Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman's March to the Governorship by Barbara Roberts

Abstract

 Reviews of available statistics, as flawed or incomplete as they may be, would at least serve as an indicator of the early Latino presence in the state. Perhaps because of the problems finding data,the writers turn to extrapolating national trends and histories of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in other regions of the United States to Oregon. While these histories may be relevanttoOregon ’smexicanos,explicitorimplied connections are difficult to confirm with the historical sources mentioned in the book. By far the strongest sections of the book are their coverage of mexicanos since the 1980s and the oral histories collected by the authors; although a bit more background on the informants interviewed for these chapters and the testimonios would be helpful. It is not always clear, for example, what specific years or time periods are being described. Still, the power and detail of these insights are illuminating and often quite moving. They help humanize a population that is often invisible or, when noticed, is seen as a cultural and economic threat to the rest of state. The anthropological and sociological details of contemporary mexicano life in the later chapters are also quite detailed and, in many ways, more relevant for understanding the present and future presence of mexicanos in Oregon. An expansion of these sections would have made for a more focused study. Those shortcomings aside,this is a welcome addition to the growing number of works on Oregon’s cultural diversity. The authors provide a good introductory history, and a vivid portrayal, of some of Oregon’s newest and oldest immigrants: los mexicanos. Jorge Guadalupe Lizárraga Washington State University, Vancouver Up the Capitol Steps: A Woman’s March to the Governorship by Barbara Roberts Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, 2011. Photographs, notes, index. 448 pages. $24.95 paper. One can easily imagine Oregon leaders — past, present, and hopefuls — eagerly snatching up copies of former Gov. Barbara Roberts’s engaging memoir to see how they fare. To do so, however, would be to miss a much larger and more important story.Roberts has crafted a fascinating glimpse into her personal life, Oregon politics, and the inextricable link between the two. According to her work, Roberts came from humble beginnings. The daughter of a millworker , she followed the path of many women of her time:an early marriage with no thoughts of being anything beyond wife and mother. After experiencing dismay and outrage at the limited resources available for her autistic son, Roberts began lobbying for children’s services. This set her on a personal and professional trajectory that ultimately led to her march up the Capitol steps as Oregon’s first woman governor . In between, she struggles with divorce, falls in love with and marries her legislator and mentor, Frank Roberts, and wins election to a succession of political positions such as school board member, county commissioner, state representative,and Secretary of State.She documents each juncture with rich details of her victories, trials, and disappointments. Her memoir is at its best when Roberts discusses her campaigns. Although everyone knows the outcome of her gubernatorial battle with David Frohnmayer and some pesky lesserknowns , for instance, few may recall Roberts’s initial underdog status in that contest. Thankfully , she provides a page-turning, almost dayby -day account of the intricacies of her race for the governorship,complete with a cast of colorful characters including supporters, detractors, andoperatives.Initialpollingnumbersrevealed Frohnmayer held a significant lead in popularPurchase back issues of the Quarterly. Call 503.306.5230 or send an e-mail to museumstore@ohs.org.  OHQ vol. 113, no. 2 ity and fundraising. She explains how she narrowed and ultimately overcame Frohnmayer’s advantage. When the polls finally closed on November 6, 1990, Roberts had secured a slim winoverFrohnmayerandthird-partycandidate AlMobley.AsRobertssteppeduptothepodium to claim victory,she bubbled,“You’re looking at thehappiestcandidateyou’veeverseen!”(p.211). In reality, it was the best of times and the worst of times for Roberts.Her father had died during her campaign, her husband’s health was failing, and she took office at the same time voters passed Ballot Measure 5, which significantly limited property-tax revenue, forcing drastic cuts in state services. Although Roberts discusses her many...