Hispanic & Latinx Community
Oregon’s growing Hispanic and Latinx population is concentrated in the Portland region and offers rich resources for visitors.
This section was produced in collaboration with El Hispanic News, a monthly bilingual newspaper that is the oldest Hispanic publication in the Pacific Northwest and a leading source of information for the Hispanic community.
Hispanic & Latinx History
Spanish explorers and Mexican vaqueros were among the first Hispanic/Latinx people to visit and work in the Pacific Northwest, but Oregon saw its most substantial early boom in Mexican-American residents and workers when the U.S. government introduced the Bracero Program to address worker shortages due to World War II.
The population eventually began to shift somewhat from migrant workers to more settled families, especially in towns like Woodburn (30 miles south of Portland). In 1963, the first Fiesta Mexicana was held to celebrate harvest season in Woodburn. Fiesta Mexicana continues to be held every year and has grown into a large, authentic and inclusive celebration of Mexican culture.
Among those who heeded the call to leave the migrant stream and settle down to escape poverty were the families who founded Centro Cultural de Washington County in Cornelius, Ore., in 1972.
In 1975, Virginia García, the child of migrant farmworkers, died of a treatable wound due to the lack of access to medical care. The Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Clinic was created in her honor in a three-car garage on the Centro Cultural site, and over the years has expanded to serve thousands of people in Washington and Yamhill counties via four primary care clinics, three dental offices, two school-based health centers, and a mobile clinic.
The ’70s and ’80s were a time of action and organization for Oregon’s Hispanic and Latinx community. Colegio César Chávez, the nation’s first four-year college for Latinos, opened in Mt. Angel, Ore., in 1973. (It closed in 1983.) In 1977, activist Cipriano Ferrel — who had worked with César Chávez in California and attended the Colegio César Chávez — helped found the Willamette Valley Immigration Project (WVIP). In 1985, he co-founded Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), a Woodburn-based farmworker union that is still going strong today.
In 1985, spouses José Eduardo González and Dañel Malan co-founded the Miracle Theatre Group in Portland. Today, Miracle is one of the nation’s premier Latino arts organizations, and presents works in Spanish, English and a mix of both, at Milagro and via traveling productions.
Today, Latinos are Oregon’s largest minority group, making up 14% of the state’s population in 2020 according to the U.S. Census — and the population continues to grow.
Other Important Dates
- 1971 – The state’s Commission on Chicano Affairs is formed. In 1983, it was renamed the Oregon Commission on Hispanic Affairs.
- 1981 – El Hispanic News publishes its first issue under the leadership of owner Juan Prats.
- 1984 – The first Cinco de Mayo Fiesta is held in Portland. It is now one of the largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the country.
- 1986 – Hacienda Community Development Corporation is founded to improve the quality of life for low-income Latinos in Portland.
- 1994 – The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce is formed in Portland.
- 1995 – Causa is founded to defend and advance immigrant rights in Oregon.
- 1996 – Clara Padilla Andrews, former secretary of state of New Mexico (the first Latina holding an executive state office in the United States), takes ownership of El Hispanic News.
- 1997 – Susan Castillo, the first Latina in the Oregon Legislative Assembly, is elected to Oregon State Senate. She becomes Oregon’s superintendent of public instruction in 2002.
- 1998 – Serena Cruz becomes the first Multnomah County commissioner of Mexican descent.
- 2001 – María Rojo de Steffey is elected Multnomah County commissioner.
- 2005 – Paul De Muniz becomes the first Latino chief justice of the Oregon Supreme Court.
- 2008 – The VOZ Workers’ Rights Education Project opens the doors of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Worker Center, a hire site for day laborers in Portland.
- 2009 – A major Portland street is renamed for César E. Chávez. The following year, a Portland K-8 school is also renamed for the late activist.
- 2010 – Melanie C. Davis becomes the new publisher/owner of El Hispanic News; in 2012, she launches the only Latina-owned mainstream LGBTQ publication in our country, PQ Monthly.
- 2012 – Kaleb Canales is named interim head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, becoming the first Mexican-American head coach in NBA history before joining the Dallas Mavericks as an assistant coach.
- 2015 – The Portland Mercado is established, Portland’s only Latin food cart pod and marketplace.
Explore Latinx Community in Portland
Latinx culture is alive and well in Portland. These markets, arts, attractions and restaurants display the best of the local Latine community.
Visit
The Grotto, The National Sanctuary of Our Sorrowful Mother
A peaceful oasis in the midst of the city, The Grotto is set among 62 acres (25 ha) of botanical gardens. As an internationally renowned Catholic sanctuary, The Grotto offers a place of quiet reflection for all people. More than 100 beautiful statues and shrines are nestled among flower-lined pathways winding under towering firs. Gardens and the gift shop are open daily; group tours and daily Mass are also offered.
Credit: Kaleb Nyquist via Flickr
Milagro
The Miracle Theater Group which deservedly dubs itself “the Northwest’s premier Latino arts and culture organization,” is the heart of Oregon’s Hispanic arts scene. In addition to offering Spanish, English and bilingual plays, festivals and musical performances, Miracle also features a community space for art exhibits, seasonal festivals and other events.
Portland Art Museum
The permanent collections at the Portland Art Museum include pre-Columbian art from Meso and South America, modern Mexican drawings and Latin American art.
Portland Mercado
Know Before You Go
The Portland Mercado was heavily damaged by fire on January 3. The carts are currently open for take-out only, while the main building remains closed.
Painted in vibrant shades of pink, yellow and turquoise, the Portland Mercado shines brightly as an innovative cultural hub for Portland. Opened in April 2015, the complex provides affordable launch space for local Latino-owned businesses. With more than a dozen enterprises in place — including a juice bar and food cart pod — the Mercado has also become one of the city’s most delicious destinations.
Eat
Portland’s many food carts and taquerías offer plentiful casual opportunities to sample Latin foods, but visitors won’t want to miss the city’s innovative and acclaimed fine Latin restaurants. Here’s a sampling of Portland’s many wonderful Latinx-influenced restaurants:
Credit: NASHCO Photo
- Andina – Peruvian
- Cubo – Cuban
- El Nutri Taco – Mexican
- La Bonita – Mexican
- Nuestra Cocina – Mexican
- Pambiche – Cuban
- Verde Cocina – Mexican
Delicious Eats & Drinks
Savor cuisines from all over Latin America with local meals you won't soon forget.
Hispanic & Latinx Events
With drop-in beginning tango lessons on Saturdays and Tango Practica on Wednesdays, Foster-Powell’s Tango Berretín invites dancers and dance enthusiasts to learn this Argentinian dance style.
Credit: Michael Pereckas via Flickr
Portland has a lively Flamenco scene (visit Experience Flamenco’s list of classes to find the right one for you). Other dance and entertainment events include the annual ValenTango Festival (which returns every February).
The four-day Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, presented by the Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association, is considered the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in North America. Held since 1985 in downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park, the festival features traditional music, dance, food, crafts and sports, with guest performers from Guadalajara.
Every June, the annual Latino Cultural Festival celebrates diversity in Hillsboro featuring Latino art, food, entertainment and local businesses.
What began as an offshoot of the Portland Pride Festival has become very much its own independent event. Culminating with an outdoor celebration that includes dance, music and food, Portland Latinx Pride takes place every July and is the longest-running Latinx gay pride event in the Northwest.
Some Multnomah County libraries hold special events during National Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15.
Celebrating the independence days of Mexico and other Latin American countries, El Grito Fiesta Patrias brings folkloric and Aztec dancers, live mariachi, salsa, cumbia and pop music and food and arts vendors to the Rose Quarter Commons for one Saturday in September.
Credit: Diego Diaz
Founded in 2007, the Portland Latin American Film Festival (PDXLAFF)showcases Latin American culture through feature films, documentaries and short films. The festival is held each October at the historic Hollywood Theatre.
Find more Portland events in the El Hispanic News online calendar.
Latine Community Events
Discover and celebrate the Latine Community at these upcoming events in Portland.
