He wanted to learn about Oregon. So he visited archives in Spain.

Matías Trejo de Dios is among the few Spanish speakers who still pronounce Oregon stressing the second “o” like early Spanish settlers did, and he does it proudly. 

He is the executive director of Instituto de Cultura Oregoniana, a Salem-based nonprofit that works to keep the Spanish language alive and embrace linguistic diversity as an integral part of Oregonian culture.

One of the many activities the organization does is promote academic research on the…