Valley Migrant League photographs, 1965-1968

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Valley Migrant League
Title
Valley Migrant League photographs
Dates
1965-1968 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.5 cubic feet, (3 document cases)  :  1,945 photographs and 1,180 safety film negatives
Collection Number
Org. Lot 74
Summary
Collection consists of photographs taken primarily by staff of the Valley Migrant League for their program newspaper, "Opportunity News." Subjects depicted include VML-sponsored adult education and child care programs, working and living conditions for agricultural migrant laborers, labor organizing activities, and community events.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Valley Migrant League (VML) was a private, nonprofit organization that advocated for migrant farm laborers in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The VML was founded in 1964 and received its first major funding in May 1965 through the Office of Economic Opportunity as part of Great Society anti-poverty programs and the federal War on Poverty. VML established its administrative headquarters in Woodburn, Oregon, with Area Opportunity Centers in Aumsville, Dayton, Hillsboro, Independence, Salem, Sandy, and Woodburn. VML programs included adult education and vocational training; advocacy for safer working and housing conditions for migrant laborers; child care centers; and labor organizing activities. VML also published the newspapers "Opportunity News" (1965-1968) and "Relampago" (1970-1973). VML services were available to the families of anyone who worked in seasonal agriculture. Most of the organization's outreach focused on Mexican and other Latino laborers in the Willamette Valley, but VML also aided Black workers and members of the Russian Old Believers community and other white laborers. VML reorganized in 1974 under a new name, Oregon Rural Opportunities (ORO), and expanded its scope to become a statewide program. ORO operated until federal funding cuts closed the program in 1979.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Collection consists of photographs used by the Valley Migrant League (VML) for its program newspaper, "Opportunity News." Most of the photographs were taken by VML staff. Many of the individuals and places depicted in the prints and negatives in this collection were identified by Oregon Historical Society archivists from the corresponding articles in "Opportunity News."

Subjects depicted in the photographs include VML-sponsored adult education and vocational training programs, including photographs of classrooms, workshops, and businesses hosting work-training programs, as well as portraits of program graduates and teachers. Also depicted are VML's children's day-care programs, including photographs of children in the day-care centers and on educational field trips, as well as community events, sports, and cultural celebrations such as the Woodburn Fiesta Mexicana, May Day, and Christmas. Photographs in this collection also document living and working conditions for migrant laborers, including depictions of laborers in fields, operating agricultural equipment, and in labor camps, as well as rural health care and mobile medical clinics. Also represented in the collection is VML involvement in labor and community organizing, including meeting with political leaders and local picket lines in support of the Delano Grape Strike.

The photographs in the collection also include portraits of many individuals associated with VML and the agricultural labor movement of the 1960s. Photographers identified in this collection include Julie Behar, Priscilla Carrasco, Housen Photography Studio, Judi Jarvill, Richard Pollack, Peter Reich, Rick Simon, and John Smith.

A selection of the individuals represented in this collection include:

Surnames A-C: Alan Adams (University of Oregon/UMA Migrant Project), Joe Aeyes, Lola Aguirre, Harold Alden (University of Oregon/UMA Migrant Project), Guadalupe Alvarez, Donato Amaya, Jerry Anderson, Lupe Aranda, Mrs. Juan Aranda, Porfirio Arguello, Albert Ash, Donna Ash, Doyle Ash, Chris Bernard (Assistant Director of Independence Opportunity Center), Wayne Blake, Katie Bomersheim (University of Oregon/UMA Migrant Project), Erma Bonser, Lorinne Brown (VISTA), Cecil Bruner, William Bruner, Gloria Cantu, Rosa Cantu, Elvira Carbajal, Yolanda Cedillo, Cesar Chavez (United Farm Workers Organizing Committee), Ray Chavez, Cheryl Clark, Ed Cloose, Don Cobine, Judy Collins, Carmen Colon, Juanita Constrate, Yolanda Cora, Elva Cortez, Juanita Cortez, James Cumming, and Juanita Current.

Surnames D-G: Manuel Delacruz, Ann Devens, Sally Dryer, Mrs. Robert Duncan, Vicki Earl, Bobbie Eiffert, Ruby Ely (Director of Hillsboro Opportunity Center), Ed Fasion, Juan Fernandez (Program Aide at West Stayton Opportunity Center), Emelio Flores, Kathy Ford (University of Oregon/UMA Migrant Project), Richard Freepons (owner of Oregon Bay Company), Alan Fuji, Manuel Galaviz, Guadalupe Gallegos, Herman Gallegos, Abelino Garcia, Anita Garcia, Eva Garza, Gloria Gayton, Ken Glover (COP committee, Washington County), Hipolito Godina, Maria Goestevsky, Sevastian Goestevsky, Ambrosio Gonzales, Connie Gonzalez, Cruz Gonzalez, Dora Gonzalez, Frimo Gonzalez, Sarah Hall Goodwin, Lucille Greger, Vera Greger, L. Fidel Guzman, Maria Guzman, Maria Stella Guzman, and Ophelia Guzman.

Surnames H-M: Emilio Hernandez, Hortencia Hernandez, Mary Hernandez, Al Hicks, Katherine Hodkins, Kathy Holman (University of Oregon/UMA Migrant Project), Dr. Kenneth Holmes (Linfield College, chairman of Human Relations Committee), Barry House, V. K. Jensen (University of Oregon/UMA Migrant Project), Robert Johnson, Robert F. Kennedy, Dr. Lampman, Elva Leos, Lowell Levant (VISTA), Harold Lewis (Democratic representative of Yamhill County), Gus Limas, Velma Linford (VISTA Director of Rural Projects), Hilario Lopez, Harold Macy (VISTA), Calixto Marquez, Quince Martin, Alicia Martinez, Daniel Martinez, Joe Martinez, Joel Martinez, Tom McCall, Cindy McCrevey (VISTA), Jack McIntosh, Burl McLoud, Marion McLoud, Roy Merritt, Mary Metcalf, Richard Meyer, Kathi Mills (University of Oregon/UMA Migrant Project), Perilli Minette, Hope Morales, and Wayne Morse.

Surnames O-S: Carlos O'Azares, Able Olivarez, Ramiro Olivarez, Adam Ortega, Dr. Arthur Pearl (University of Oregon/Director of Upward Bound), Grace Peck, Emma Perez, Jimmy Perry, Alan Phillips, George Phillips, Violet Phillips, Richard Pollock, Tony Quintero, Dr. Wilson Record, Ella Rigney, Delores Rios, Jose Rios (program aide for VML), Mario Rios, Norberto Robles, Barbara Rocha, Maria Rocha, Antonio Rodrigues, Lupe Rodriguez, Refugia Rodriguez, Quinton Rowland, Carmen Ruiz, Fred Ruiz, Julian Ruiz, Sandy Runkel (University of Oregon/UMA Migrant Project), Arnold Salazar, Diana Salinas, Hector Sanchez, Ted Schneider, Charles B. Schuman (President, American Farm Bureau Federation), Don Shrack, Mrs. Francisco Siller, Stella Siller, Bill Sloat, Frances Thomas Smiscon, Annie Smith, John Smith, and Rev. Luther Sturtevant.

Surnames T-Z: Frank Tankersley, Ron Thiesen (OCE), Benny M. Trevino, Margarita Trevino, Vicki Trevino, Elaine Turamoto, Judy Tweiten, Luis Valdez, Rebecca Van Sciver, Manuel Vasquez, Rudy Veliz, Luis Vendrell, Elsa Villa, Elvida Villareal, Carol Wallace, Floyd Washburn, Bob Watt, Margaret Weaver (VISTA), Mrs. Ivan Wells, Mary Whittle, Don Wilcox (First Editor of Opportunity News), Nettie Williams, Stephanie Williams, Don Willner (Oregon state senator), Marge Wolf, Henry Woods, Bob Wynia, Alberto Zapata, Evlampi Zharkoff, Larry Zimmerman (VISTA), and Nick Zuniga.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

392 images from the Valley Migrant League photographs are viewable online in OHS Digital Collections.

Preferred Citation

Valley Migrant League photographs, Org. Lot 74, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Valley Migrant League, care of program chair Pablo Ciddio, February 1971 (Lib. Acc. 11813 and Photo Acc. 1971D003).

Processing Note

Finding aid revised in 2021 to conform to current standards and to include additional identifications and collection information gathered by Oregon Historical Society archivists as part of a digitization project.

Related Materials

Bound volumes of "Opportunity News," 1965-1967, and six unbound issues for 1968 are available in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Related Materials

Digitized versions of the Oregon Historical Research Library's holdings of Opportunity News are viewable online on the Historic Oregon Newspapers website, https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/2023240193/

Separated Materials

Manuscript materials were separated to Coll 30, Valley Migrant League records, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1-2 Individuals 1965-1968
1 3 Politicians 1965-1968
1 4-5 Groups 1965-1968
1 6-7 Children 1965-1968
1 8 Russian children and families 1965-1968
2 1 Buildings 1965-1968
2 2 Forestry 1965-1968
2 3 Agricultural machinery, field workers, and crops 1965-1968
2 4 Medical care 1965-1968
2 5 Picketing and protests 1965-1968
2 6 Children's groups and activities 1965-1968
2 7 Young adult and teenage activities 1965-1968
2 8 Parades and cultural celebrations 1965-1968
2 9 Children in school 1965-1968
2 10 Continuing education 1965-1968
2 11 Vocational and industrial education 1965-1968
2 12 Color prints 1965-1968
2 13 Miscellaneous 1965-1968
3 Negatives
Negatives are not available for direct access. Selected negatives are viewable online in OHS Digital Collections. Digitized negatives not viewable online may be available by request. Contact staff for assistance.
1965-1968

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Adult education--Oregon
  • Children of migrant laborers--Oregon--Photographs
  • Hispanic Americans--Oregon--Photographs
  • Migrant agricultural laborers--Oregon--Photographs
  • Migrant labor--Oregon--Photographs
  • Old Believers--Oregon--Photographs
  • Picketing--Oregon--Photographs

Corporate Names

  • Valley Migrant League

Geographical Names

  • Woodburn (Or.)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • negatives (photographs)
  • photographs