Latino Immigrants in Oregon

University of Oregon Professor, Dr. Marcela Mendoza, presented intriguing information about Latino immigrants in Oregon and their integration into society.

The 1990s brought the third large wave of immigration. The majority of Latino immigrants are employed in agriculture, such as farming, forestry, and fishery. There are over 5000 Latino immigrants in Junction City making up about 15% of the population. Of the 11,000 babies born in our area, 6000 are Latino which demonstrates the growing population.

Many of the families stay together but are not married. Mexican workers are very integrated in the local economy and their children need to integrated better into society, especially because of the growing population.

The best way to integrate these workers is by providing English lessons on-site during working hours. Another excellent way to integrate Latinos into society is to invite the parents to civic clubs. For more information about Dr. Marcela Mendoza, click here.