Date: December 8, 2004
Length: 96:33 minutes
Location: Multicultural Center, Lane Community College, Eugene, Oregon
Interviewer: Elizabeth Uhlig, Archivist

Connie Mesquita worked at Lane Community College between 1979 and 2004. She worked as a counselor, instructor, and employment advisor, 1979-1986, and as Coordinator of the Multi-Cultural Center, 1986-2004. She is bi-lingual in English/Spanish. In this oral history, conducted just before she retired from the college, Connie talked about her family, education, career at Lane, and her involvement in the Latino community.

Participated in the Upward Bound program in Eugene.

Worked with Spanish speakers; was counselor for Mexican students in the agricultural mechanics program; also worked in Disability Services.

Job Skills center closed and Connie moved to the Multicultural Center where counselors worked with small groups of Latino, Native American, and African-American students.

Connie transferred into the Multicultural Center.

Multicultural Center was moved from Counseling into the Student Activities (now Student Life and Leadership) Department.

Multicultural Center did a lot of free programming, held open houses, brought in faculty, made presentations, sponsored storytelling, and held art shows. Worked with faculty to fit activities into the curriculum.

Multicultural Center partnered with international students in the Peer Mentor Program. Eventually it expanded and they hired a part-time coordinator for the international program.

Frank Merrill was hired for the Native-American program; Greg Evans was hired for special projects. Connie worked with all of them as well as serving as counselor for the Latino students.

There were few African-American students; Latinos were the largest group. The Native American group was growing and eventually became one of the biggest in the state. As they hired more faculty of color, Lane became a more welcoming place.

Michael Sámano, currently head of the Ethnic Studies department, was a student and credits Connie with a lot of his undergraduate success. Conies tried to reach out to students and fulfill their needs.

Describes the successful careers of former students. She worked closely with many students encouraging them to stay or helping them to come back.

The Latino ROP program has connections with community leaders; it also offers a one-credit college course for high school seniors; and recruits students in the 8th grade and up for the summer, 5-weeks program.

Rites of Passage includes multi-cultural classes such as tai-chi, history, literature, and writing classes. Jose Chavez teaches literature and Jim Garcia teaches history. There are special projects such as dancing, music, and art - the Latino students do murals.

Some of the seniors continue working with Connie in the fall when they enter LCC. Puertas Abiertas graduates are hired to help out in the Multicultural Center .

Carmen Urbina form Centro Latino Americano and Jose Alonzo present 2-day workshops on drugs and alcohol, sex education, and gender isssues.

Luis Sámano, the father of Michael Sámano [director of Ethnic Studies at LCC] has been involved with Rites of Passage for two years; he communicates well with the students.

When Connie came to Eugene in 1969, the only Latinos she knew were other women in the Job Corps and Upward Bound programs. There were not many Latinos out in the community. Coming from Arizona, Connie did not know discrimination until she came to Eugene because it is predominantly a white community. Gradually Connie and her women friends started families and slowly their community grew and they branched out into the community and community organizations. They are now elders in the community.

Connie was involved with the Spanish mass at St. Mary's Church, and also with Mission San Pablo at St. Paul's Catholic Church. In 1986 an immigration/amnesty program opened up and the church was designated as an immigration processing site to help people with translation and with processing immigration papers.

The biggest challenges for Latinos in Eugene are: profiling by the police and the need for translators and interpreters in community and social services, also in the medical and education fields.

At LCC, Connie would like to see a certification program to train interpreters and translators.

At LCC, in the next ten years, Connie would like to see changes, such as: academic advisors in the Multicultural Center for each ethnic group, especially for the Asian-Americans; an advisor for gay/lesbian/transgender students; a larger budget; more contact with the community; and to bring in quality speakers.

There is a need for bilingual classes in the medical and legal fields to enable professionals to learn English and to practice here.

Connie describes her legacy as those students who finished and went on and became successful; also the new building and Multicultural Center .

Connie describes the awards she received from the Latino and Native American students .

The Latino Celebration at LCC with the UO was largest in 1990 .

The leadership conferences for high school students are a good resource for LCC.