Oscar Mireles

Oscar Mireles, a native of Racine, WI, studied sociology at UW Oshkosh from 1973-1978 before finishing his degree in 1996. Mireles came from a large family; his parents were migrant workers, and four of his older brothers were already attending UWO by 1973. Mireles did not take school very seriously, but he was a socially conscious student who was close with professors and well-known on campus. He worked in the Multicultural Center, through which he traveled to conferences in places like San Antonio and Atlanta, and served as President of Chicano Unidos, an organization that promoted cultural events and recruited Latino students to UWO. He also led a successful campus boycott of Gallo wine in a show of solidarity with Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers Union. Mireles discusses his relationships with Professor Vincent Lopresti, who he credits for teaching him how to write effectively, Dr. Don Martin, who acted as a mentor, and Dr. Peter Remender, for whom he had a role as an actor in Remender’s Washington Heights simulation course. Mireles also speaks about his social life on campus, including going to jazz concerts, playing intramural sports, the bar scene, St. Patrick’s Day and dating. He worked odd jobs in campus food service, disability advocacy and at the Winnebago County Crisis Hotline. A few credits short from graduating, Mireles accepted a position with the United Migrant Opportunity Services as a case manager. He finished his degree 19 years later, and has had an active life of advocacy and service to his community.