Colors of Influence: Editor's Perspective

April 16: Dandiya Raas and Garba

2011-03-04T15:09:00.001-08:00

Colored Pencils Celebrates with EcoTrust

2010-12-31T21:28:00.000-08:00

from press release

Kick off Western New Year 2010 or shoo away Tiger Year 4707 at Colored Pencils Art & Culture Night.

In a Pacific gateway city like ours, settled on the confluence of two majestic river systems and whole lot of intercultural history – both kinds of parties are necessary. Date: January 28, 2011. Tickets are $15 including food and non-alcoholic beverage and are available at eventbrite.com or at the door. Hosted by Ecotrust at
721 NW 9th Avenue, Portland 97209. Colored Pencils is Portland's multicultural family room.

Some background: Colored Pencils is a Last Friday celebration led by traditional and contemporary painters and poets; presented by acclaimed as well as emerging musicians; and delivered by our city’s grandest elders, our tiniest dancers, and everyone of all ages, abilities, and orientations in between. Colored Pencils is a world of cuisine, lots of laughter, even unexpected tears. At bottom, we are a vision of a New Portland, an ethos and aesthetic generously drawn from our city’s newcomer and settled communities’ enormous joint bank account of social, cultural, and spiritual capital.

For 2 years running, Colored Pencils has been a community-building process and a monthly production, a demonstration of what a Bigger Us would taste, look, sound and sway like. Our monthly all-volunteer events ($132,000 in-kind) have been celebrated by nearly 2700 firmly established and just-arrived Portlanders.

Colored Pencils’ culinary, fine, and performing artists are from City River and from all points south and east – from Mexico, Central, and South America; from Western and Eastern Europe; from Africa and Arabia, from Asia and a string of island nations stretching across our deep blue Pacific right up to she blends with our rich and silty River Columbia.

Ecotrust’s Colored Pencils: 2011’s very first Last Friday, also the final Friday before beginning Rabbit Year 4708, warms up at 6pm with Bangkok cuisine and a reception for Colored Pencils artists. Performing arts begin, as always, at 7pm with a Northwest tribal invocation, a petition for blessing our evening together. Colored Pencils events are playful. Dance along in folk Iraqi, with urban salsa, or in bold Bollywood, if you dare. Or just clack along with the beat with Dhanya sticks (representing Hindu Lord Durga’s swords chasing away some very bad demons). If January 28 is your birthday or wedding anniversary or if you’re our event’s eldest elder, be ready to say so.

To learn more, check out the Colored Pencils website

Colored Pencils Co-Hosts Art Show with Resolutions Northwest

2010-10-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Resolutions Northwest’s 25th Anniversary Celebration for 2010 with The Art of Reconciliation and Colored Pencils

Join the movement! Join the fun! The weekend of November 20-21, 2010 will feature an intercultural art exhibit plus story telling, song and dance from Portland's newest groups from around the world. Colored Pencils will be sponsoring this part of the weekend during the afternoon of November 20, at St. David Wales Episcopal Church, 2800 SE Harrison, in Portland.

Call For Artists

You are invited to create new artwork for this juried art exhibit. Use your art to give homage to healing traditions in your country of origin, reconciliation within family and relationships, or as expressed in society at large. Consider how your artistic expression might encourage all of us to treat one another and our home, the earth, with respect and gentleness.

Learn more, visit the Colored Pencils website

Sept. 30: Reception for Native Arts and Cultures Foundation

2010-09-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Read the Colors of Influence interview with T. Lulani Arquette, President and CEO of Native Arts and Culture Foundation.

Colored Pencils Celebrates Mid County Clinic's Multicultural Art Wall

2010-08-12T12:36:00.000-07:00

For the first time in Portland, artwork by 15 artists representing a variety of Portland’s ethnic communities will become a permanent exhibition at Multnomah County Health Department’s Mid County Health Center. The Mid County Health Center is the only community clinic that provides refugee health screening services.

Artist Kwa Franklin’s painting of his family life in Cameroon will be displayed along with Shu-Ju Wang’s exquisite painting inspired by Asian philosophy. Also featured is a drawing by Portland’s Mexican muralist Hector Hernandez and Palestinian artist and PSU art educator Kanaan M’s spiritual encaustic. Other art on display will include an Iraqi watercolor and work by newly arrived refugees from the country of Karen. Pieces representing a variety of other cultural groups will be displayed throughout the building.

The artists’ reception will be held on Friday, August 27 at Mid County Health Center, 12710 SE Division St. Portland, Oregon 97236-3134 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The public is invited to help celebrate Multicultural Art Wall, meet the artists, taste gourmet appetizers by the Bhutanese community and enjoy music performances by New Portland Colored Pencils musicians.

Colored Pencils Art Collective is an all volunteer and non-profit organization that promotes PEACE and understanding among diverse communities. Visit www.coloredpencilsart.com or contact us for more information at newportland@coloredpencilsart.com

Dance to the music of India!

2010-05-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

FACE will hold its first annual benefit event with a Dandiya Raas and Garba, a folk dancing tradition of western India: a fun evening as you use wooden sticks in this energetic folk dance. Free lessons will be provided to everyone.

The event will be held 7-10:30pm on Saturday, May 29, at Stoller Middle School, 14141 NW Laidlaw in Portland. Admission is $5 (free admission for kids 8 and under.)

Inspired by the tragic murder/suicide of the Suthar family, the Family and Community Empowerment (FACE) program is dedicated to encouraging mutual support among families in the community and empowering individuals and families who are in transition by providing educational, economic and culturally relevant services and resources, including:

Provide acculturation services
Create a community-wide electronic networking site, including links to resources
Provide business and career assistance and resources
Provide emergency funds for shelter, food and utilities
Increase awareness of and response to domestic violence through dialogue and education

For more information, call 503.481.0813 or visit http://www.facepdx.org

Corvallis NAACP Branch Hosts Regional Conference

2010-03-20T22:55:00.000-07:00

from press release

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Alaska-Oregon-Washington State Area Conference (AOWSAC) is holding its annual Spring Convention from Friday, March 26 to Sunday, March 28, 2010 at the Salbasgeon Suites Hotel & Conference Center, 1730 NW 9th Street, Corvallis, Oregon.

The theme for this year's spring convention, hosted by the Corvallis NAACP, is “Learning From The Past, Teaching For The Future.”

On Friday evening March 26, the Convention will host an Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers Exhibit/Reception for attendees and the general public; keeping with the theme, “Learning From The Past, Teaching For The Future.”

Saturday workshops include

“Volunteer Recruitment, Retention and Relationship Building,” 10 to 11:30am.Facilitated by Mr. Gregory Akili, NAACP Senior Manager of Field Training & Field Organizing, Region 1.
"In Pursuit of Excellence In Education," 1:30 to 3pm. Facilitated by Dr. Ellsworth James, President, Anchorage Branch NAACP; noted in the fields of Cultural Genetics, Transgenetic Adaptive Behavior, Traditional Grief and Intergenerational Trauma.
“Taking Control of Your Finances," 3pm to 4:30pm, will be facilitated by Ms. Angela Harris of the Harris Group, San Diego, CA, speaking on specific financial topics to include “Budgeting your finances in a down economy.”

The luncheon, from noon to 1:30pm, on Saturday, March 27, will feature a panel discussion “Evidence Based, Value Based Health Care”, facilitated by Ms. Gwendolyn Shepherd, Chairperson of AOWSAC Health Committee. This panel of experts, from the Oregon area, will cover diverse health information topics that affect the daily lives of average income Americans; availability of Public Health Care Resources, Government Assistance Programs, the importance of Community Practice Engagement and the other valuable community health issues.

Dr. Tammy Bray, Dean of OSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences, is the featured speaker at the banquet, scheduled for 7pm on March 27, at 7 P.M. is Dr. Bray grew up in Taipei, Taiwan and received her BS degree from Fu-Jen University, her MS degree in nutrition and PhD degree in Nutrition and Biochemistry, both from Washington State University. Dr.Bray held positions at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, and was named chair of the Department of Human Nutrition and Food Management at The Ohio State University. Additional posts there included Associate Dean for Research and International Studies of the College of Human Ecology and Director of the Ohio Bionutrition Research Initiative.

According to Oscar Eason, Jr., AOWSAC Presiddent, the state-area Conference is comprised of 20 NAACP adult, youth and college Units from Fairbanks, Alaska to Eugene, Oregon.

"It was over 100 years ago in 1909 that a multiracial group of progressive thinkers formed and established an organization with the objective of insuring the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority groups and our mission has not changed. We are continuing the goals of eliminating racial prejudice and removing all barriers of racial discrimination through the democratic processes,” he said.

Peter Leung, President of the Corvallis Branch said: “Our Branch has worked, and will continue to work, with all organizations in the area with similar goals to make Corvallis one of the best municipalities in the State for people regardless of their race, creed, color or national origin. Prime example of current community engagement is: proposing partnership with Oregon Youth Authority to promote Benjamin Hook Scholarship Endowment Fund which our Branch has established together with OSU Foundation and the Oregon Department of Corrections."

"As an Asian American I am especially concerned about the treatment of minorities in America. Democracy is the best form of government on the face of the earth and the NAACP has a history of working for true democracy,” he said.

On Sunday, March 28, events will include church services and the continuation of AOWSAC’s business meeting. Convention events are planned to address present issues/concerns of both NAACP membership and the general population as well.

The opening reception and workshops are free and open to the public. The Saturday lunch panel discussion and banquet require payment. For more information, contact Paulette Synegal-Law, Chair, AOWSAC Communications, Press and Publicity Committee at 907-301-6300.

Asian Pacific American Chamber Going Strong

2010-03-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

The Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce is fast becoming the premier API business networking group in the Portland-Vancouver metro area. At its March 2010 quarterly event, APACC welcomed more than 70 guests at its gathering at Hai Du Restaurant in NE Sandy, Portland.

City of Portland Housing and Parks Commissioner Nick Fish was a guest speaker, and he commented on the financial crisis and the many and varied ways it's affecting City services. Fish followed a presentation by Roy Kim, of Central Bethany Development Corp., who offered survival tips for small business owners trying to make it through a challenging economic landscape.

The next APACC event is scheduled for Wednesday, April 14 at Bambuza Vietnamese Bistro, 3682 SW Bond Avenue in Portland. Click here to learn more

New Report Exposes Damaging Wealth Gap for Women of Color

2010-03-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

from press release

Women of color face an enormous wealth gap when compared to the rest of society, undermining their future economic security and the nation's long-term prosperity, according to the report released by the Insight Center for Community Economic Development.

Single black and Hispanic women are particularly hard hit, owning only a penny of wealth for every dollar owned by their male counterparts and a fraction of a penny for every dollar owned by single white women.

"Because gender and racial economic disparities have been studied separately, we have failed to recognize the daunting economic reality faced by women of color who experience the compounding negative economic effects of being both a woman and a person of color," says the report by former Harvard associate professor Mariko Chang, author of the forthcoming book "Shortchanged: Why Women Have Less Wealth and What Can Be Done About It."

"Women of all races experience a gender wealth gap that is greater than the gender income gap, but the disparities are greatest for women of color," according to the report "Lifting as We Climb: Women of Color, Wealth and America's Future."

Using data from the 2007 Survey of Consumer Finances, the triennial national survey sponsored by the Federal Reserve Board, the report for the first time details the dire economic realities facing women of color. It finds:

Single black and Hispanic women have a median wealth of $100 and $120 respectively; the median for single white women is $41,500.
Nearly half of all single black and Hispanic women have zero or negative wealth, the latter of which occurs when debts exceed assets.
About one-third of single Hispanic women and one-fourth of single black women have no checking or savings account.
On reservations where unemployment rates can be as high as 70 percent, Native American women are hard pressed to fulfill "job search" requirements to qualify for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
While 57 percent of single white women own homes, only 33 percent of single black women and 28 percent of single Hispanic women are homeowners.
Only 1 percent of single Hispanic women and 4 percent of single black women own business assets compared to 8 percent of single white women.
While 66 percent of white men and 60.4 percent of white women receive retirement income from assets, the same is true for only 40 percent of Asian women, 25.4 percent of black women and 23 percent of Hispanic women.

Wealth -- assets minus debts -- is critical to allowing a person to survive financial setbacks like the loss of a job or a large, unexpected health emergency, and gives parents the ability to provide their kids a leg up in life by paying for college tuition or leaving an inheritance, says Meizhu Lui, director of the Insight Center's Closing the Racial Wealth Gap Initiative.

"The gender wealth gap undermines the current and future economic security of women and their children," she says.

Structural inequities are the primary cause of the gap for women of color whose earnings are not converted to wealth as quickly because they are not linked with the "wealth escalator" of fringe benefits, favorable tax codes and valuable government benefits, according to the report.

For example, it finds, women of color are more likely to work in service occupations that usually don't provide wealth-enhancing benefits such as retirement plans, paid sick days and health insurance.

Women of color also benefit less from tax advantages such as the home mortgage interest deduction because they are less likely to own homes -- and, if they do, their homes typically have less value and appreciate less quickly.

To help close the wealth gap for women of color, the report recommends:

Targeting financial resources for education and training of women of color in sectors and occupations with high opportunities for career advancement.

Instituting a minimum benefit for the Social Security program since elderly women of color disproportionately rely on Social Security as their only source of income.
Removing asset limits from public assistance program eligibility because without assets women cannot achieve financial security and mobility.
Encouraging self-employment and small-business development by women of color by allowing micro-enterprise training to count as a job search to satisfy the requirements for unemployment benefits and the TANF program.
Collecting data on economic programs disaggregated by race, gender, and ethnicity to ensure that women of color are better served; data is particularly lacking for different Asian populations and for Native Americans.

"Providing women of color with equal opportunities to build wealth is an imperative for our nation's economic and political future," the report says. "As the racial demographics of the United States continue to shift and our nation becomes majority minority, letting a large group stagnate financially is not only irresponsible, but detrimental to the nation's economic prosperity over the long run."

Colored Pencils Art and Culture Night

2010-03-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

Colored Pencils Art & Culture Night, also known as New Portland's multicultural living room, will be held at Portland State University’s Smith Memorial Student Union on Friday, March 26, 2010.

Every last Friday, Portland's various cultures and communities meet once a month to tell stories, dance, sing, read poetry and during the open mic. This month's art exhibit will feature artists from members of the Iraqi Society of Oregon, event co-host.

New Portland Colored Pencils Night is co-hosted by the venue host and sponsored by Colors of Influence e-magazine, MESO (Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon), The Asian Reporter, the Cambodian American Community of Oregon, Center for Intercultural Organizing (CIO), Vision into Action (VIA Coalition), and Portland's Office of Human Relations/Human Rights Commission.

Here are some highlights from the February event, held at Portland Center Stage:

Hispanic Chamber Can Now Help with Business Loans

2010-02-10T10:25:00.000-08:00

from press release

The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (Hispanic Chamber) has been certified by the Oregon Business Development Department’s Entrepreneurial Development Loan Fund (EDLF) Microloan Program.

As a certified entity, the Hispanic Chamber will provide business plan review and small business management counseling to EDLF applicants. Tim McCabe, Director of the Oregon Business Development Department said, "We look forward to working with the Hispanic Chamber in making this additional source of startup financing available. The probability of success of EDLF borrowers will be greatly increased, since the Hispanic Chamber will also provide on-going small business management services to EDLF borrowers after their loans close."

The Hispanic Chamber was established in 1994 and is now the largest Hispanic Chamber in the Northwest and one of the 6th largest chambers of any type in Oregon .

Unlike other “business” chambers, its mission is to “work with all members of the community to support the economic advancement of Latino businesses”. As a result, the Hispanic Chamber’s focus is to serve the Latino community while working with the greater community.

The Hispanic Chamber conducts a variety of programs which include:

Technical assistance for new and existing Latino and other small businesses
Scholarships for Latino students throughout Oregon
A year-long Latino Leadership Program conducted by university faculty and private sector organization
An Annual Trade Show, business workshops and business luncheon/dinner events

Click here for more on the Hispanic Chamber or call 503-222-0280.

National Search for "Women Doing Good"

2010-02-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

The search is on to find the most extraordinary women who are working hard and are determined to make a difference, whether it is within their community.

SELF Magazine is looking for the next ³Women Doing Good.² Enter or nominate someone for the 3rd annual 2010 SELF Women Doing Good Award.

The winners will receive a $10,000 donation for their respective charity or organization, be featured in the September issue of SELF, and honored at an awards dinner in New York City.

The contest ends March 30, 2010. Click here for more details

2009 Wins for Oregon's Minority Contractors

2009-12-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

Although 2009 presented significant economic challenges, the National Association of Minority Contractors of Oregon (NAMCO) has been successful in assisting its members to maintain their businesses.

The National Association of Minority Contractors has 25 chapters across the country in major cities. In Oregon, NAMCO is made up of 60 Minority contractors who strive for economic parity in contracting opportunities.

A vital part of NAMCO's success is the strength of its partnerships in business, community and government. During the year, the association has built key partnerships for its membership with public and private sector owners, most notably the Association of General Contractors (AGC) and local trade unions.

Minority contractors agree that membership in NAMCO provides many benefits. "The organization has helped us to build relationships and has assisted us to position ourselves for key projects," said Andrew Colas, President Colas Construction, a NAMC Oregon member firm.

NAMCO members and partners honored at this year's annual event:

Contractor of the Year: Hamilton Construction
Private Partner Project: Legacy Health System
Agency of the Year: Port of Portland
Clean Energy Project of the Year City of Portland: Derek Smith
DBE Contractor of the Year: Pacificmark Construction,

In addition to helping members maintain and improve their businesses, some of the major milestones for NAMCO during 2009 involved partnering with AGC on the Oregon Department Of Transportation (ODOT)Industry Team to set guidelines for state projects.

Working with the ODOT Civil Rights Teamm, NAMCO organized quarterly trainings for DBEs to participate. Most recently, NAMCO helped to determine certification compliance, enforce ODOT requirements to increase utilization of minorities on ODOT Projects and target specific geographic projects to increase minority participation.

NAMC Oregon launched and assisted in the blueprint for the Minority Contractors Improvement Partnership (MCIP) and have continued to support its growth.

NAMCO partners assisted in drafting the Clean Energy participation agreement to include minority businesses, and worked closely with MCIP and Multnomah County on weatherization projects. This work includes looking at contracting practices and incorporating some of the Federal Acquisition Requirements into local projects that are using ARRA funding. President Maurice Rahming is also working with the Energy Trust to increase its MBE participation.

In June 2010, NAMCO will host some of the largest minority contractors in the country as the national organization convenes in Portland. Some of those attending the conference include: Thor Construction, the largest African American owned firm doing business around the country and internationally; Shaw Lindquist, the largest Asian American general contractor in the country; and Meyer Fencing, a Native American company that completed a $5 million 24-hour emergency project on the collapse of the Minnesota bridge in 2008.

Learn more by visiting the NAMCO website.

Season's Greetings

2009-12-22T15:23:00.000-08:00

Roy Jay's Holiday Open House and Fund-Raiser

2009-12-21T22:12:00.000-08:00

Portland Oregon business entrepreneur and civic leader, Roy Jay continues to set the platinum standard for private holiday events. His six-hour open house high atop Mt. Scott, overlooking most of Portland, attracted over 200 people by special invitation.

Unlike some private holiday events, Jay’s had a twist which was actually a benefit for two local nonprofit organizations, Candle Lighters and Oregon Partnership.

The event was catered by Xavier Allen of Extraordinaire Catering, a minority-owned operation that provided a large assortment of delectable delights throughout the day.

Legislators of Color Urge Assault on Digital Divide

2009-12-07T19:40:00.000-08:00

from press release

In a joint report on expanding broadband opportunity, titled Toward Access, Adoption and Inclusion: A Call For Digital Equality and Broadband Opportunity, state legislative caucuses representing communities of color today called the broadband status quo "unacceptable" and released a set of policy recommendations for spreading high-speed Internet service to every American.

"We firmly believe that ubiquitous broadband access, adoption and use stand to be great equalizers in our society," the lawmakers said in the report. "For our organizations and, most significantly, for the communities and people we represent, the broadband status quo is unacceptable."

"We seek broadband for all because it creates opportunities, breaks down barriers and promotes access by opening doors in areas of job creation, education, and health care. Broadband can help reduce the inequalities that have historically hampered communities of color, and provide those same communities with better opportunities to build their lives based on their individual merit, ambition, and talents," the report declared.

Digital Divide Threatens Sustainability of Communities of Color

Writing in "Towards Access, Adoption & Inclusion: A Call for Digital Equality and Broadband Opportunity," the groups said that broadband Internet adoption and use must become the norm for all communities. They urged policymakers to make broadband connectivity available, accessible, and affordable for every American; to incentivize broadband adoption; and to foster investment in broadband as a way to stimulate job creation and economic opportunity.

The report was issued jointly by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, The National Caucus of Native American State Legislators, and the National Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators. The Hispanic Institute and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies provided substantive data for the report and reiterated the need to collect better data about the digital divide and why people of color are less likely to subscribe to broadband service.

The report noted the persistence of a digital divide that separates people of color and low wage earning groups from more affluent Americans. It said the divide "threatens the future sustainability of our communities and our country."

Click here to download the report

Learn more about The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

President Obama Toasts Prime Minister Singh of India

2009-11-25T10:02:00.000-08:00

Remarks by President Obama during the visit of India's Prime Minister Dr. Singh:

"Beyond Asia, as the world's largest multiethnic democracy, as one of the world's fastest-growing economies, and as a member of the G20, India will play a pivotal role in meeting the major challenges we face today. And this includes my top economic priority, creating good jobs with good wages for the American people.

"So I believe that the relationship between the United States and India will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century, and this visit underscores the strengthening of that partnership, which I hope will continue throughout my presidency. That's why I've made it a priority to broaden the cooperation between our nations..."

Read more

Bringing communities together

2009-11-21T09:18:00.000-08:00

From The Asian Reporter, V19, #45 (November 17, 2009), page 6.

Listening to community leaders speak about social corporate responsibility last week, I was struck by the wealth of history and experience present among our diverse communities in Oregon. The occasion was the first quarterly event of the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce (APACC) of Oregon and Southwest Washington. It featured two community leaders who have served as beacons for Asian communities for many years.

June Arima Schumann, a founding director of the Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center (ONLC) and co-chair of the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), spoke about the importance of citizen engagement in ensuring our society works for all people. Coming of age in the 1960s against the backdrop of black America’s struggle for civil rights, she acknowledges that experiences in activism and civic involvement left a lasting impression on her life’s work.

Schumann’s leadership of ONLC ensured the growth and sustainability of many of the center’s programs that focus on the preservation and sharing of the history of Japanese Americans in Oregon. Although she retired recently, she remains active in a host of local organizations; chief among them is her leadership of the APANO board, a statewide advocacy group.

Tribes and Indian Health Providers Urged to Apply

2009-11-19T16:26:00.000-08:00

$10 Million in Grants Aimed at Enrolling American Indian, Alaska Native Kids in Health Care

Source: press release

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of up to $10 million in grants to help reach American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) children who qualify for, but are not yet enrolled, in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
These new grants are part of a broader effort to find and enroll uninsured children who are eligible for Medicaid or CHIP but not enrolled. The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) set aside $100 million for fiscal years 2009-2013 expressly to help find and enroll eligible uninsured children, including $10 million specifically for Indian health providers.

As called for in CHIPRA, grants will be awarded by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to applicants whose outreach, enrollment and retention efforts will target geographic areas with high rates of eligible but uninsured American Indian and Alaska Native children, who often live in isolated areas and are uninsured at higher-than-average rates.

“American Indian children are often uninsured, although many are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP,” Secretary Sebelius said. “These grants will help Tribes and Indian health providers reach out to children and families to ensure more children get the health care they need.”

Grants will be awarded to applicants that will be able to demonstrate increases in enrollment and improved retention of children already in Medicaid and CHIP. Grantees will report to CMS the number of new enrollees and those who retained coverage that are directly attributable to the grant activities. Grantees will also report activities they believe were the most effective in finding, enrolling and maintaining coverage for eligible children.

“States have been effective in enrolling over 28 million children in Medicaid and more than 7 million children in CHIP, but there are still millions of uninsured, low-income children who are not enrolled in these programs even though they are eligible” said Cindy Mann, the director of the CMS Center for Medicaid and State Operations. “We are looking forward to innovative grant proposals that will put new outreach, enrollment and renewal systems in place to ensure that uninsured Indian children get enrolled and stay enrolled for as long as they are eligible.”

Applications are due by Jan. 15, 2010, and the grants will be awarded on April 15. Grants will be available to:

The Indian Health Service;
Tribes and Tribal organizations operating a health program; and,
Urban Indian organizations operating a health program.

Click here for more information about the outreach and enrollment grants, go to . Questions about the grants may be directed to the CHIPRA grants mailbox

United Way Sparks Conversation on Health Equity

2009-10-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette hosted a Community Health Issues Forum on Oct. 8, drawing together a wide range of community leaders and experts in the areas of youth mentoring, prisoner re-entry, and community-based health strategies. The breakout sessions followed Dr. Adewale Troutman's presentation on the importance of focusing on social determinants to advance health equity in all communities. Dr. Troutman is a nationally renowned expert on health equity issues, and has studied the confluence of race and class in impacting health outcomes in underserved communities.

Sharon Gary-Smith, Director at Cascadia Beahvioral Healthcare, led the session on "Mentoring Strategies To Build Strong Communities," which featured panelists Carolyn Becic, Executive Director, Oregon Mentors; Judy Strand, LCSW, Chief Operating Officer, Metropolitan Family Service; Nancy Ochoa, Program Director, Adelante Mujeres; and Gerald Deloney, Director of Program Advancement Self Enhancement, Inc.

Discussing "Rethinking Re-Entry: Pathways Away from Prisons," Jill Fugilister, co-director of the Coalition for a Livable Future served as facilitator. Panelists include Doug Cooper, Assistant Director, Mercy Corps Northwest; Erica Strachan, Loan and Reentry Program Support Officer, Mercy Corps Northwest; David Rogers, Executive Director of Partnership for Safety and Justice; and Debby Dover, Executive Director Second Step Housing.

Tricia Tillman, MPH, Director, Office of Multicultural Health and Services, State of Oregon facilitated the session on "Community-Based Health Strategies: The Promotores Model." Panelists are: Tera Couchman Wick, Program Development Advisor, Village Gardens - Janus Youth Programs; Helen Nash, Program Assistant, Village Gardens - Janus Youth Programs; Holden Leung, MSW, Executive Director, Asian Health and Service Center; and Ann Blaker, Board Member, Bienestar.

The Root 100

2009-10-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

The Root, a daily online magazine that provides commentary on today's news from a variety of black perspectives, came out with a list of top 100 African-Americans who are doing the "most good in the world." Edited by renowned race expert Dr. Henry Louis Gates, the Harvard professor who made national news when he was arrested in his own home in Cambridge, Mass. this past summer.

Among those featured include: Joshua Dubois, Director, White House of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Donna Payne, Board Vice President, National Black Justice Coalition; Winston "Wole" Soboyejo, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University; and Rabbi Alyssa Stanton, America's first Black female Rabbi. Click here to see who else made the list.

President Obama Jumpstarts AAPI Initiative

2009-10-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

President Barack Obama is re-creating a federal panel to address concerns of Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders and to work on improving their health, education and economic status.

Excerpts from Obama's remarks at today's signing of the executive order reinstating the White House Advisory Commission and Interagency Working Group:

"Our AAPI communities have roots that span the globe, but they embody a rich diversity, and a story of striving and success that are uniquely American.

But focusing on all of these achievements doesn't tell the whole story, and that's part of why we're here. It's tempting, given the strengths of the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, for us to buy into the myth of the "model minority," and to overlook the very real challenges that certain Asian American and Pacific Islander communities are facing: from health disparities like higher rates of diabetes and Hepatitis B; to educational disparities that still exist in some communities -- high dropout rates, low college enrollment rates; to economic disparities -- higher rates of poverty in some communities, and barriers to employment and workplace advancement in others."

Below is the full text of the executive order reinstating the AAPI initiative:

President Obama Restores White House Initiative on Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders

View more documents from Maileen Hamto.

Vital Voices: Lessons Learned from Board Members of Color

2009-10-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

As part of its mission to build exceptional nonprofit boards and inspire board service, BoardSource is interested in learning more about the perspectives and experiences of board members of color.

Based in Washington, D.C., BoardSource provides knowledge and resources for nonprofit leaders through workshops, training, assessment tools, an extensive Web site, and a membership program. BoardSource is dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring board service.

If you are a person of color on the board of a nonprofit organization, please take a few minutes to provide your responses. Click here to go to the survey

By understanding the experiences of board members of color, BoardSource hopes to advance the cause of diversity, inclusion, and social justice in nonprofit boardrooms. The survey will ask you as a person of color to identify recruitment and boardroom experiences and practices that have successfully facilitated your best board experiences.

BoardSource will use the results of this survey to educate the nonprofit sector on the critical need to recruit and retain individuals from diverse backgrounds via our publications, curricula, tools, etc. and will release the survey results later this year. For questions, contact inclusion@boardsource.org.

Garlington Grand Re-Opening

2009-09-23T20:35:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to community leaders, organizers, and health advocates who celebrated the re-opening of Cascadia Behavioral Heath's Garlington Center. The center provides mental health and addictions services to low-income folks in North Portland.

The building caught fire in October 2008 and was rendered uninhabitable. Staff and volunteers continued to provide much-needed services in the facility's parking lot while the building was being repaired, said center director Tasha Wheatt-Delancey.

The Garlington Center now shares the building with two new tenants: the North by Northeast Community Health Center and the Sexual Minority Youth Resource Center. United Way was honored to be a major sponsor of the center's grand re-opening festivities, held Sept. 11 and 12.

The ribbon-cutting drew community activists, elected officials, as well as business and civic leaders. Thanks to Sharon Gary-Smith, Cascadia's Director of Special Programs, for organizing the wonderful event.

Celebrate Asian Pacific American Businesses on July 29

2009-07-16T17:02:00.000-07:00

Verne Naito of Naito Corporation and Peggy Ross of the Governor's Office of Affirmative Action will be the keynote speakers at the kickoff event of the Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce (APACC) of Oregon and SW Washington.

The event will be held at 5:30pm on Wednesday, July 29 at the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette, 619 SW 11th Ave., downtown Portland.

APACC's mission is to cultivate and promote cultural and business relationships among Asian Pacific American chamber members, local businesses, non-profit organizations, government, media, and the general public in Oregon and SW Washington.

Learn about APACC, make new friends and meet prospective clients. Bring a guest, and spend a summer evening networking with a diverse group of Asian Pacific American professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs.

The event will also feature a live performance by Te Marama, Oregon's only all-Tahitian dance studio that brings the "tamarii" (children) to perform "Manu Otea" along with several "aparima" (action songs).

Cost is $10 for members/ $15 for non-members. Dinner included.

Click here to RSVP Today

About the Speakers:

Verne Naito is a vice president of Naito Corporation, parent company of the chain of Made In Oregon stores, and is manager of Naito Properties LLC, a property management and real estate development company.

In his 30-year business career, Mr. Naito has been involved in a diverse number of fields from high tech to banking. Mr. Naito has been active with the Japanese American community his entire life. Mr. Naito with his father, Sam Naito, founded the Asian-American Business Club in 2001. Among his other community and charitable activities, including: board member of the Harvard Business School Association of Oregon, judge for the Oregon Entrepreneur Network annual awards and treasurer of the Japanese Garden, Mr. Naito also sits on the Mayor's Council of Economic Advisors for the City of Portland. He is a frequent speaker at industry associations and lecturer at university business schools.

Peggy C. Ross is the Director for the Governor's Affirmative Action Office. Employed in private sector organizations and as an entrepreneur since 1977, Peggy brings extensive experience promoting diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace. Her primary objective is cultural/climate assessment and training to include diversity, outreach services and business development for large corporations, non-profits and government entities.

As the Governor's Affirmative Action Director she built on 20-plus years as a consultant and expert resource by creating the first statewide, comprehensive Cultural Competency Assessment, Training and Implementation program for all executive state agencies, & building relationships for state agencies with Oregon's nine Federally Recognized Tribes, ethnic communities and organizations, faith based organizations, Historic Black Colleges, women universities, and ethnic Greek Organizations.

Click here to RSVP Today:

Learn more about APACC at http://www.apacc-or.org

United Way of the Columbia-Willamette Hosts Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night

2009-06-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night on May 29 brought together diverse artists and performers from various cultural backgrounds. The monthly art show and open mic debuted at the Center for Intercultural Organizing (North Portland) in February.

In May, the show went "on the road" to share the gifts of the region's multicultural community at the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette Community Center in downtown Portland.

Highlights from the performances:

Minority Voters Celebrate Champions of Social Justice

2009-06-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

The Oregon League of Minority Voters (OLMV) held its second annual Dinner of Hope and Liberty Awards Ceremony to honor two outstanding Oregon Governors: The Honorable Victor Atiyeh and The Honorable Barbara Roberts.The Oregon League of Minority Voters (OLMV) is holding the Second Annual Dinner of Hope and Liberty Awards Ceremony to honor two outstanding Oregon Governors: The Honorable Victor Atiyeh and The Honorable Barbara Roberts.

The event celebrated the honorees' outstanding commitment to social justice. ItThe event drew some 400 people from very diverse backgrounds including public officials, business leaders, and community leaders, united in the common cause of promoting equal opportunity and racial inclusion.

“This event is an opportunity to honor those who have a record of empowering minorities in Oregon. Governors Atiyeh and Roberts are leaders who have a long history of protecting and promoting unique minority interests in our state. Their efforts laid solid foundation upon which to build equal opportunity for all Oregonians” said State Treasurer Randall Edwards, who currently serves as OLMV board co-chair with Sho Dozono, "Our Organization is proud to recognize them."

Learn more about the Oregon League of Minority Voters: http://www.oregonlmv.org

National Diversity Figure Visits Portland

2009-05-01T16:04:00.001-07:00

Floyd Pitts, Chief Diversity Officer of the American Red Cross, was in town to meet local folks and seek input about how best to enhance inclusion and diversity efforts both locally and nationally. Pitts has been in his job for five months after a long career in promoting diversity at Hilton Hotels, where he managed the Supplier Diversity Program and Hilton’s franchise development outreach to minority entrepreneurs. The Oregon Trail Chapter visit was Floyd Pitts' first stop at any Red Cross chapter in the country.

It was quite the honor being at the table with esteemed community leaders like businessman and entrepreneur Roy Jay, Governor's Office of Affirmative Action Director Peggy Ross, and others at the community roundtable hosted by the Oregon Trail Red Cross Chapt er. Thanks to Deena Pierott, Chief Networking Officer at Mosaic Blueprint, for the gracious invite.

Community members shared their perspective on what nonprofits like the Red Cross can do to engage communities of color. Kurt Jun, workforce development director for Portland Public Schools, highlighted the need for volunteer and training opportunities for youth to be competitive in the future. Delores Dillard, a community educator at Africa House, shared her thoughts on the importance of reaching out to Portland's immigrant and refugee communities.

Health Equity Forum to Focus on Asian Pacific Islanders

2009-04-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

How is lack of health care coverage affecting access among API communities? How are Asian communities impacted by issues of environmental health, social equity, and health hazards? How are Asian American women impacted by cancer?

These are some of the questions that will be discussed at the first annual Asian Pacific Health Equity Conference, scheduled for 9am to 4pm on Saturday, May 2 at Portland Community College Southeast Center on SE 82nd and Division.

The API Health Equity Conference is organized by the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), a volunteer-led, member-based Pan-Asian group that works on advocacy issues. The event is made possible by a grant from the Northwest Health Foundation. Supporters also include United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and the API Health Network.

Four "Community Conversations" are scheduled throughout the day, and features public health experts who will address topics such as the uninsured, health disparities in Asian Pacific Islander communities, environmental justice, and policy approaches to solving health equity issues.

The event features keynotes by Marguerite Ro, Deputy Director of Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) and Oregon House Representative Mitch Greenlick, Chair of the House Committee on Health Care.

The event is free to the public; registration is required. Visit www.apano.org to register online or call 503-896-7560.

ABOUT APANO

Founded 10 years ago by community leaders from the Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Korean, Lao, and Filipino communities, APANO is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to civic involvement and Pan-Asian leadership development. As a Pan-Asian intergenerational advocacy organization, APANO is volunteer-led, membership-based, and issue-driven. The advocacy group brings together diverse Asian Pacific communities around issues that need to have an organized, assertive and influential pan-Asian/Pacific Islander voice. Learn more at www.apano.org

ABOUT THE KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Marguerite Ro, DrPH, is the Deputy Director of Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF), a national advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening policies, programs, and research to improve the health and well-being of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. Her major responsibilities include program oversight and management for "Health Through Action for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders", a national initiative with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Mitch Greenlick (Democrat, House District 33) was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2002. He serves as Chair of the House Committee on Health Care, a post he has held since 2007. In 1995 he was awarded the Presidential Award by the Association for Health Services Research for his life-time achievements in health services research.

WORKSHOP TOPICS AND SPEAKERS

The Uninsured: Community Responses to the Challenge of Health Care Access
Speakers: Linda Nilsen Solares, Executive Director, Project Access NOW
Holden Leung, Executive Director, Asian Health Services Center

Topics covered: What is the face of the uninsured among API communities? How is lack of health care coverage affecting access among API communities? What community responses are helping solve the problem?

Health Disparities in Asian Pacific Islander Communities

Speakers: Frances Lee Lin, Professor, Oregon Health and Sciences University
Hai Ta, Multnomah County Health Department
David Rebanal, Northwest Health Foundation

Topics Covered: Cancer rates in API women, Hepatitis B immunizations, and systemic barriers that limit API access to high quality health care.

Understanding Environmental Justice
Speakers: Kevin Raymond Odell, Organizing People, Activating Leaders
TBD, Multnomah County Health Equity Initiative

Topics Covered: What is Environmental Justice? How are API communities impacted by issues of environmental health, social equity, and health hazards in Portland Metro? What are the social determinants of health/health equity and how do they intersect with environmental justice? How can we create an equitable and sustainable city that is inclusive of all community members?

Got Equity? Putting Healthcare Equity into Law
Speakers: Liz Baxter, Archimedes Movement
Jo Ann Bowman, Executive Director, Oregon Action

Topics Covered: What is health equity? How does policy impact healthcare provision, regulation, systems, funding, and how does if contribute to/reinforce and/or ignore racial healthcare disparities? How can we use policy to eradicate healthcare disparities and increase equity for APIs?

Immigrants, Refugees Showcase Art and Talent at Cultural Celebration

2009-04-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Diversity of Portland's racial, ethnic and tribal communities merge with artwork at the monthly Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night, scheduled April 24 at the Center for Intercultural Organizing office, 700 N. Killingsworth, Portland.

Since debuting in February, Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night has drawn hundreds of Portlanders eager to share in the rich textures of cultures represented in our neighborhoods.

About one in five Portland resident is foreign-born, with growing populations of families from Latin America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night brings together visual artists and performers from a wide variety of racial, ethnic and tribal backgrounds.

To celebrate the City of Portland's Intercultural Communications Month in April, city employees are heartily invited to attend the event to gain insight into the vibrant fabric of our local community.

The event, held every last Friday of the month, is organized by Portland artist Nim Xuto and writer Ronault L.S. Catalani (Polo), in partnership with staff and volunteers from the Center for Intercultural Organizing, City of Portland Office of Human Relations, Colors of Influence online magazine and the Latino Network.

Learn more at www.coloredpencilsart.com

A few highlights from the March event:

Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night

2009-03-01T08:39:00.000-08:00

The brainchild of Portland artist Nim Xuto and writer Ronault L.S. Catalani (Polo), Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night debuted on February 27, 2009, hosting art and performances from a diverse Portland, Oregon community. Spoken word, cultural dance and song, and prose and poetry readings from Cambodian, Somali, Iraqi, Mexican, Samoan, Nepali, Burmese ... among many others.

The first of its kind in Oregon, Colored Pencils Arts and Culture Night will be hosted on the last Friday of each month at the Center for Intercultural Organizing, 700 N. Killingsworth.

Hear Dmae Roberts on OPB

2009-02-04T18:16:00.000-08:00

Peabody Award winner Dmae Roberts will be interviewed by April Baer during Oregon Public Broadcasting's membership drive on Thursday, Feb. 5 from 1 to 2pm on OPB.org/radio(OPB 91.5 FM / 550 AM).

Since the late '80s, Dmae has brought much-needed focus Oregon's history, art and cultural communities. In 1989, detailing her cross-cultural relationship with her mother in "Mei Mei: A Daughter's Song, winning her first Peabody Award. Through the nonprofit MediaRites, Dmae created Legacies cross-cultural documentaries and paved the way for online multimedia production in 2000 with Stories1st.org. Roberts championed multi-arts production by combining outreach workshops, events and theatre with national documentary making about underserved communities.

In 2007, Roberts won her second Peabody with the eight-hour "Crossing East," the first Asian-American history series on public radio. That same year, she won the first United States Artist Fellowship and the Asian American Journalists Association's Civil Rights and Social Justice award. Her most recent works are "Coming Home: The Return of the Alutiiq Masks" and "In the Mix: Conversations with Artists ...Between Artists."

Tune in to OPB via its online stream and listen to Dmae share selected clips of her 20+ years of creating artistic documentaries that open minds and shape the way public radio can touch our lives.

Town Hall on the Economic Crisis

2009-02-01T18:57:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 31, 2009, activists, community organizers, labor leaders and neighborhood coalitions came together for the half-day "Townhall on the Economic Crisis" event at First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland. The first event of its kind in the nation and organized by Portland Jobs with Justice, the townhall brought a diversity of progressive thinkers to organize efforts to confront the impact of the economic crises in our communities.

The opening plenary session featured Marty Hart-Landsberg, Professor of Economics at Lewis and Clark College, who talked about the confluence of factors that brought on the collapse of the housing and financial markets, rising unemployment, and credit crunch that is gripping world markets. Veronica Dujon, Chair of the Portland State University Sociology Department, talked about the importance of organizing in "Making a New Vision a Reality."

Listen to Marty Hart-Landsberg discuss the anatomy of the housing bubble

Factors leading up to the breakdown of the global financial system

Workshops brought smaller groups of people together to talk about specific approaches to the crises, including universal health care, rethinking trade agreements, building a green economy, and uniting across racial and ethnic divides.

The final plenary session focused on "Working Together: Building a Movement" and highlighted the points of view of leaders who encouraged attendees to step up and build coalitions across all sectors to advocate for the needs of all people in our communities and neighborhoods.

Author David Bacon encouraged progressives to address the interconnected problems of racism, globalization and marginalization of undocumented workers.

Oregon Action Executive Director Jo Ann Bowman talked about the importance of engaging people from all backgrounds and representing people of all colors in coming up with solutions to problems shared by all.

"Illegal People" How Globalization and U.S. Immigration Policies are Criminalizing Work

2009-01-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

"Unequal (trade) agreements don't stop the flow of migrants, they produce it... Our immigration policy does not stop people from coming to the United States, and it is not intended to. Our immigration policy is intended to determine the status of people, once they're here. The basic rule is that workers should come when they're wanted, and they should disappear when they're not wanted, and they should work for cheap."

Author David Bacon is in Portland this weekend to talk about how immigration and trade policies are creating criminals out of workers, and produces inequality. He addressed the history of immigration policy in the United States, pointing out that waves of migrant workers -- from the Chinese and Filipinos, to Japanese and Mexican farmworkers -- historically have been brought over to do work, but denied the opportunity to be on equal footing with the rest of society.

Some excerpts from Mr. Bacon's talk:

"The basic rule is that workers should come when they're wanted, and they should disappear when they're not wanted, and they should work for cheap."

"Violations of human rights ... undermine the legal protections we have fought for a long time."

"We are creating a bureacracy" that provides incentives for inequality:

Asian-Pacific American Network of Oregon

2009-01-27T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) held its first retreat in five years, hosting more than 60 attendees. Participants from a diverse contingent of Asian Pacific Islander communities -- Hmong, Nikkei, Filipino, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Samoan, Korean adoptees, Chinese, Thai, Lao, Persian, biracial folks, and many others -- came together to discuss issues of importance to Pan-Asian communities. Subcommittees were formed to develop strategies to organize a broad and cohesive Pan-Asian coalition to advocate for the needs of Asian Pacific Islander Americans. New board members were elected to serve three-, two-, and one-year terms.

Thanks and kudos to Joseph and Aimee Santos-Lyons, and the rest of the APANO leadership for organizing the event that brought together many groups to talk about issues of common interest and impact.

Putting Asian-Pacific Professionals on the Fast Track

2009-01-27T05:38:00.000-08:00

Lillian Tsai, founder and President of TsaiComms LLC, was honored for her outstanding and ongoing support of Seattle-based Executive Development Institute (EDI), a program provides culturally tailored leadership programs to put Asian-Pacific professionals on a fast track for success.

EDI participants from global and local companies such as Boeing, Microsoft, Nike, Norpac, Weyerhauser, State Farm Insurance, REI, NW Natural Gas, Nordstrom, KeyBank, PGE and the U.S. Postal Service, participate in nine-month long programs called "Leadership Discovery" and "Leadership Navigation" that teach self-discovery and leadership skills such as helping individuals become more aware of the unique cultural and values differences between the Asian-Pacific cultures and the mainstream American culture and how to best translate these values into the corporate business environment.

"As an executive coach and mentor at EDI for the past two years, it has been my privilege and honor to work with some highly motivated individuals whose ambitions have brought them to a point in their careers where all they needed is that extra boost," stated Lillian Tsai. "Every EDI graduate is an inspiration to future generations of Asian Pacific Americans, and I am extremely grateful and humbled in being presented this award."

Originally begun in Seattle, WA, the program has now grown to the Portland, Oregon area, graduating 408 professionals in the Greater Puget Sound area and 37 in Oregon.

"No company or community can be stronger than the sum of its people," said Starr Macdonald, Executive Director. "EDI is passionate and skilled at developing culturally diverse leaders to allow them to make a fuller contribution in all aspects of their life. Just as metals are made stronger by mixing different alloys, companies likewise are made stronger by fully engaging every person and a diversity of cultures to improve morale, business performance and their communities."

For more info on EDI, visit www.ediorg.org

Writer-Activist Angela Davis Comes to Portland

2009-01-23T08:57:00.001-08:00

Reed College's 2009 Black History Month celebration brings internationally known writer, scholar, and activist Angela Davis to campus.

SAVE THE DATE:
Saturday, February 21, 2009, at 7 p.m.
Kaul Auditorium, Reed College

Angela Davis is an internationally known writer, scholar, and activist who has been deeply involved in the struggle for economic, racial, and gender equality in the United States. Davis’ teaching career has taken her to San Francisco State University, Mills College, and UC Berkeley. She has also taught at UCLA, Vassar, the Claremont Colleges, and Stanford University. She has spent the last 15 years at UC Santa Cruz where she is professor of the History of Consciousness, an interdisciplinary Ph.D program, and professor of Feminist Studies. Davis is the author of eight books and has lectured throughout the United States as well as in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and South America.

In recent years, her work has focused on the range of social problems associated with incarceration and the generalized criminalization of those communities that are most affected by poverty and racial discrimination. She draws upon her own experiences in the early ’70s, when she spent 18 months in jail and on trial after being placed on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted List.” She has conducted extensive research on numerous issues related to race, gender, and imprisonment. Her most recent books are Abolition Democracy: Beyond Prisons, Torture, and Empire (Seven Stories Press, 2005) and Are Prisons Obsolete? (Seven Stories Press, 2003). She is now completing a book on prisons and American history.

Read an interview with Angela on PBS' Frontline.

Roy Jay's Holiday Open House

2009-01-08T20:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Mr. Roy Jay, President of the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon, for hosting a holiday party that brought together business and civic leaders for an evening of networking and celebration.

The annual event, which is by invitation only, attracted over 160 people to Roy's "Street of Dreams" home nestled atop Mt. Scott. Guests were treated to exquisite catered food sponsored by Xavier Allen’s Extraordinaire Catering of Portland.

As guests departed, they were given an 2009 Barack Obama calendar as well as the newly released 44th President Inaugural lapel pins which were flown in early especially for Jay’s event.

A great party to start off the year!

MLK Events Sought for Presidential Inaugural Committee Website

2009-01-06T10:15:00.000-08:00

The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) encourages organizations of all sizes and focus to get involved in planning, organizing and staging non-partisan volunteer community service events all across the country to be held on January 19, 2009 -- Martin Luther King Day.

The PIC is currently conducting outreach to national, regional and local organizations to encourage participation and to begin organizing volunteer events. These initial events will populate a new website dedicated to promoting and organizing this day of service.

Americans in every state will be able to go to the website, enter their zip code, and sign up for events in their community.

Enter your MLK event today

Help spread the word! In addition to direct outreach to potential volunteers, the PIC wants to work with participating organizations to promote events across the country in the media. PIC will work with participating organizations to raise awareness around these events and drive additional volunteers to the website.

Wanted: Science and Engineering Mentors

2009-01-05T19:41:00.000-08:00

The Apprenticeships in Science & Engineering (ASE) high school internship program of Saturday Academy is seeking applications from professionals and leaders of color who want to serve as mentors in 2009.

Studies show that there is much work to be done to ensure that more Latinos, African-Americans, and women are represented in engineering and science fields.

The ASE program matches students interested in science, technology, and engineering with mentors in academia and the private sector for eight-week, full-time, summer internships. ASE seeks motivated mentors who want to develop Oregon's next generation of scientists, engineers, medical providers, researchers, and technologists.

According to a Businessweek article, a National Science Foundation study shows that African American students make up about 6% of engineering undergraduate students. Women's share of bachelor's degrees in computer science dropped from 37% to 25% between 1985 and 2004.

By 2010, the U.S. will need 20% more engineers, yet the growth rate in the number of engineering, math, and science graduates is expected to be about 2%.

By 2050, 85% of workforce entrants are expected to be people of color and women. And, says the National Science Foundation, minorities are expected to make up more than half of the resident college-age population of the U.S. by 2050, up from 34% in 1999. Today's minorities are tomorrow's majorities.

For companies and organizations, hosting an ASE internship offers an exceptional chance for employees to exercise their leadership, managerial, and motivational talent.

Talented ASE interns contribute as assistant project managers, researchers, or programmers. Interns gain pre-professional scientific, technological, or engineering experience which greatly enhances college and scholarship applications. In some cases, students on the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch program automatically qualify for a $2,000 stipend. Interns may also receive high school credit depending on position and school policy.

Click for the 2009 ASE Preliminary Application. Application deadline is January 31, 2009.

Contact Amy Hesse for additional information or call 503.200.5861.

Portland Celebrates President Barack Obama's Inauguration

2008-12-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Barack Obama's inauguration as the 44th President of the United States, Melvin Broadous, a real estate broker who is a past president of the Metropolitan Association of Realtors, is among local business and community leaders who are organizing a community celebration on Tuesday, Jan. 20 at the Rose Garden Arena.

The celebration starts at 5p.m., Tuesday, January 20, at the Rose Garden Arena’s West Lexus Lounge, One Center Court., Portland.

Admission is $10, or bring four non-perishable food items. Cash contributions will benefit community housing and education programs of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers. Canned foods collected at the event will be donated to Calvary Christian Church and the Oregon Food Bank.

Everyone is welcome to join the celebration. The West Lexus Lounge is equipped with plasma screens and multiple television monitors throughout to view the live simulcast, accompanied with a first class audio system and seating arrangements for 2,000 patrons. The facility has a state-of-the-art secured, covered and lighted parking with excellent handicap access and elevators.

For more info, contact Calvin Kyles (503)975-2769 or Earline Penson (503)804-8781.

Gale Castillo Selected for Prestigious Executive Leadership Program

2008-12-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Gale Castillo, President of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (Hispanic Chamber), who has been selected as one of 22 Latinas nationwide to participate in the 2009 National Leadership Institute (NHLI), Executive Leadership Program.

Ms. Castillo’s selection was based on the commitment she has demonstrated to the Hispanic community and the leadership and desire she displayed to move the Hispanic community forward.

"This was a very competitive process, so it is an honor to have been selected from an outstanding group of national Latina leaders," says Ms. Castillo. "I anticipate to continue to learn from others what they are doing and to look for new ideas to share with our local community.

The Executive Program is designed to foster growth and provide resources. The four-week program includes: Week 1: San Juan Bautista , California ; Week 2: Harvard University , John F. Kennedy School of Government; Week 3: Center for Creative Leadership; Week 4: Impacting Public Policy, Washington D.C.

Ms. Castillo is a founding member of the Hispanic Chamber and is the first President hired by the board of directors to oversee the operation of the Hispanic Chamber.

The Hispanic Chamber is a local chapter of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce headquartered in Washington D.C. The Hispanic Chamber is the largest Hispanic Chamber in the northwest with over 780 members in Oregon and S.W. Washington and one of the largest chambers of commerce in Oregon.

"Counter Culture" Book Launch

2008-12-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to brother Polo (Ronault S. Catalani) on the publication of his book "Counter Culture," a collection of essays depicting the experiences of immigrants in our Portland.

Polo is a long-time columnist for "The Asian Reporter" and has been a well-known advocate for immigrant and refugee communities. The book launch party, held at the Center of Intercultural Organizing's office in NE Killingsworth, drew a large crowd of Asian, African, Arab, Persian, Mexican, and Anglo community elders, activists, and
business leaders.

Get "Counter Culture" today

Disproportionate Minority Contact in the Juvenile Justice System

2008-11-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

This week, I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer and shoot photos at the "2008 Governor's Summit on Eliminating Disproportionate Minority Contact in the Juvenile Justice System."

The conference brought together social work professionals, lawyers, judges, elected officials, community advocates and others who want to make a difference in the lives of at-risk minority youth. Panel discussions and presentations explored successful approaches to engaging families, youth, schools, communities and policy-makers in eliminating the overrepresentation of minority youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.

The event was organized by the Oregon Youth Authority and the Commission on Children and Families, in partnership with the national Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) and the Multnomah County Local Public Safety Coordinating Council. Topics discussed include gang prevention and intervention, mental health and addictions, engaging families and youth, and more. The conference is one of the ways that CJJ accomplishes its mission to "build safe communities one child at a time by ensuring that all children and families are treated fairly and given the resources and support to be positive and productive contributors to society."

Some of the stats cited in the presentations reveal that much still needs to be done to address the issues:

Nationwide, one of every three young black males is in prison, on probation, or on parole.

The arrest rate among African American youth (ages 10-17) was nearly twice the rate of their white peers.

Alcohol-related arrests for American Indians under age 18 are more than twice the national average.

In six states, Latino youth are at least three times more likely to be incarcerated than whites.

At the sentencing stage of the juvenile court system, Latino children were sent to detention and correctional facilities more often and for longer periods than whites who had committed the same offenses.

American Indian and Native Alaskan youth comprise 1.1% of the national population. More than 60% of incarcerated young offenders under federal jurisdiction were American Indian.

Fix Racism Now!

2008-11-12T22:23:00.000-08:00

damali ayo, one of our culture's most creative thinkers on issues of race relations, is presenting I Can Fix It! Speaker Corps Training to improving cross-racial relationships, scheduled Jan. 9-10 in Portland. damali is the creator of "The National Day of Panhandling for Reparations," "rent-a-negro.com" and author of How to Rent a Negro.

In this Q&A, damali explains why race continues to matter, and what we can do about it.

CoI: What is the workshop all about?

damali: The workshop is a two-day training based on the I Can Fix It! : Racism document. This is a 10-step practical guide to improving race relations among individuals. The 10 steps were suggested by my email list of 2,000 people and compiled by me. It is an effective, easy and fun tool for improving cross-race relations.

I will be teaching this corps of speakers how to give the I Can Fix It: Racism signature talk. This is one of the talks I give when i am on the road at colleges, universities, and communities. It's a fun and effective way to get to improving race relations among people. The fun part is that people will get to use their own stories and personal experiences to make their presentation unique even as they stick to the ten points of the ICFI document. Every speaker trained at the training will be a card-carrying member of the ICFI Speaker Corps and "certified" to give this presentation on their own, charge for it and spread the incredible document that ICFI is.

CoI: Who should attend?

damali: People who are interested in helping our collective community move forward in a real (not symbolic) way with regards to race relations. You should have experience talking about race. This is not a racism 101 course. This is a "train the trainers" type workshop. You don't
have to be prepared to speak in front of crowds of 400, you can just want to bring this to your school, community, church, wherever.

People of color and white people are both invited to apply. Applications are available at http://fixracism.com as well as a download of the guide and information on the training. People with questions should email me.

CoI: We just elected the first Black president, does race still matter?

damali: Yep. Let's not forget that once Obama leaves the senate to become president, the senate will again be all white. We have a long way to go. Plus there are still so many disparities in our society with regards to race. I think it's funny that people think that now little black kids in the US will know that they can become president- because Obama got elected. But many of these kids were poor and in bad schools the day before he was elected and remain poor and in bad schools after he was elected. One man is a wonderful accomplishment but we've got much more work to do. It's important to keep this work up, even now with all the conversation about race we still are at a low-level of understanding of each other in a real, meaningful way.

ICFI addresses how we interact with one another face to face. If we really work the ICFI tool, then we can create a culture that can support Obama's presidency to it's fullest.

CoI: I don't consider myself a race-conscious individual. Why should I care?

damali: You might not consider yourself to be race-conscious, but then you're really not paying attention. Race is everywhere- everywhere. More importantly race is a wonderful part of who we are as people and nations and the world. Race is not our problem, how we misuse race is. This training helps people to understand how to embrace race without making a mess out of it. You should care because achieving that will make your life and all of our lives richer, more fulfilling
and easier.

For more info on damali, click damaliayo.com.

Portland Events Focus on Ensuring Food Security for Oregonians

2008-11-09T18:45:00.000-08:00

Jeri Williams, Neighborhood Program Coordinator of the City of Portland's Office of Neighborhood Involvement, shares info about two upcoming events discussing Oregon's food security issues and challenges.

Springboard Social Innovation Forum
Wednesday, November 12
6-9pm
Urban Grind East
2214 NE Oregon St., Portland

Click here to download the program in PDF

Hear from gleaners, food educators, school gardeners, state offices, food security policy makers, nutritionists, and others who are feeding our neighbors---and feeding them well. Join this important conversation to learn where your work overlaps and supports this goal.

Panelists will share their strategies for change and discuss some challenging questions:

How do we avoid wasting food?
Is food the answer to hunger? Is any food good food?
How can gardening, local farming, school and community gardens, gleaning, and food
banks work together to make our community healthier?
What can we do in our everyday lives to end hunger—globally and locally?

100 Mile Thanksgiving Challenge
Monday, November 17
http://realwealthpdx.com/
7-9pm
First Unitarian Church Buchan Meeting Room
1011 SW 12th Ave. (Enter through alleyway on 12th)

Learn from a variety of community organizations how you can participate in bringing real wealth to Portland via our food systems - support our local farmers and restaurants, become empowered with your own urban garden, and bring more economic justice while preserving our food quality and generally building better communities.

Where to buy: Co-ops, stores, CSAs and local farms that sell local food
Where to dine: Local chefs/restaurants that promote & serve local foods
Do it yourself: Resources for growing your own produce
Share the wealth: Partner with local organizations to share with those in need

Bring a canned food item to donate to Oregon Food Bank. There will be a home-made pumpkin pie, & pumpkin cookies to share along with menu suggestions with local foods for the holidays & recipes. A take-home list of the names and contact info for organizations will be provided, in order for folks to connect with local food resources and eat within 100 miles while supporting local farms, stores & restaurants in our community.

For more info, email info@realwealthpdx.com or call 503-475-7509.

Congratulations, President Barack Obama!

2008-11-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

Day after election day, the electoral map looks much different than it did four years ago.

2008 Electoral Map

The American people have come a long way!

2004 Electoral Map

Workforce Housing Summit

2008-11-05T14:03:00.000-08:00

Portland Housing Center Deputy Director Felicia Tripp (read about Felicia's work) shares the following announcement with Colors of Influence readers:

WESTSIDE WORKFORCE HOUSING SUMMIT

Monday, November 17, 2008
8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Washington County
Public Services Building
Click here for directions

About the summit- This event is dedicated to providing education to employers and community members about issues surrounding workforce housing. Local and regional experts will present information about the impact of affordable housing on recruiting, retention, and employee morale. Affordable housing advocates will discuss how housing benefits can help build employee dependability, loyalty and improve the stability of the surrounding community.

Throughout this event, participants will engage in a forum of ideas, innovations and best practices that will enable them to walk away with a better understanding of how to offer a workforce housing benefit.

The Westside Workforce Housing Summit is endorsed by Washington County, the Vision Action Network, and the Community Housing Fund and is presented by the Portland Housing Center, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and HomeStreet Bank.

Register Today! The Westside Workforce Housing Summit is FREE. Don't miss this opportunity to network with colleagues and develop strategies that could transform your organization's approach to employer-assisted benefits and workforce housing initiatives. Registration Deadline is November 12, 2008 and seating is limited, so register today!

When: Monday November 17, 8:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m.

Where: Washington County Public Services Building 155 N. First Ave Hillsboro, OR 97124
Click for directions

Cost: Free

Click to register

2008-08-19T10:40:00.000-07:00

The National Association of Minority Contractors of Oregon (NAMCO) is working on a project to restore the historic Billy Webb Elks Lodge on North Tillamook Street, Portland.

The project involves NAMCO members, Hoffman Construction, CJ Jackson Construction and others to remodel the building.

According to the Daily Journal of Commerce:

"The building once housed a YWCA for black women and it later became the home of the Billy Webb Elks Club number 1050. Throughout the 1950s and ’60s, teen dances were held in the gym, which also served as a meeting place for the NAACP and the black USO. The same space is now used for wedding receptions and community meetings, but it has fallen into disrepair.

NAMCO and its partners, including Hoffman Construction Co., Walsh Construction, the Port of Portland, Skanska and Slayden Construction, will refresh the exterior, overhaul the plumbing, HVAC and electric systems, upgrade the kitchen and bathrooms with new fixtures, and restore the front entry to an inviting community space. The Portland Bureau of Development Services has also agreed to waive building permit fees amounting to $9,000 for the project."

Click here to read more news clips about the project

ONABEN Raffles off a Trip to Hollywood

2008-08-03T19:31:00.000-07:00

ONABEN, a Native American Business Network, is raffling off a walk-on part to the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) television show.

ONABEN’s mission is to promote the development of Native American-owned small businesses and the diversification of reservation economies. Through programs that provide counseling, links to tribal efforts, and assisted access to financing, markets and a network of experienced counselors and mentors, ONABEN's network has expanded to continue to benefit both tribal citizens and its member nations. Click here to read the 2006 Colors of Influence article in ONABEN

The winner of the raffle and their guest will be flown down to California from Portland with hotel, transportation, and meals included. The winner will also receive lunch with the crew, a signed script by the NCIS cast, several seasons worth of DVD's, and show promotional items. Only 1,999 tickets will be sold for this Hollywood dream vacation package raffle. This raffle is part of a new fundraising campaign to support ONABEN’s efforts assisting Native American small businesses in the Pacific Northwest.

Raffle tickets are $5 a piece or 5 tickets for $20. They can be purchased at Reflections Coffeehouse & Talking Drum Bookstore at 446 NE Killingsworth, Portland, OR, on Saturday, August 16th from 9 am to 5 pm. The raffle drawing will be held from from 6 to 8 PM on August 20 at the Lucky Lab on 1945 NW Quimby in Portland, OR.

“ONABEN is grateful for the opportunity to raffle off 15 minutes of fame for a lucky winner. We are also thankful to have such a show-stopping event as it will generate needed income to help fund ONABEN as we launch our business plan competition next year, and other exciting endeavors to improve the economic vitality of the Pacific Northwest Native American community,” says Executive Director of ONABEN, Tom Hampson.

The winner will be randomly selected. You need not be present at the drawing to win. You must be 18 years or older to win the walk-on part. Past walk-on part contest winners to a NCIS TV show cannot participate. Winner and guest will be flown in and out of Portland International Airport. Transportation to and from the Portland International Airport is the responsibility of the winner.For more information call Sarah Keefe at ONABEN at 503-968-1500, or email sarah@onaben.org

Does Oregon Have a Racism Problem?

2008-07-31T22:05:00.000-07:00

Stand up and be heard. Think Out Loud, Oregon Public Broadcasting's daily talk show, will be tackling the issue of race in Oregon, and how Oregon's relative lack of diversity affects people in different parts of the state.

OPB's Scott Silver reached out to Colors of Influence, to find folks who would be interested in sharing their experiences and opinions in addressing the question:

Does Oregon have a racism problem?

Here's an overview of the project, according to Scott Silver:

We're trying to connect with people of different races and ethnicities in different parts of the state, to ask them about their experiences in Oregon.

We've created an online space where people can share their experiences and stories with us:

http://news.opb.org/link/racism

We'll be using the responses to help guide our coverage of this issue, and a producer may send them a follow up email or give them a call. As well, people who respond will become a part of OPB's Public Insight Network, our network of news sources. We hang on to their contact information, and ask them to contribute their experiences periodically for news stories we're working on.

This is a worthwhile effort to bring to the surface the often contentious issues of race and racism among our communities. People from various communities of color living in Portland have many stories to share about what it's like to live as part of a racial/ethnic/tribal minority group in Portland, dubbed as the "whitest major city in America."

Urban League Celebrates Another Successful Year

2008-06-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Urban League volunteers Harvey Rice (at podium) and Lillian Whitlow (right)

were honored as volunteers of the year at the annual meeting

of the Urban League of Portland.

Staff and volunteers at the Urban League of Portland gathered at its annual meeting to celebrate another successful year of serving the community.

Highlighting accomplishments in programs that focus on housing, supporting seniors, job training, and mentoring for students, Isaac Dixon, chairman of the board, says the Urban League is planning to strengthen outreach and advocacy activities in the community. The Urban League offers a wide range of programs for seniors, students, families and individuals in the African-American community.

Urban League directors and volunteers were on hand to talk about how programs are growing and changing to respond to the needs of the community. “As our population gets older, we have increased the number of seniors served by 35%,” said D’Norgia Price, Senior Services Director. She invited volunteers to share their talents and time with seniors at the Urban League.

Howard Moriah, Director of Education, reported on the success of the Urban League’s spring break program and plans for a summer academy. At George Middle School, the Urban League worked with 30 students who demonstrated improved academic performance.

Advocacy

The Urban League of Portland is the area’s oldest and most established community-based movement for social and economic empowerment, said Midge Purcell, Coordinator of Public Affairs, who reported on civic engagement activities of the organization. “Our advocacy strategy: empowering people to take an active role in determining the direction of their community by full participation as voters, activists and leaders,” she says.

In the past year, the Urban League has been actively involved in diversity and civic engagement through voter registration and education, candidates’ forums, and town hall meetings with elected officials. Beginning July 26, the Urban League will host leadership training sessions designed to provide skills for up-and-coming leaders and advocates for the African-American community.

“Our goal is to have African-Americans and other people of color more visibly represented in the halls of power in City Hall, county government and state legislature,” she says.

For the first time in 17 years, the Urban League will launch a report on the “State of Black Oregon.” The report, to be released in the fall, will illustrate trends and statistics about African-Americans in areas such as education, access to health care, economic opportunities, employment, the criminal justice system, wealth creation, and more.

“We hope to use the report as an effective information tool for Portlanders and Oregonians.” said Marcus Mundy, President and CEO. “We will put forward recommendations and an action agenda for change.”

Honoring Volunteers

Volunteers Harvey Rice and Lillian Whitlow were honored for their contributions to the Urban League of Portland. Rice, who is now retired, serves as a backup volunteer driver for the senior transportation program. He also teaches computer classes for seniors who participate in classes at the Multicultural Senior Center.

As part of the Portland Federation of Women’s Organizations, Lillian Whitlow has advocated for the Urban League’s Ride Connections program since its inception. The PFWO provides annual support for Ride Connection.

“This is the best of times, these are the worst of times,” said Urban League CEO and President Marcus Mundy, referring to the accomplishments of the Urban League in the past year, and challenges that lie ahead.

“Over the last decade, the Urban League of Portland has gone through a lot, and we’re stronger than we’ve ever been. It’s the worst of times because we live in the real world. With the economic downturn, our communities are being affected in real and dramatic ways. It’s going to be a tough next few years, and we can only get through it by helping each other.”

"Walls Don't Work"

2008-03-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Last night, I had the opportunity to hear former Mexico President Vicente Fox at The Schintz. Fox is the first in a glowing lineup of speakers for the 2008 World Affairs Council Speaker Series, which will include Kim Dae-Jung, former President of South Korea (April 18), and Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Justice O’Connor is scheduled to speak on Sept. 27.

In his talk President Fox addressed the necessity for continental trade agreements and called for immigration reform. He noted that in decades past, the United States has been a strong champion of establishing market economies and the democratic rule of law across the globe.

He addressed the threat of the United States’ increased protectionist stance against its neighbors.

“Today, it’s sad to see the leading nation of the world that taught all of us to open our markets is going backward. Now it’s building walls, now it’s isolating itself from the rest of the world,” he said. “Walls don’t work. The Chinese wall did not work. The Berlin Wall did not work. This wall is not going to work.”

Fox acknowledged that the struggles of Latin American countries in the 20th century have kept the region back from achieving its full potential. He stresses that Latin American countries are committed to building strong market economies that create jobs and wealth. But progress is not possible without a powerful package of social policies “that encompass underlying tensions.”

“Poverty is our worst problem in Latin America. Poverty in our neighborhoods and low levels of education are the enemies of democracy.”

“(Latin Americans) are working hard to reach its ‘American dream.’ We all want equal opportunities for all and democracy and freedom as a way of life. We work hard and have big aspirations.”

Fox also urged a more robust continental trade cooperation, which he believes will be a competitive advantage to meet the challenges set by the European Union and growing economies of China and India.

“God did not create borders – those are human creations. Both of us did not choose who’s going to be our neighbors.” he said. “(Our countries) have had a lot of difficulties in our history. But we’re neighbors, and we decided 12 years ago to be partners. If we work together, we can be very competitive.”

February enews from Colors of Influence

2008-02-07T10:43:00.001-08:00

The spring edition of Colors of Influence will be out in March. Here are some quotables from the upcoming edition:

"As a council, we are making a difference in the lives of people. By helping create opportunities for minority-owned businesses while creating value for our members, we’re helping people create and leave a legacy." ~ Kenneth Jones, on what he enjoys most about his work at the Northwest Minority Business Council.

"We have parents who ask specifically for their kids to be mentored by someone who looks like their child. Some of the kids end up on the waiting list for a mentor for three years or more." ~ Pamela Weatherspoon, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, speaks about the community need for the newly launched African- American Mentoring Program.

Coming in March, interviews with:

Dr. Carolyn West Bartley Dobb Professor for the Study and Prevention of Violence, University of Washington, Tacoma

Pictured, Dr. Carolyn West

Elizabeth Asahi Sato President, Rise to Excellence

Melvin Broadous Chairman, Portland Metropolitan Association of Realtors

Carmen Caballero-Rubio Community Affairs Director, Office of Mayor Tom Potter

Kenneth Vigil co-founder, Vigil-Agrimis Inc., winner of 2007 Minority Small Business of the Year Award

Adrienne Livingston Executive Director, Black United Fund of Oregon

Dave Thayer board member, Oregon Native American Chamber of Commerce

Ping Khaw artist and board member, Asian American Business Alliance

and more ...

Community Events

From Say Hey NW! networking for professionals of color to a daylong Latina empowerment conference, there's a whole lot going among communities of color in the Portland area. View upcoming events

MLK Day Celebration Through Service

On Jan. 21, United Way of the Columbia-Willamette organized 14 community service projects to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

More photos here

Championing Enterprise Development

2007-10-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

The most prominent business leaders of color in the Oregon and Southwest Washington region were in attendance at the Minority Business Opportunity Committtee Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week luncheon and trade show. Held at the Oregon Convention Center, the event honored some of the successful minority business owners in the region.

In the past year, Colors of Influence has had the privilege of profiling the accomplishments of many exemplary business leaders of color who were in attendance at the event.

Faye Burch, principal of F.M. Burch & Associates Inc., received two awards: Professional Service Firm of the Year and the Small Business Administration Small Business Champion Award. Faye, one of the co-founders of the National Association of Minority Contractors of Oregon (NAMCO) is a tireless advocate for small and minority-owned businesses. F.M. Burch & Associates Inc. specializes in public involvement, and community and business development projects. Presenting the Minority Small Business Champion Award to Faye is Janie Millican, president of the Oregon Native American Chamber of Commerce.

Roy Jay, left, president of the African American Chamber of Commerce, presented the Service Contractor of the Year award to Ronaldo Mazyck, owner of Paper Chase Recycling Service Inc. For more than 20 years, Paper Chase has been a leader and advocate for recycling and proud to report that it has recycled more than 25,000 tons of paper over the last 20 years. In 1995, Paper Chase received the Minority Business Supplier of the Year Award by the Northwest Region of the Small Business Administration.

Jaime Lim, left, president of the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon, congratulates Maurice Rehming and Alida (Ali) O'Neill of O'Neill Electric Inc., the firm that garnered this year's Construction Contractor of the Year award. President Maurice Rehming, center, has been involved in the electrical field for more than 20 years. O'Neill Electric has grown in sales to $3.2 million in 2006, up from $320,000 in 1999. Projected sales for 2007 is approaching $4 million. Both Maurice and Ali believe in "hands-on" ownership and are involved in every aspect of running the business.

President Ken M. Vigil, P.E. (left) and Paul Agrimis, won the SBA Minority Business Award for Vigil-Agrimis Inc., a leader in environmental restoration design in the Pacific Northwest. Vigil-Agrimis' multidisciplinary teams of design professionals have provided planning, analysis and design for water and natural resources projects on hundreds of waterways and wetlands. Some of their recent projects include restoring a half-mile section of Johnson Creek at Tideman Johnson Park; completing a new culvert and stream restoration project on Wolfe Creek near Tillamook; and designing habitat improvements at the confluence of Stephens Creek with the Willamette River.

Gale Castillo (right), executive director of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, presents the Corporate Diversity Firm of the Year award to Blake Devine, Skanska USA Project executive. Blake, a 26-year veteran of the construction industry, led the Skanska "Boost" Team in 2007. Under his guidance, eight Skanska employees tackled a rigorous, long-term program at creating and promoting opportunities for minority, women-owned and emerging small businesses. The Boost program continues to be developed, and the team has already made significant strides in growing opportunities for minority small business owners.

Building A Stronger Community

2007-09-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

1,832 seniors supported to remain in their homes. 2,105 children participated in early care and education. 1,049 parents attended workshops and classes. 975 adults with disabilities received support services. 69,320 calls made to 211-Info.

These are only a few of the results highlighted by Brent Stewart Sr., CEO and President of the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette (pictured above), at the annual United Way Community Partners Breakfast, held Sept. 20 at the Oregon Convention Center.

“The approach we are using works,” he said. “We have applied best practices from nationally recognized programs around the country. Our grant funding model requires collaboration among service providers and a commitment to results and accountability.”

In 2006 the United Way campaign raised $17.4 million dollars. 84% of those funds were invested in various programs in the Portland-Vancouver metro area.

“We funded 72 programs that involved 52 agencies and more than 100 collaborating partners. Most importantly, we helped change the lives of more than 100,000 children, individuals, and families,” said Stewart, addressing an audience of more than 600 donors, volunteers, community members and friends of the United Way.

When Stewart took the reins of the local United Way in 2004, he immediately began working alongside volunteers, community and business leaders, and staff in creating an organization that does much more than raise funds. “Our mission of helping people, changing lives, and making every contribution count remains the same but with much more focus and accountability to you, our partners and supporters,” he said.

“Your United Way continued to hold the line on overhead and were recognized by Charity Navigator, a national charity watchdog, with their top four-star rating for exceeding industry standards.”

Stewart emphasized the importance of accountability and measurable results to funded programs. “We are making investment decisions in a new way that is built on solid research about community needs,” he said. For more info, visit the United Way of the Columbia-Willamette website.

Photo by Maileen Hamto

Africa House Brings Community Together

2007-06-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Ribbon Cutting. Pictured from left are Djimet Dogo (from Chad) – Africa House coordinator; Karifa Koroma (from West Africa), chairman of the Africa House advisory board; IRCO board president Duke Tran (Vietnamese immigrant); and Sokhom Tauch, IRCO executive director (former refugee from Cambodia).

The new Africa House Refugee Center, located in the Montavilla neighborhood, drew community leaders, volunteers and African refugees and families to its Open House and Ribbon Cutting. The latest accomplishment of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), Africa House provides culturally specific services to African refugee families.

Karifa Koroma, chairman of Africa House’s 16-person advisory board, and IRCO executive director Sokhom Tauch will be profiled in the next edition of Colors of Influence.

In recent years, the African population in the Portland metro area has grown considerably. More than 20,000 Africans from 25 different countries now make Portland their home.

Africa House is a multilingual community-based center that provides African refugees a family-focused access to services, such as job training, health education, referral for social and support services, family intervention and leadership workshops, community engagement, among other services.

Asian community leaders were among those celebrating the grand opening of Africa House. Organizers say Africa House follows the same model that has worked well for IRCO’s Asian Family Center, established in 1989 to serve refugees from Southeast Asian countries. The first family center of its kind in Multnomah County, the Asian Family Center was specifically designed to meet the unique cultural and language needs of Asian Pacific Islander youth and families.

Africa House volunteers are proud to work in a one-stop resource center for African refugees and families.

Guests and community members share African cuisine at the Open House.

Africa House Refugee Center is located at 8535 SE Stark in Portland. For more info, call 503-802-0082 or visit the IRCO website.

Exploring a filtered voice

2007-06-11T19:15:00.001-07:00

Since January of this year, I've had the amazing opportunity to share my viewpoints on issues relating to communities of color and immigration in the "My Turn" column published in The Asian Reporter.

Here are links to - and excerpts from - previously published columns:

Caring for our own - Access to quality health care is front and center in the everyday life of many Oregonians. A variety of factors contribute to skyrocketing healthcare costs in recent years.

Political consciousness - "Race still matters — and its manifestation is more apparent when you look at leaders of industry. Among the largest U.S. corporations, less than two percent are run by people of color. Given the same educational background, experience, and skill sets, professionals and managers of color hardly ever make it to the top."

Beyond the model minority myth - Lumped together as if we were a homogeneous group, Asian achievement in education, income levels, and business ownership perpetuate the "model minority" myth. Numbers rarely lie, but they hardly tell the full story about our diverse communities, and the challenges faced by immigrants, and their sons and daughters. In all honesty, the myth hurts more than it helps. It denies the fact that more than any other racial group, Asians come in all hues, shapes, and sizes.

Nurturing our communities - Attain individual glory, but never forget to give back. Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makararating sa paroroonan is a Tagalog saying that loosely translates to: "One who does not know how to look back will not reach one’s destination."

An open letter to peoples from the non-Western, developing world - Despite a small segment of the U.S. political spectrum that advocates protectionism and prejudice, many Americans today are immigrants or descendants of immigrants who have lived in collectivist and pluralistic societies. Our elders remind us often of the benefits of harmony, understanding, and generosity in keeping communities and families intact. We know what it’s like to take care of family back home.

Citizenship rate hike may serve as roadblock - The rate hike is but a thinly veiled method of pacifying anti-immigrant sentiment that has gripped the nation in recent years. It is yet another way to exclude immigrants — legal or documented — from fully participating and becoming integrated in the country’s social systems.

Popular images - In mainstream films and television programs produced in the U.S., why do Asian-American actors primarily do stereotypically Asian roles?

Great expectations - As immigrants, we understand that the city faces unique challenges involved in serving each ethnic or cultural minority group. A variety of factors play a significant role, such as religious background and how individuals within a community feel about talking to persons perceived to be in authority. A group’s mode of entry into the United States also impacts the level of assimilation into North American culture.

Exploring a filtered voice: Introductions

March for Immigrant Rights, May Day 2007

2007-05-01T20:26:00.000-07:00

Photos by Maileen Hamto

A caring organization

2007-04-30T17:00:00.000-07:00

A heads-up about an upcoming event that is being partly supported by CareOregon, my professional home outside of Oregon Minority Business, currently a labor-of-love, venture into social entrepreneurship. Through Oregon Minority Business, it has been a wonderful experience getting to know dynamic people of color making lasting social change by way of their business and civic involvements. I look forward to meeting many more of you.

Through CareOregon, it is truly a rewarding experience to work alongside people who care a great deal about low-income families and children. CareOregon serves a quarter of people on Medicaid throughout the state - making it the largest administrator of the Oregon Health Plan. Some 46% of CareOregon are people of color - and about 85% live in the Portland metro area. We serve many families and children - some 65% of our members are under age 18. Click here for a radio ad that I wrote about the upcoming Northwest Multicultural Career Fair.

CareOregon is championing change in primary care delivery, advocating to create a model of health care that is respectful, culturally competent, and cost-effective. We practice a model of care that emphasizes prevention and primary care case management, and places specific focus on serving members in chronic and complex care situations.Click here to learn more about the medical home model.

On May 14-15, CareOregon will be displaying a member photography project in the state capitol in Salem. The member photographs show not only the diversity of our membership, but also underscore the fact that folks enrolled in Medicaid are no different than us - our families, our friends and neighbors. We were quite fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Bruce Davidson, one of the most highly acclaimed photographers in the country. His work is considered to be art photography. He is most recognized for his work around the Civil Rights movement and in photographing low-income people, families and communities in New York City. (see earlier post)

Why did we embark on the member photography project? Many people do not understand who is being helped through the Oregon Health Plan. CareOregon advocates for its members, and in this case, we are hoping to protect their funding by putting faces on our members so funding decisions are not made simply on numbers or dollars.

CareOregon wants folks to see the issue of OHP funding as a personal matter -– it affects children, your neighbors, your community members. It is certainly personal with us, and we would like to convey the message in as many forums as possible to reach as many Oregonians as we can.

“Creating Change Requires Challenging Power”

2007-02-03T21:02:00.000-08:00

A starstruck Portland audience intently listened to NAACP Chairman and civil rights leader Julian Bond speak at Reed College on Friday, marking the first special event of Reed’s celebration of the 2007 Black History Month.

Addressing a packed Kaul Auditorium, Bond reflected on the legacy and wayforward of the civil rights movement and its implications for future generations. Many of the most influential leaders of Portland’s African-American community were present at the event.

Bond helped establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee while a student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia during the early 1960s. He has been Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People since 1998. He served in the Georgia legislature as both a Representative and as a Senator. He has been a lecturer at the University of Virginia since 1990, and a professor there since 1998. In 2002, he received the prestigious National Freedom Award. The holder of 25 honorary degrees, Bond is a Distinguished Professor at American University in Washington, DC, and a Professor in history at the University of Virginia.

Candidly sharing his perspective on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, affirmative action and inter-racial relations, Bond’s speech was interrupted by applause several times during his talk, which ran for more than an hour.

While success of the civil rights movement ensured that laws are in place to inhibit state-sanctioned racist and discriminatory practices, there is more work to be done, said Bond.

“Today, 37 million Americans live in poverty. They represent about 13 percent of the population – the highest population [of people living in poverty] in the developed world,” he admonished. “[Since 2001] the gap has grown between the haves, have-mores and the have-nots. The top 20 percent of earners take over half half the national income, while the bottom 20 percent of earned just get 3.4 percent. Black Americans are likely to be the bottom earners than the top: almost a quarter of Black Americans nationwide live below the poverty line, as compared to 8.6 percent of whites.”

Below are some excerpts transcribed from his speech:

“We are such a young nation so recently removed from slavery, that only my father’s generation stands between Julian Bond and Julian Bondage. Like many others, I am the grandson of a slave,” he said.

“Today’s apologists argue that discrimination against minorities aren’t a problem, society has to protect itself against the majority instead … They want to make any government consideration of race illegal, and therefore do away with our rights and much of the legacy of the civil rights movement, including affirmative action. They say they believe in a color-blind America where race doesn’t count.”

“Sadly, in America, equal opportunity is color-coded. What they really want is a color-free America, and they think they’ll get there by not counting race. But as long as race counts, we’ve got to count race.”

“By the year 2050, blacks and Hispanics together will be 40 percent of the nation’s population. Wherever there are others who share our conditions and concern, we intend to share our common cause with them. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People believe that ‘colored’ come in all colors – anybody who shares our values is more than welcome.”

“The growth of immigration and the emergence of new and vibrant populations of people of color hold great promise and great peril. The promise is that the coalition for justice has grown larger and stronger, as new allies join the fight. The peril comes from real fears that our common foes will find ways to separate and divide us.”

“Racial justice, economic equality, world peace – these are the things that occupied Dr. King’s life, and they ought to occupy ours today,” Bond appealed to the audience.

View an excerpt from Julian Bond’s speech:

Or listen to the audio clip:

powered by ODEO

Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund

2007-01-31T17:19:00.000-08:00

Establishment of an endowment fund that will serve as a continuous and permanent source of college scholarship monies for Latino youth in Oregon is a solid step in the right direction.

Partnering with the Latino business community through the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber, the Oregon Community Fund and Meyer Memorial Trust jointly created the Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund.

"Research shows that family income is a major obstacle for Latino students in completing college," said Gale Castillo, executive director for the Hispanic Chamber. "This fund provides encouragement to Latino students that Oregonians support their educational advancement in our community and provides hope for Latino families."

Pictured from left: Berta Ferran treasurer of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board; Gale Castillo, executive director of the Hispanic Chamber; Sara Gonzalez, a student scholarship recipient; and Greg Chaillé, president of The Oregon Community Foundation at the announcement of the Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund. Photo courtesy of Melissa Wilmot for The Oregon Community Foundation

Since 1994, the Hispanic Chamber has been raising funds for college scholarships -- awarding more than $700,000 to about 200 Latino youths. Establishment of the Oregon Latino Scholarship Fund enables the chamber and its partners to underscore their support of Latino youth and families.

To establish the fund, three private donors – George Puentes, William Swindells and Joe Weston each committed $100,000. The Meyer Memorial Trust has pledged another $250,000 in matching funds for future donations, and the Hispanic Chamber is donating $60,000 from its members. The total pledged amount is $610,000, with the six-month goal of reaching $1 million. The ultimate goal is to eventually grow the fund to at least $5 million.

"The Hispanic Chamber will be awarding scholarships from this fund based on the interest earned on the principal," said Castillo during a press conference announcing the fund. "As it grows, we anticipate using 5% of the fund for scholarships. We will continue to raise funds on an annual basis while the endowment fund grows."

A Good Turn

2007-01-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for the amazing privilege I had today to work alongside people from all backgrounds who took time out from their busy work and family lives to give back to the community. The 2007 Portland Project Homeless Connect -- a daylong event at the Memorial Coliseum -- drew hundreds of homeless individuals and families to link to community resources, free health screenings and a host of other services. As part of my day job with a health insurer for underpriviliged Oregonians, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend a few hours in the Health Services area of Project Homeless Connect.

My duties for the day involved greeting clients and directing them to appropriate areas. Physicians, nurses, medical assistants and other health care workers at county health clinics were on hand to conduct health screenings, immunizations, vital sign check-ups, and other health services. Podiatry care, as well as acupuncture and massage also were available. The Health Services area provided care for about 180 clients, each signing up for about four different services.

Elsewhere in the coliseum, a plethora of resources were made available to clients -- from free haircuts to job search assistance, from vision screening to help with securing food stamps.

At the end of the day, most of us who volunteered were tired, yet extremely satisfied. The event was very well-organized, well-run and well-staffed. Volunteers did very well in managing the flow of clients through different areas. Kudos to the dedicated and committed folks from across different agencies who put the event together. Amazing work!

Advocacy for Minority Contractors

2007-01-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

Lively discussion at the first meeting of the year for the National Association of Minority Contractors, Oregon chapter (NAMCO). Thanks to Faye Burch, co-founder and vice president, for inviting OMB to witness the group’s meeting with Matt Garrett, executive director of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

Pictured above, from left: James Posey, NAMCO president; Faye Burch, vice president; Noni Causey, secretary; and Matt Garrett, ODOT.

More than 20 NAMCO members and prospective members attended the event, which offered an opportunity for a frank discussion about contracting issues with the state agency. “It was a good meeting because it helped open the lines of communication. We’re headed in the right direction, and NAMCO is eager to find ways to work with ODOT to address our concerns,” said Burch.

John Jackley (pictured below), interim Policy and Public Affairs Manager for the Portland Development Commission, announced the agency’s support of the organization by becoming a NAMCO sponsor.In addition, Pete Savage, Regional Director for the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, provided information about upcoming public and private construction projects.

NAMCO was re-established last fall to serve an advocacy role for minority contractors. According to co-founder and president James Posey, NAMCO founders heard from African American businesses in construction and trucking, and recognized the need to re-organize a chapter that can speak directly to the issues of marginalized participation by African Americans and other minorities on public projects.

On March 16, the local chapter will host delegates from the national organization. Local chapter officers will be installed at that time: Stacey Drake Edwards, executive administrator; James Posey of Workhorse Construction, president; Faye Burch, FM Burch and Associates, vice president; and Noni Causey, City of Roses Drop Box Services, secretary. Directors include: Alvin Hall, Rock and Road Construction; Mark Mathews, PacificMark Construction; and James Cason, NOSAC Construction.

Photos below courtesy of Faye Burch

Plans also are under way to put in place activities that will enable the group to achieve the following goals for 2007.

Build the technology capability of our membership
Participate in community based workforce programs to provide staffing.
Work to develop options for prevailing wage projects so that non-union members can fully participate.
Provide technical support and training programs where needed to build capacity
Develop new and continuing existing partnerships with local business organizations and minority chambers.
Recognize general contractor partners that are working well with local minority business enterprises.
Ensure that minority contractors have a voice in local state and federal issues that impact small businesses.

For more information on NAMCO please contact founders James Posey, 503-936-0277; or Faye Burch, 503-936-6898. E-mail NAMCO: namcoportland@yahoo.com.

New Beginnings

2007-01-03T19:25:00.000-08:00

The City of Portland Mayor’s Office is seeking nominations for participants to serve in the Immigrant and Refugee Task Force – the culmination of many months of grassroots work by numerous volunteers, community leaders and individuals who are passionate about bringing equality, fairness and social justice to all Portland residents.

The City of Portland – indeed, all of Oregon – has grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade. The ethnic and racial makeup of the largest population centers in the state has changed dramatically, and will continue to evolve. Consider the following statistics presented at a recent TACS event.

Establishing the city’s first ever Immigrant and Refugee Task Force is a solid first step toward nurturing a culture of inclusiveness throughout the city. It’s encouraging to see that city officials are making a heartfelt and sincere effort to reach out to communities of color – native or foreign-born, immigrants or refugees.

I had an opportunity to talk with Kayse Jama, founder of Center for Intercultural Organizing, one of the core groups working toward raising awareness about unique challenges faced by immigrants and refugees in the city.

Jama credits the tireless efforts of Bridgetown Voices, a grassroots immigrant and refugee-led collaboration empowering immigrants and refugees throughout the region. Volunteers have collaborated to develop a unified voice, advocate for their rights, and create an environment in which they are recognized and supported as valued residents of our city. The group’s work has been instrumental in bringing about the City of Portland Immigration Resolution, essentially “a progressive position on federal immigration reform, acknowledging the need for a realistic and comprehensive approach that provides a path to citizenship, addresses the immigration backlog to unify families, and provides a safe, legal and orderly avenue for migrant workers to enter the U.S. and benefit from worker protections.”

There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, but Portland is a city rich with people who come from various cultural and ethnic pasts and presents. There’s a lot of vitality among the diverse communities that call Portland their home. For example, Cambodian-Americans in Oregon are a flourishing civic force – a well-organized and close-knit group of volunteers have helped the Cambodian-American Community of Oregon achieve many accomplishments in such a short period of time.

CACO is a volunteer-driven organization whose primary mission is to provide opportunities for Cambodian-American youths and their families. Members maintain close ties to their native Cambodia, and do much to give back. Success of CACO in drumming up support for various programs has drawn the attention of foundations and grants programs, including the Asian Reporter Foundation. Volunteer-led efforts have been successful at lending a helping hand serve hundreds of needy children in Cambodia and supplying soccer uniforms to Afghanistan. In 2006, community members also helped advocate for a child of Cambodian refugees who, because of cultural barriers and misunderstandings, was taken away from her family and placed in a foster home.

Attending the group’s fourth annual Khmer Heritage Night, it’s easy to see why the community has come a long way from the trials they endured under the oppressive Khmer Rouge regime. Kilong Ung, president, summed up the core strength of the community in an e-mail to community members thanking them for another successful year: “You are not alone because you are part of the community which is made up of people who care. There is nothing we cannot do as a community; lean on one another.”

There is wisdom in that sentiment for all who call Portland home – regardless of race, ethnic background and socioeconomic status. The work ahead involves forging alliances and partnerships across many cultures, seeing the big picture of the wayforward for the City of Portland. In my opinion, the goal is to establish a solid foundation upon which we can build confidence across all communities, so we may nurture relationships that are respectful, personal, trusting and more importantly, accountable.

Pictured below, Mayor Tom Potter and wife Karin present the Khmer Heritage Month proclamation to the Cambodian-American Community of Oregon. In the background are Sinou Tauch and Kilong Ung.

recent histories: racism and prejudice

2006-12-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

Last week, I attended a presentation on “Uniting Cultures in Portland: Bridging the Gaps in City Policy” held at City Hall. The presentation was made by Portland State University students who were involved in a capstone course on “Politics of Immigration.” Fourteen students were involved in a 10-week research project that focused on pulse-taking of immigrant and refugee communities in the Portland area.

Pictured is John Tranh, one of six students who presented class findings. In the foreground is Basko Kante, board chairman of the African Community Coalition of Oregon, a local group that advocates on behalf of African immigrants and refugees.

A collaborative effort among the City of Portland, the Center for Intercultural Organizing and a host of civic associations and grassroots groups, the project sought to lay the foundation to enhance the city’s inclusionary efforts and outreach to ethnic minorities.

According to Sam Gioia, one of the professors who led the capstone course, the city is evaluating the benefits of a task force focusing on immigrants and refugees in the city’s strategic planning. “We hope that our work will contribute to the formation of that task force and provide a charge or mandate for some places where work can begin,” he said. The final report is in the works and will be made available soon.

One of the topics brought up during the discussion was learning from the experience of other cities – particularly Seattle, our neighbor to the north – that have successfully addressed issues related to access and equality among immigrant and refugee communities. An op-ed piece that appeared in today’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer highlights the fact that while Seattle is now considered a politically liberal city – and one that is considered welcoming to ethnic minorities – Seattle has seen the dark side of racism and prejudice in her not-so-distant past.

Until the late 1960s, Seattle north of the ship canal was a "sundown" zone. That meant that virtually no people of color lived there and it also meant that African Americans were expected to be out of the area when the workday ended. After dark, a black man in particular was likely to be stopped by the police, questioned about his business and informed that he had better not be seen in the neighborhood again.

… writes James N. Gregory, a University of Washington history professor, in his commentary on “Remembering Seattle’s segregated history.” He is the director of the Seattle Civil Rights and Labor History Project, a multimedia educational Web site that examines the history of Civil Rights activism in the greater Seattle area. The oral histories collected cover a wide cross-section of ethnic communities.

Definitely worth a look.

Khmer Heritage Celebration

2006-12-08T07:30:00.000-08:00

The Cambodian-American Community of Oregon is hosting the kickoff event to a month-long celebration of Khmer Heritage from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 9. The event will feature a film screening of "A Road to Closure: Understanding the Khmer Rouge Tribunal," a documentary directed by Tiara Delgado.

Board chairman Chanly Bob very kindly designed an ad for Oregon Minority Business that will be included in the program brochure for the event. Among his other talents, Chanly also has a gift for visual design. He designs and manages content for the CACO website.

Cultural Understanding Through Art

2006-11-26T18:12:00.000-08:00

An uncharacteristically gorgeous and sunny November Saturday took us on a road trip to Newport, Oregon. We had a wonderful opportunity to visit with Lisa Brown, founder of All Native Creations, an artist co-op comprised primarily of Native American tribal members and descendants.

Lisa, a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, has years of experience in providing services "to assist tribal members to eliminate barriers, create plans for financial sufficiency, and to share info regarding concepts to assure emotional, physical and spiritual wellness." Through All Native Creations, Lisa leads the artist co-op and educates patrons though art and cultural workshops. Humility ranks high among all virtues, and Lisa credits the generosity of numerous elders and spiritual teachings, for allowing her to share knowledge about balance and respect for the earth and others.

Being able to experience a busy Saturday afternoon at All Native Creations offered a remarkable insight into Lisa's operations. She expertly juggled addressing questions by patrons about featured works, taking time for an impromptu art instruction (pictured above), and tending to our interview. Lisa's success will be among those featured in the winter edition of OMB.

All Native Creations invites all to a holiday craft fair, to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9 at Chinook Winds Casino Resort Convention Center. Siletz tribal members and casino employees will display their creations. For more info, call Linda Wagner at 541-996-2323 or call 1-888-CHINOOK, ext. 2323.

On Writing

2006-11-24T23:15:00.000-08:00

I'm extremely grateful for the chance to learn and write about the successes and accomplishments of ethnic minorities who are making a difference in the business world. I'm humbled and inspired by the energy and the momentum that business people of color are bringing about in Oregon and beyond. To everyone who has taken time away from their hectic schedules for a profile interview, maraming, maraming salamat! I can't thank you enough for the chance to share your stories through OMB.

Many who are familiar with my work through OMB may also know that I also do some freelance writing for The Asian Reporter newspaper, the largest English-language weekly publication in the Pacific Northwest dedicated to Asian Pacific Americans. Since making the transition to marketing communications and public relations, I have missed certain elements of covering events, reporting, shooting photos, etc. It's great to have a chance to write about issues and events of interest to our diverse Asian communities. I'm grateful for the opportunity to rekindle my interest in community news reporting through AR.

I'm especially honored to share the AR pages with respected journalists such as Ronault L.S. Catalani (Polo), who writes the "Talking Story in Asian America" column for AR. Polo, a lawyer by profession, is a legend in his own right: he is well-known for his work in providing and sustaining culturally appropriate legal services for various ethnic communities. I'm eager to find out more about his efforts for a future OMB profile. In the meantime, I encourage all to read about Polo's life work here.

Some of the articles that I've recently written for the AR are linked below:

Exhibit offers children a peek into Japanese life, culture (Nov. 21)

Local artist explores changing landscapes of existence (Oct. 31)

Oregonians visit New York to commemorate Flight For Freedom anniversary (Oct. 24)

Festival streets bring ‘new energy’ to Old Town neighborhood (Oct. 10)

IRCO Job Skills Center helps youth, adults become self-sufficient (Oct. 3)

Sidebar: I've always wanted to be a writer, and my training as a writer is firmly rooted in journalism. Throughout my high school years in Manila, I competed in interscholastic journalism competitions in English. I won a national competition in feature writing, the same national recognition received by famed exiled journalist Ninotchka Rosca. My high school published two school newspapers: one in English and another in Tagalog. I became editor-in-chief of my high school paper. I worked as a reporter for a community weekly newspaper in Houston while attending college, and I've learned a great deal from the experience.

Fast-forward to 2006. I'm no hardcore journalist, but I still write for a living. I develop communications materials for a health care company, and grateful for the opportunity to write about small business, entrepreneurship and civic issues. Telling stories about the intersections of business, passion and life -- among families and communities -- that's the gist of what I do.

Visit to Eugene

2006-11-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with Peter Leung, a businessman and civic leader based in Eugene, Oregon. Mr. Leung had the distinction of becoming the first Chinese-American to serve as the president of a local chapter (Corvallis) of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He currently serves as vice president of the Eugene chapter of the NAACP, and remains committed to lending a voice for peoples of color. Previously, he was appointed as the chair of the Oregon Commission on Asian Affairs. In his role, he developed close working relationships with both the local Latino and African-American communities. I'm happy to learn about his work and vision for moving the NAACP chapter forward.

While in Eugene, I also took the opportunity to view the University of Oregon Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Fine Art exhibit A Way With Words: The Calligraphic Art of Jung Do-jun. In Korea and other parts of Asia, calligraphy was traditionally regarded among the highest of the visual arts. This is the first exhibition of Jung Do-jun's work in the United States. The artist has exhibited widely in Korea, and has had the honor of being selected to execute large memorial tablets and inscriptions at several imperial palaces in Seoul.

I'm impressed to learn that the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Fine Art is steadily increasing its collection of Asian art, featuring Korean, Chinese and Japanese art and artifacts. According to John Vollmer, textile scholar and former curator at the Royal Ontario Museum, the museum houses "one of the most significant public collections of Chinese costumes in North America." Its Japanese holdings include woodblock prints, early Imari and Kutani ware ceramics, and lacquer ware. The museum's growing collection of Korean art features traditional costumes and accessories, ceramics, paintings, and bronzes.

Ongoing Discussion

2006-11-15T17:09:00.000-08:00

Anti-immigration sentiment has spurred heated debate across the country about policies that will impact the economics of race for generations to come.

In the workshop "Public Policy Struggle Around Immigration: Impact on Nonprofits,” two leading advocates for immigrant refugee and laborer rights weighed in on the issues and offered advice for activists and community leaders about how to “change the immigration conversation.” The event was hosted by the Diversity Leaders Network of the Technical Assistance for Community Services, which provides training and consultation for nonprofit organizations.

Kayse Jama, founder of Center of Intercultural Organizing, captured the essence of the immigration debate when he said that the United States cannot have a conversation about immigration without tackling the issue of race. During the last century, U.S. policies on immigration have been characterized by “exceptionalism” – designed to exclude and limit the arrival of immigrants from certain nations and parts of the world.

Cases in point (derived from Jama’s presentation):

1882-1943: The Chinese Exclusion Act excluded all Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States for 10 years.

1924: Quota Act establishes a “national origins quota system”that favors immigration from Europe.

1942: Internment of 112,000 Japanese-Americans, most of whom are U.S. citizens

1943: Bracero Program brings in more than 5 million temporary workers from Mexico to fill in shortages during WWII.

1954: Operation Wetback targets the Mexican-American community in search of illegal immigrants and deports nearly 3.8 million people to Mexico.

Enlace founder Peter Cervantes-Gautschi provided a historical context of current immigrant labor issues. He linked the 1994 Mexican economy bailout plan engineered by the large investment banks and politicians to the rise in undocumented workers over the last decade. Soaring interest rates in Mexico caused the collapse of many industries.

During the Q&A session, I asked the speakers about the potential impact of anti-immigrant sentiment on the bottom line of nonprofits. Are funders and donors less willing to give to nonprofits as a result? I’ll write more about best learnings and takeaways from the workshop in the winter edition of OMB.

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center Opens New Clinics

2006-11-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday’s Oregonian published my photo of Alberto Garcia, father of Virginia Garcia, namesake for clinics that provide high quality, comprehensive and culturally appropriate primary health care for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and others with barriers to receiving health care.

Mr. Garcia, 83, visited Oregon for the first time in almost 30 years to celebrate the opening of the latest clinic in Hillsboro. He is pictured with her daughter Alma, who accompanied Mr. Garcia on the trip. Both live in Mission, Texas.

In 1975, 6-year-old Virginia Garcia died of complications from a minor foot wound. There was a lack of cultural and language appropriate medical services that resulted in her death. The Hispanic and medical communities came together after the incident to enable access to health care among underserved people in the community. In July 1975, Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center -- then situated in a converted three-car garage – opened its doors to the public.

In 2006, the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center is proud to open new clinics in Hillsboro and McMinnville. In more than 30 years’ of operation, the focus of the center has remained the same: to provide quality health care to the medically, with an emphasis on migrant and seasonal farmworkers.

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, VGMHC will celebrate the opening of its newest clinic at 115 NE May Lane in McMinnville. The public is invited for a clinic open house at 4 to 5:30 p.m.; snacks and refreshments will be provided.

on photography

2006-10-25T22:59:00.000-07:00

The latest edition of PhotoMedia magazine is now available. I'm happy to be involved in writing a book review/profile of a retrospective volume celebrating the legacy of the late Galen Rowell.

Working on this piece was a wonderful experience to talk with photographers, colleagues and collaborators who admire Rowell's work. It was also refreshing have the opportunity to write for a different audience, expectations and purpose. I'm a lifelong student of photography, and I'm fortunate to have the oppportunity to write about photographers, their work and their passion for the art.

This summer, I also had the opportunity to work on a project involving the renowned photographer Bruce Davidson. Among Mr. Davidson's best work focused on the civil rights movement. He also is well-known for striking and unforgettable imagery of personalities in East Harlem, New York subways, Central Park, among many other venues.

Right: Photos from Bruce Davidson's "Time of Change: Civil Rights Photography 1961-1965."

In Oregon, the project he was working involved capturing the stories and images of children, adults and families who are on the Oregon Health Plan. I was one of two photographers who went out and took casting shots of possible subjects for the final shoots. It was a truly eye-opening experience to meet lovely folks of various social circumstances. The stories we discovered are truly inspiring -- rich with hope, vitality, will and determination.

Sidenote: My interest in photography started more than 10 years ago, when I first took a darkroom course. I was studying to become a journalist, and had the incredible opportunity to work as a reporter for a weekly newspaper in Houston. Editor Mark Jones encouraged me to hone my photography skills, and I've been hooked ever since. My style is closer to those of budding photojournalists, and I prefer spur-of-the-moment, capture-it-as-it-happens shots. I'm happy to be able to do photography for OMB articles, when the opportunity presents itself.

Knowledge sharing

2006-10-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

Clark College welcomed participants at the first Northwest Minority and Women Business Excellence Conference, held in Vancouver, Wash. this weekend. Keynote speakers included notable entrepreneurs Tina Kuna, founder of the successful franchise Dream Dinners, and Enrique Washington, co-founding partner of Generator Group LLC.

The event was a huge success, thanks to the organizational prowess of Shareefah Abdullah, founder and president of Hot Ovations Communications. Among the workshop presenters who shared industry know-how included Michele Larsen, publisher of the NW Women's Journal; Greg Wolley, City of Portland Bureau of Purchases; Izad Khormaee, e1 Solutions; Joseph Pugh, TriQuint Semiconductor Inc.

Enrique Washington, on the podium, delivered one of the keynote speeches. Also onstage were Shareefah Abdullah and Tina Kuna, founder of Dream Dinners.

Networking events

2006-09-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Now that I no longer have to attend class and do homework most evenings, I have more opportunities to have somewhat of a “social life” and attend networking events with professionals around town. Since 2003, I’ve been taking classes toward my MBA degree at the University of Portland AND working full-time -- I graduated last May. Many of my former classmates were in the same boat: expertly juggling many responsibilities in pursuit of a grad degree in business. A lot of very smart, driven, hard working folks have come through the program.

Yesterday evening, I attended the NEW Leadership Oregon open house, hosted at Gard & Gerber. The program provides residential leadership training for college age women enrolled in higher education institutions across Oregon. I had the pleasure of meeting with PSU political science professor Melody Rose, PhD, who serves as executive director. I shared with her my interest in profiling minority alumnae of the program.

Same evening, different venue: ORIENTED.COM organizers hosted their monthly networking happy hour at Kinta restaurant in SE Belmont. The event was held at a great location serving fresh and healthy food. The best part is meeting new folks and catching up with some of my favorite people. Lillian Tsai and Gloria Jung (pictured) are co-founders of the local chapter of the global networking organization. On the last Thursday of every month, happy hour networking events are held “simultaneously” in chapter cities across the world.

I launched the fall edition of OMB this week, and have received some leads on possible folks to feature in the winter edition. Also completed the October 2006 newsletter for the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon. I look forward to begin work on the next issue, which should be out in a few weeks.

Health Care Trends

2006-09-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

I attended a luncheon event on “Trendspotting: Hot Topics in Advocacy and Consumer Involvement in Oregon,” hosted jointly by The Portland Metro Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and the Healthcare Communicators of Oregon. Speakers addressed trends in health care and proven approaches to successful advocacy efforts.

Kitty Powell, Providence Health System, discussed the rising popularity of consumer-directed health plans. There’s “a lot of waste” in the health care system, and too many people are getting health care they do not need, she says. This is one of the factors that has fueled the rise of health care costs. The rate of health care premium increases surpasses the rate of wage inflation. “The cost of health care is fast becoming a large chunk of a person’s wage,” she says.

Employers are less willing to shoulder the cost of providing health insurance for their workers. Only 58% of small businesses (those employing fewer than 50 employees) provide health coverage. That leaves many individuals and families without employer-sponsored health insurance.

Powell discussed how health savings accounts are providing a way for individuals to get coverage, while also taking charge of how they spend health care dollars. The approach is intended to give individuals the power to make decisions about their health care. Theoretically, HAS’s would discourage folks from misusing health care resources.

Tabitha Ingoll, Executive Director of the Tobacco-Free Coalition of Oregon, provided an overview of past and current initiatives for the group. Partnering with private businesses, the group is gaining ground on its "Make it Your Business" campaign. The campaign is urging employers to provide tobacco cessation programs as covered benefits and provide incentives for workers to quit.

Ingoll talked about how “free” media coverage has helped raise awareness of the health consequences of smoking, chewing tobacco and second-hand smoke among youth. Legislators also are a primary target for TOFCO messaging.

Thomas Aschenbrener, president of the Northwest Health Foundation discussed the organization’s work in supporting grassroots efforts aimed at improving access to health care. The foundation, now in its ninth year, also provides advocacy support and training for groups that want their issues addressed. The late Sen. Mark O. Hatfield, one of the founding members of the board, emphasized the purpose of the organization: “We are in business for the underserved population of this state.”

The foundation’s guiding principles promote health care access, focus on health policy and community-based collaborative research. A separate arm of the foundation provides funding for projects that champion health education and evidence-based programs and practices. The foundation also provides technical assistance and advice to nonprofits. He emphasized the importance of collaboration among groups with complimentary goals.

Looming launch

2006-09-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

Busy, busy plugging away at launching the sophomore edition of OMB, scheduled to be posted late this week. Connecting with business folks in the area through the magazine has been a truly rewarding experience. There’s a vibrant and dynamic entrepreneurial community in Oregon, and ethnic minorities are playing an important in pushing the economy forward.

I recently took on the role as newsletter editor for the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon. I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute to the work of this fine organization, which is considered one of the leading business diversity leaders in the region. I’m humbled by the accomplishments of the PACCO leadership, particularly Jaime Lim, Simeon Mamaril and Dory Osilla Lim. Jet Pizarro has taken on the gargantuan task of organizing the second trade mission to the Philippines in 2007.

Last Saturday, the Asian Reporter staff had the wonderful honor to try out dragon boating, many thanks to the Wasabi Paddling Club. I’m happy to freelance for the AR, a well-respected newsweekly with a wide distribution across the Pacific Northwest. This summer, I wrote an article about Wasabi for the AR, and club organizers graciously offered an opportunity for the AR staff to experience dragonboating firsthand. The Willamette River runs through Portland, and water sports are a popular pastime for many native and transplanted Oregonians. The Wasabi Paddling Club is among the best competitive teams in the country and around the world.

Resource for Minority Business Owners in the Northwest

2006-09-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first post!

I’m the editor of Oregon Minority Business, a new online magazine targeting minority business leaders and entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon Minority Business seeks to highlight the accomplishments and success stories of minority entrepreneurs, professionals and business leaders. The inaugural edition is now available at www.oregonminoritybusiness.com.

The fall edition of OMB will include entrepreneur profiles, event wrap-ups, resources, and more. In addition, a new book review section for the quarterly online magazine will highlight business and management titles for my diverse readership.

Oregon Minority Business readers are seasoned professionals and entrepreneurs – many of whom are interested in dismantling the status quo, both in their industries and the communities they serve. Through this blog, I intend to post updates, musings, observations and announcements about activities and developments related to diversity, minority-owned business and entrepreneurial firms in the Pacific Northwest.