Oregon Historical Society, Davies Family Research Library
Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97205
Phone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
E-mail: libreference@ohs.org
Coll
30
Valley Migrant League (Woodburn, Or.)
Valley Migrant League Records
1962-1972
2 linear ft.
1 document case, 1 oversize folder
Small quantity of records of an
organization that worked to improve economic opportunities, housing, health
care, and education for migrant farm workers in the Willamette Valley of
Oregon.
The collection is in
English and
Spanish.
Historical Note
The Valley Migrant League (VML), which was founded in 1964, was first
funded in May 1965 by the Office of Economic Opportunity as part of Great
Society anti-poverty programs to serve migrant farm workers in the Willamette
Valley of Oregon. It operated programs until the mid-1970s.
The VML established its administrative headquarters in Woodburn, with
Area Opportunity Centers in Aumsville, Dayton, Hillsboro, Independence, Salem,
Sandy, and Woodburn. Initially, the board and administration was predominately
non-farm worker, but by 1967, more than half of the board was composed of
seasonal or ex-seasonal farm workers. By 1968, farm workers dominated the VML's
operations.
Other Valley Migrant League programs included adult education through
evening classes, Winter Day Schools, and existing community schools;
publication of a newspaper,
Opportunity News (and later
Relampago); job development, counseling
and placement; housing; and child care centers.
The records are composed primarily of printed materials that were
separated from the Valley Migrant League Photographs (Organized Lot 74) at the
Oregon Historical Society Research Library. The collection provides episodic
coverage of VML activities, including its first published annual report to the
executive board (1967). The collection also includes materials on the National
Farm Workers Association and United Farm Workers Organizing Committee strikes
and grape boycott assembled by the Valley Migrant League, 1966-1972. These
materials document boycotts and farm worker support events in Portland and
Eugene, Oregon. Included is a flier advertising a public rally at Portland
State University featuring Cesar Chavez, organizer and leader of the farm
worker unions, as well as extensive materials on the strikes and boycotts
against Di Giorgio Corporation of California and Safeway stores.
The collection is arranged into the following series:
- Series A: Valley Migrant League and Related Materials,
1962-1970
- Series B: Farm Workers Strikes and Boycotts, 1966-1972
The collection is open to the public.
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the
Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication,
and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library
prior to any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright
to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use
may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Valley Migrant League Records, Coll 30, Oregon Historical Society
Research Library
After separation from a photographs collection, the Valley Migrant
League materials were initially added to the Labor Collection (Mss 1505). They
were removed to a separate manuscript collection in 2005.
The manuscript collection was separated from the Valley Migrant League
Photographs (Organized Lot 74) at the Oregon Historical Society Research
Library.
The Stella Maris House Records (Mss 1585) at the Oregon Historical
Society Research Library include approximately one linear foot of Valley
Migrant League Records; among these are board minutes and reports, 1965-1970.
The Research Library Serials Collection includes bound volumes of the
Opportunity News , 1965-1967, and six
unbound issues for 1968.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online
catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or
places should search the catalog using these headings.
Chavez,
Cesar, 1927-
Citizens Farm Labor Committee (Portland, Or.)
Di
Giorgio Corporation.
National
Farm Workers Association.
United
Farm Workers Organizing Committee.
United States. Office of Economic Opportunity.
Valley Migrant League (Woodburn, Or.)
Western Region Conference of OEO Migrant Projects (1st :
1967 : Woodburn, Or.)
Aumsville
(Or.)
Dayton
(Or.)
Hillsboro
(Or.)
Independence (Or.)
Salem
(Or.)
Sandy
(Or.)
Willamette
Valley (Or.)
Woodburn
(Or.)
Boycotts--Oregon.
Hispanic
Americans--Oregon.
Migrant agricultural
laborers--Oregon.
Occupational
training--Oregon.
Strikes and
lockouts.
Oregon
Agriculture
Labor
History
Mexican Americans
Broadsides.
Fliers.
Reports.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in
the collection.
Series A
Valley Migrant League and Related
Materials
1962-1971
1/1
Conferences—programs
1962,
1967
- USDA Land and People Conference, Portland,
Oregon, 1962 October 1-2
- First Western Region Conference of OEO Migrant
Projects, Woodburn, Oregon (sponsored by Valley Migrant League), 1967 June
7-9
1/2
Ephemera
circa
1967
- Opportunity Card (blank) entitling holder to
services at Opportunity Centers (English and Spanish)
- Leaflets advertising VML job training and
placement programs
1/3
News releases and
clippings
1966,
undated
- "What Do We Know About the Valley Migrant
League?"—typescript release and clippings as it appeared in the
Woodburn
Independent, 1966 December 29
- Handwritten draft of news release, "VML Housing,"
undated
1/4
Opportunity News—correspondence re.
microfilming the newspaper
1967
January
1/5
VML Project
Report
1967
Annual report to the board covering the period 1966 January
1 through 1967 March 31. Includes board and staff, introduction to the
background and funding of the organization, and description of programs.
Illustrated with photographs.
1/6
Related
publications
1965,
[1971]
- Pamphlet, "Su Seguor Social" (in Spanish only).
Washington, D.C.: Social Security Administration, 1965 December
- Pamphlet, "The Condition of Farm Workers and
Small Farmers in 1970." New York: National Sharecroppers Fund, [1971]
Series B
Farm Workers Strikes and
Boycotts
1966-1972
Oversize Folder
National Farm Workers
Association (NFWA)—Di Giorgio strike and boycott
1966
- Boycott support cards produced by the NFWA,
[1966]
- Leaflets and circular letter produced by Citizens
Farm Labor Committee (Portland, Oregon), [1966]
- University of Oregon Farm Workers' Committee
information packet, including bibliography, news release, sample letter to
Robert Di Giorgio, and boycott information, including broadside (oversize),
[1966]
- Newsletter,
ILWU 40 Recap,
Supercargoes and Checkers Union (Portland, Oregon), special bulletin in support
of the NFWA strike, 1966 June 1
- Newletters (2), 1965 June
1/8, Over B-1
United Farm Workers
Organizing Committee (UFWOC / AFL-CIO)
[1966]-1972
- Broadside (oversize) re. AFL-CIO boycott of Di
Giorgio products, [1966]
- Fliers, newsletter, pledge form, postcard, and
circular letters—Portland Boycott Committee of UFWOC, 1969. Includes flier
advertising public rally at Portland State University featuring Cesar Chavez as
speaker.
- Letter and receipt from UFWOC, Delano,
California, to Harold and Barbara Vatter, Portland, Oregon, recognizing
contribution, 1969
- Flier, Second Statewide Poor People's Conference,
Council of the Poor, Eugene, Oregon (English and Spanish)
- Open letter to Senator Mark Hatfield from Oregon
Farm Workers asking him to oppose legislation outlawing boycotts.Part of a Good
Friday demonstration organized by Catholic clergy at Portland, 1972