#StandUpFG: Latinx Youth Activism in the Willamette Valley
Teaching Posters
#StandUpFG: Latinx Youth Activism in the Willamette Valley examines the circuitous roots and routes of Latinx youth activism in the Willamette Valley.
On May 19, 2016, over 1,000 students staged a walkout in response to racially-charged incidents at Forest Grove High School in Oregon. This exhibition uses narrative, contemporary artworks, testimonio, and other forms of creative expression to tell the story of #StandUpFG, its connection to the past, and how Latinx youth activism continues to shape our collective futures.
This exhibition was created by Five Oaks Museum 2021 Guest Curator Israel Pastrana. Pastrana works closely with student activists in his history classes at Portland Community College.
How to Use these Materials
You will receive print-quality PDF files, not physical posters. Each set of teaching posters contains three history pages and an art page. These teaching posters are meant to stand on their own without viewing the full exhibition, or to use as a viewing guide alongside the full exhibition. One could teach an entire unit on Latinx Youth Activism in the Willamette Valley with all six modules, or take one or two of the modules to supplement other history topics with a Latinx perspective, such as solidarity (Module 2) or the Chicano Movement (Module 3). The materials are intended for middle school and up, but educators can adapt sections to learners at any age group.
The history pages tell the stories of the 2016 #StandUpFG walkouts, from the immediate causes at Forest Grove High School, to solidarity at schools across the Portland Metro region, to history of Ethnic Studies and the Chicano Movement, all from Latinx perspectives. A blend of comprehension and reflection questions prompt learners to connect the history with their own experiences and grow their empathy.
The art page highlights work by a featured contemporary artist from #StandUpFg. Learners are guided to look closely at the artwork, get creative with an art activity, and reflect on the connection between the artwork and the module themes. This section ensures that a contemporary perspective is brought to every module and that learners are able to express and reflect in their own words and art-making.
Outline of Materials
Module 1: It Breaks My Heart
What was the immediate context for #StandUpFG?
Introduction and The Curator: Map your prior knowledge, curatorial decisions behind the exhibition, and about the curator
The Hashtag, The Testimony, and The Threshold: How the hashtag originated, incidents of discrimination, and how students and the school board responded
The Walkout: The walkout at Forest Grove High School on May 19, 2016
Build Love, Not Walls with music by Joaquin Lopez
Module 2: Constellation of Struggle
How and why does #StandUpFG spread beyond Forest Grove?
The Matchstick and The Machete: Impact of Trump’s presidential campaign and Machete of Memory concept
The Absence: Weaponization of school attendance policy and equity gap between Latinx students and teachers
The Constellation: Constellation of Struggle concept and map of solidarity walkouts in the Portland metro region
How Are We Fighting? with artwork by Precious Romo
Module 3: History Making
How does #StandUpFG fit into the larger history of Latinx activism in Oregon?
El Colegio: The legacy of Colegio Cesar Chavez, the first accredited Chicano-run college, located in Mt. Angel, Oregon
El Floricanto and The Calendar: Art, Aztec influences, and identity formation in the Chicano Movement
El Centro: Chicano Studies at Western Oregon University and Oregon State University
Dual Identity with artwork by Alejandro Macias
Module 4: The Power of Youth
How does #StandUpFG reflect the power of Latinx youth?
The Path: The 2016 #StandUpFG walkout as a historic moment and part of a long legacy of Ethnic Studies activism
The Demands: Comparison of the demands for Ethnic Studies in the 2016 #StandUpFG walkout and the 1968 East LA walkouts
Pride and Conclusion: Latinx pride, a new chapter of Ethnic Studies, and map your learning
Life Changing with artwork by Kaadish Oaxaca Najera
Registration Form to Download Materials
Thank you so much for requesting to download our #StandUpFG learning materials! Please fill out this Google Form for our tracking purposes, which helps us with grants and to better understand who is using our resources. After you submit this form, you will receive the download links immediately in the form confirmation message. Copy and paste the links into a new tab.