Bus Tour Newsletter #20 – May 2022

May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, designated to honor and pay tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islander people who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. This month’s newsletter highlights the histories and contributions of the different communities and myriad cultural experiences of Asian and Pacific Islander populations in Oregon. 

There is a long and interwoven history of Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people in Oregon and many organizations focused on preserving the cultures and telling the stories of these communities here. The Japanese American Museum of Oregon (JAMO) in Portland, recently re-named and relocated to the Naito Center, is one such organization. In recent news, the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded $25,000 to JAMO and the Architectural Heritage Center to help fund a collaborative project chronicling the history of Japanese Americans in Portland during the 20th century.

However, the U.S. has not always honored AAPI cultures, and for a while, the state of Oregon tried to exclude members of AAPI communities from settling here altogether. The 1850 Donation Land Act specifically forbade Chinese and Pacific Islander people, along with other nonwhite residents, from owning land in Oregon. Since then, there has been a long history of discrimination against Chinese Americans in Oregon.

The exclusion of Pacific Islander people became apparent during the 19th Century when they played a prominent role in the Oregon fur industry. White American men in the fur industry felt threatened by Pacific Islander workers’ ties to the Hudson’s Bay Company, heart of the British fur trading business. Despite the exclusionary measures taken against Pacific Islander people in the past, there are several Pacific Islander organizations across Oregon today that specifically serve this population. The Compact of Free Association Alliance National Network is one that works to provide social and economic justice to COFA communities in the state of Oregon.

Modern AAPI Experiences and Influences in Oregon

Portland’s Jade District illustrates the cultural influences of different AAPI communities on the city today. One of Portland’s — and Oregon’s — most diverse neighborhoods, the Jade District is largely home to a population of immigrants and people of color who speak an array of languages. Known for its gastronomical offerings, its varied styles of restaurants and grocery stores reflect the cultural diversity of the Jade District’s communities.

In 2011, the City of Portland chose the Jade District as one of eight Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative districts. The program has since been adopted by the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO). According to its website, it is a place-based, community building and economic development program of APANO’s Communities United Fund focused on improving the ten-block radius surrounding Southeast 82nd Ave and Southeast Division Street.

Over the past few years, Asian Americans and Pacific Islander people have faced increased discrimination related to the COVID-19 pandemic based solely on their perceived identities. Members of these communities have experienced an increase in hate crimes and threats of violence, which studies show has negatively impacted the overall mental health of these populations.

In 2020, reports of hate crimes and bias incidents increased by 366% in Oregon, with 20% of the reports in April of that year coming from members of the AAPI populations. Based on statewide surveys proposed by Portland’s Asian Health and Service Center and APANO and conducted by the Oregon Values and Belief Center between 2021 and 2022, out of a population of approximately 74,400 Asian Oregonians, nearly 50 percent of respondents reported having a racial slur used against them or a family member.

Oftentimes, members of different Asian and Pacific Islander ethnic groups are seen as homogenous and interchangeable to people outside of these communities. However, each of these populations has an individual culture separate from other AAPI identities, with different languages, histories, struggles, strengths, and traditions unique to each one. 

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