland Public Schools, Ethan Johnson, Felicia Williams

Black Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Helen Marie Casey’s booklet Portland’s Compromise: the Colored School, 1867–1872 recounts the story of William Brown, an African-American resident of Portland, Oregon, and his role in the first and only case of official segregation of African-American children in Portland Public Schools (PPS) in 1867. After unsuccessfully trying to enroll his children in one of Portland’s only two public elementary schools, Brown appealed to the school board, including directors Josiah Failing, W.S. Ladd, and E.D. Shattuck. Again, his children were denied access. The board of directors explained their resistance to integrated schools by saying: “If we admit them [African-American children], then …

Writing Chinuk Wawa: A Materials Development Case Study, Sarah A. Braun Hamilton

Dissertations and Theses

This study explored the development of new texts by fluent non-native speakers of Chinuk Wawa, an endangered indigenous contact language of the Pacific Northwest United States. The texts were developed as part of the language and culture program of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon for use in university-sponsored language classes. The collaborative process of developing 12 texts was explored through detailed revision analysis and interviews with the materials developers and other stakeholders.

Fluent non-native speakers relied on collaboration, historical documentation, reference materials, grammatical models, and their own intuitions and cultural sensibilities to develop texts that …