An inside look at Oregon’s Fiesta Mexicana

Leer en español / Read in Spanish.

Encuentre mas de nuestro contendio en español en OPB en Español.

In a year marked by political turmoil and increased fear within migrant and immigrant communities across the state, Fiesta Mexicana Woodburn set the stage for a peaceful demonstration of resistance through celebration Aug.15-17.

“I think it’s a very important event to have every year because this is the only thing we have for us,” says Elida Sifuentez, a longtime resident and former member of the Woodburn City Council.

What started as a community celebration to mark the end of the harvest season in 1963 has become a long-standing celebration of Latinidad in the state of Oregon. The event started at a time when many Latine and Mexican-American families were settling in the region as a result of their labor in the Bracero program. They were seeking community, visibility and representation.

Elida first attended Fiesta as a 13-year-old in 1966. She recalls feeling excited by the court of princesses and admiring the labor that went into planning the community event. Elida’s family relocated from Asherton, Texas to St. Paul, Oregon at a time when the total population of St. Paul was under 350 and neighboring town Woodburn had a total population of 3,120.

As Elida grew older, she remained a proud Fiesta attendee, bringing her children to the parade year after year. Today, she hosts her family and friends for a parade viewing on her front lawn, accompanied by a large meal and a group outing to the Fiesta.

The Statesman’s Journal reports that Woodburn is the third-largest growing city in the state. The 2020 census report indicates that the population was just over 26,000 in 2020, with more than 16,000 census participants identifying as Hispanic or Latino. And yet, despite the continued growth here and across the U.S., Spanish-speaking communities remain targets under the Trump administration.

“This administration is really pushing to get all the undocumented people out of the United States,” says Elida. “Those people are hurting, the families are hurting.”

Several celebrations across the state and the country have been cancelled or postponed. But Fiesta vendors and attendees firmly believe in overcoming fear and oppression through education, visibility and celebration.

“I think it’s important that we always have Fiesta, no matter what happens,” says Juan Cervantes Morales, a local business owner and Fiesta vendor of artisanal goods made by his family at Alebrijes Oaxaca. “Because when other people or the government tries to oppress you, what they want is to dim your light. And if you allow that then you are allowing them to diminish you.”

“It’s important to emphasize that while we are living in difficult times, for us, on this continent, we have already spent 500 years in resistance, and it has not been easy,” said Eduardo Cruz Torres Amictlan, co-founder of Aztec dance group Huehca Omeyocan.

“These spaces, like the Fiesta Mexicana in Woodburn, are key to be able to share our dance, our music and other cultural practices that reflect our history across time. That is a form of resistance, of saying ‘here we are and we are connected to our roots.’”

This story was written and reported by Alicia Avila, edited by Arya Surowidjojo and Santiago Ochoa, and digitally produced by Sukhjot Sal. The “Fiesta y Resistencia” short documentary was filmed and edited by Christie Goshe.

Illustration by Sheyla Felix / image source: Christie Goshe and the Oregon Historical Society.

Learn more about the history of Latinidad in Oregon:

• “The Evergreen” podcast: The Mexican braceros who saved Northwest agriculture during World War II
• The Living Legacy of Colegio César Chávez