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Diversifying Oregon

One of my tasks today was to identify high-level demographic statistics illustrating diversity in Oregon. Working through a number of local sources, here are the numbers I gathered:
  • People of color make up more than 22% of Oregon’s population.
  • Communities of color grew by 28% over the last decade.
  • People of color account for three of 10 residents in Washington and Multnomah counties.
  • One in two students in Multnomah County is a student of color.

According to the 2010 Census, Oregon is home to:

  • 12% of Latinos
    • Latinos accounted for 43% of Oregon’s population growth in the last decade
    • A large majority (>75%) of Oregon Latinos are of Mexican descent

  • 5% of Asian Pacific Islanders 
    •  The Asian population grew by 44%, while Pacific Islanders increased by 68% 
    •  130 Asian Pacific languages are spoken in local public schools

  • 3.3% of Native Americans
    • Portland has the ninth largest urban population of Native Americans  in the country
    • Multnomah county’s Native American population is very diverse, with descendants from approximately 400 tribes

  • 2.4% of African Americans
    • 1 in 10 are born outside the United States 
    •  13% speak a language other than English at home
For those of us involved in advancing equity and inclusion work in Oregon's institutions, the seminal work of the Coalition of Communities of Color serves as an important tool with which to advocate on behalf of underserved and underrepresented communities. Reports documenting the lived experiences of communities of color in Multnomah County show that many cultural, linguistic and systemic barriers prevent people of color from acquiring quality health care and living-wage jobs, and attaining educational parity with whites.  Although the reports focus only on Multnomah County, collecting community-vetted data is a vital step toward capturing the breadth and depth of the daily lives of people of color.  

Below are a couple of charts from the Asian Pacific Islander and Latino community reports



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