Raíces Clatsop

A project that aims to document the Latino existence on the Oregon coast. Celebrating cultural identity through storytelling, this project serves as a living historical archive. Implementing the use of visual media and oral history to shine a light on narratives that have been historically disregarded.

An Idea into Action

Taking a 300-level Latine Cultural History class at Mount Holyoke College sparked my passion for community archiving while reading recorded testimonies in class. Upon returning to the coast, I felt an overwhelming urgency to document the Latino experience in a rural area and a primarily ethnically homogeneous community.

Throughout the summer of 2024, I interviewed community members, gathered testimonies and photographs, and compiled old news articles my mom had saved. This eventually yielded an exhibition highlighting the community across the coast.

What began as an idea to create a magazine turned into an anthology filled with testimonies documenting the flourishing Latino community in Oregon. My initial goal was to publish the anthology; however, due to the ongoing fear that Latino, immigrant, and undocumented communities are facing, I have decided it is best to postpone the release of these stories.

Postponing the anthology doesn't mean these stories won't be shared, instead reframed with additional precautions.

Raíces Clatsop Docuseries

From coming-of-age time to the continual need to survive through physical labor, the community members the films highlight showcase the hidden realities of the coastal labor force, dreams that are possible as children of immigrants, and an embedded sense of hope that remains.

The Raíces Clatsop Docuseries seeks to document the Latino existence within the current environment of intense political violence towards marginalized communities. This series of six short documentaries, in a blend of Spanish and English, beautifully illustrates the authentic quotidian stories of cannery workers, housekeepers, first-generation students, and people integral to a rural Oregon community. 

Produced and directed by Oregon Coast native Alejandra Lopez Nestor, alongside New York-based filmmaker Jasmine Garcia Delossantos. These films aim to elevate and bring national visibility to the experiences of Latino communities on the Oregon coast.

  • A housekeeper shares her dreams and ambitions as her daily work routine consists of cleaning hotel rooms during Oregon’s busiest tourist season.

  • A group of cannery workers from the Oregon Coast gives us a look into everyday realities, hardships, and perseverance.

  • In a coming-of-age time, Vanessa, an incoming high school student, has bright ideas for the future as she continues to hold her familial and cultural values close to her heart while growing up in a small town in Oregon.

  • Crystal reflects on the significance of her cultural identity as she aspires to grow her new business.

  • Aidet, a recent high school graduate, reflects on her academic achievements and hopes for the future before heading off to NYU (New York University).

  • Rosalinda gets ready for a special day, showing her confidence and essence in full bloom.

Documentary Premiere & Exhibit 2025

Thank You to our 2025 Premiere & Exhibit Sponsors

Yareli Martinez

2024 Exhibition

“In 2024, I went out and interviewed cannery workers like my father and housekeepers like my mother, who help upkeep the tourist industry on the coast. I worked with restaurant owners, elders who have resided on the coast for decades, and middle school students, hearing their dreams and experiences.

I wanted this work to center on lived experiences. This research in my community yielded an exhibit in 2024, which included a baile folklorico performance by El Centro NW, a curated selection of photos I took, some past written pieces about the carceral nature of the United States for undocumented immigrants, Youth Mexican-American Subcultures, and a short documentary of my family highlighting the experiences of a Migrant family in Oregon. I noticed how young kids saw themself in the gallery exhibit; they saw their parents, their neighbors, and a collection of dreams becoming reality.”

Alejandra Lopez Nestor

Get in Touch

Whether you have a media inquiry, want to host a film screening, or want to collaborate, send us a message!

Featured

  • First Gen Summit Workshop

    HARVARD UNIVERSITY - NOV. 7, 2026

    This workshop seeks to build conversation around dismantling the barriers of access in filmmaking. Following a screening of two short documentaries, participants will be encouraged to engage in questions about the filmmaking process, strategic behind-the-scenes coordination, ethics of care, and using personal experiences as a driving force.

  • Raíces Clatsop: Cultural Resistance through Filmmaking in Oregon

    BOOM SESSION - APRIL 28, 2026

    A documentary screening was followed by a guided discussion moderated by Mount Holyoke College Professor Lexi Holloway. The panel featured Producer Alejandra Lopez Nestor, Assistant Professor and Quechua-Peruvian journalist Marco Avilés, and Professor Emeritus Alberto Sandoval, who has been a leading voice for the Latine community.

  • Columbia River Maritime Museum Film Screening

    ASTORIA, OR - AUGUST 4, 2026

    Showcasing Dentro de las Cañerías, the screening was held in the Columbia River Maritime Museum’s Ford Room. Followed by a Q&A with producer Alejandra Lopez Nestor.

  • Junk Dump Film Festival

    MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE, NY- SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

    An annual short film festival held live in New York City, dedicated to amplifying emerging, independent, and underrepresented filmmakers.