Javier Cervantes
Casa Educacional Coordinator
Javier.Cervantes@oregonstate.edu
 Typically
these bios are really boring. So, in an attempt to
liven it up a little bit and for you to get an
accurate and real depiction of who the current Casa
Educacional Coordinator is I'll give y'all the inside
scoop. Please note however, portions of this biography
are in Spanish or Spanglish. For those of you who are
only monolingual English speakers do not fret…I have
taken it upon myself to translate any of the words and
phrases some people may not know.
My Given Name is:
Javier Cervantes García
Comments:
For those who are Spanish speaking impaired and find
Javier Cervantes García too hard to say feel free to
call me, Javi-pronounced HAUV-EE-that'll work.
Born:
August 16, 1971
Comments:
On that blessed morning in the Good Samaritan
Hospital in PDX I like to think that I was one of the
first Mexi-Oregonians in Portland. Ah, spoken like a
true trailblazer, no? I also share that date with
Madonna on an August 16th…interestingly enough Elvis
bought the farm on an August 16th.
Ancestry:
Mi jefe (dad) is from Michoacan, Mexico. Mi Jefita
(mom) is from San Luis Potosi, Mexico. They met up
here in Hillsboro, Oregon at a baile (dance) in '68 or
'69, got married within six months and had me nine
months later. Three carnales (sisters) followed me in
near consecutive years. Because of where I was born I
call myself a Webfoot Chican/Pocho/Mejicle/American.
Familia (Family):
I have a beautiful daughter Alexia Mariana whom I
adore.
I have three sisters and both parents in addition
to eight stunning nieces and nephews.
An interesting comment:
On my father's side of the family I have 69 first
cousins. My abuelita (grandmother) had 12 children, 10
that lived.
Reared and Raised in:
Cornelius, Oregon/Cornelius, Michoacan.
Comments:
Depending on how much trouble I was in dictated
specifically which Cornelius I lived in that day.
Note to the reader:
When I was 16 my family and I literally moved to
Michoacan, where I thought I'd finish high school. As
it turns out, the teachers liked to liberally use the
coscorrón (an act in which a teacher gives students
nooggies) to get them to understand who runs the show.
That style of teaching did not sit well with me. I
somehow convinced my folks to let me finish high
school in the States and I was sent me to East LA. I
had to pay rent to my uncles and aunts and deal with
the cholos (guy gangsters) and cholas (female
gangsters) on a daily basis. Hijole! (Spanish version
of gee-wiz), it was tough…I went from the first world,
where I picked strawberries on the weekends here in
Oregon, to the third world where the fresas (Spanish
slang for hoitee-toitee girls in Mexico) picked on me,
to the second world in East Los where gangsters picked
on everyone.
Education:
Portland State University, Masters, Public
Administration (Class of 2003)
University of Oregon, Eugene, B.A., Political
Science (Class of 1996)
East LA Community College, A.A., Journalism (Class
of 1994)
T. Roosevelt High School in East Los Angeles,
Diploma (Class of 1990)
Favorite Movies:
Shawshank Redemption-instills hope &
Amorres Perros-the last scene just kills me.
Favorite Song:
Te Llore Un Rio (I Cried You A River)-Maná.
That in a nutshell is my story. If you want any
more details come by the Casa Educacional located in
A200 Kerr Administration Building to get the whole
story.
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