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We continue to pay tribute to national Immigrant Heritage Month and today we are excited to share the story of two community leaders Hoa Nguyen and Dmitriy Sashchenko.
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Hoa Nguyen is a second-generation Vietnamese American and recently won her campaign for David Douglas School Board Position 3 at Large.
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In 1975, following the end of the Vietnam War, Nguyen's family fled their country and settled in the United States, joining a growing Vietnamese population in New Orleans.
As the "chi hai", or oldest sibling, she took on a great deal of family responsibility. She helped her parents with running their neighborhood food mart and her siblings with their schoolwork. When Nguyen turned 15 years old, she was given the opportunity to move to Portland to attend St. Mary’s Academy on scholarship. Decades later, Nguyen continues to call Portland home.
Nguyen's experience as a child of refugee parents informs her current work as a school attendance coach at Portland Public Schools. She works with families and students that are struggling with chronic absenteeism. “Thirty years later, I have observed that not much has shifted and the same challenges still exist today for immigrant and refugee communities with cultural and language barriers," said Nguyen. "I believe the education system was not built to include diverse communities and it feels like we are always are trying to fit a circle into a square hole.”
Her work as a school attendance coach inspired Nguyen to run for David Douglas School District 40, Director, Position 3. As one of the most diverse school districts in Multnomah County, she observed that the school district was lacking Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders. “I’m familiar with the challenges in school, as my parents were busy working and I had to navigate the education system for me and my siblings at a very young age,” said Nguyen.
In her new role, she wants to share her lived experiences as a daughter of refugee parents, while offering her professional experience working with diverse communities.
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Dmitriy Sashchenko recently ran for the Portland Community College (PCC), Director, Zone 4.
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Sashchenko grew up in a large immigrant family, and always placed a high value on education. He is the executive director and co-founder of Slavic Vote, a nonprofit working to increase the Slavic community’s participation in government, primarily through voter registration and education in Washington, Oregon, and California. Slavic Vote also works toward activating and supporting members of the Slavic community to run for public office.
Sashchenko was inspired to run for PCC, Director, Zone 4 because he believes community colleges are an affordable option for local students wishing to further their education and develop professional skills. He also knows that many immigrant and first-generation students are marginalized by the college application process or lack experience navigating the complex financial assistance system.
“I want to serve our community and hopefully inspire others to also [become community leaders],” said Sashchenko. “Often times we think that getting involved in the local election process is for professionals, but I learned that the best representatives of our communities are the people who have been impacted by those decisions firsthand.”
He added, “I strongly believe everyone who is interested in running for public office should give it a try. At the very least, it will give people an insight and appreciation for our democratic process and even more gratitude for our communities, compared to the country we came from.”
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How Can Portlanders Support Immigrant & Refugee Communities?
Both leaders recognize we need to do better in providing immigrants and refugees safe spaces. They also shared that it is important for immigrant and refugees hold public office. Having a diversity of leaders allows Portlanders to better understand the needs, perspectives, and lived experiences of all Portlanders.
To learn more about Civic Life's Immigrant and Refugee Program here. You can also find immigrant and refugees resources here
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Image of Creative Laureate of Portland Subashini Ganesan-Forbes performing. Ganesan-Forbes is working with the city on the grant opportunity "Community Safety and Healing through Art". Photo courtesy of Portland Art Museum.
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New Grant Opportunity!
This past year has been tough. Collectively we have experienced a global pandemic, economic hardships, a rise in gun violence, and a movement demanding racial justice. Many communities are still grieving and need time, resources, and space to heal. One way to heal is through building community connections but it is challenging for some community members to gather safely because of how they are seen and treated in public spaces. This barrier ultimately prevents the much-needed grief and healing rituals from occurring, which can extend trauma and suffering.
The "Community Safety and Healing through Art" grant opportunity provides funds for art-inspired projects that allow neighbors to address grief and/or healing so that Portlanders can feel connected and safe. The deadline to apply for this grant opportunity is Friday, July 2, by 5 p.m. You can find out more and learn how to apply here.
We are also seeking 3 community members who live in the City of Portland to evaluate all qualified "Community Safety and Healing through Art" grant applications according to selection criteria. Each grant selection panelist will receive a $500 stipend. The application is due by Thursday, June 24 and can be found here.
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Cannabis Supervisor Dasheeda Dawson, recently spoke with High Times about the uptick in cannabis business armed burglaries. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding cannabis businesses means that the community does not rally around them the same way they would for a mom and pop shop that had been burglarized.
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Regulating and Destigmatizing the Cannabis Industry
Dasheeda Dawson was in the middle of a tour to promote “How to Succeed in the Cannabis Industry,” a book she co-authored, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused the US to shut down. Not long after that (in May 2020) she became the supervisor of Civic Life’s Cannabis Program. In a recent interview with High Times, a news organization focusing on cannabis, Dawson spoke about the challenges of regulating and destigmatizing cannabis during a pandemic and a massive social justice movement.
The City of Portland and the state of Oregon have a complicated history with both cannabis prohibition and racial discrimination. Since the legalization of cannabis, a portion of the City’s tax on cannabis revenue has been used as funding for the Portland Police Bureau. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the resulting protests for justice, the Cannabis Policy Oversight Team repeated its recommendation to divest these funds from the PPB and instead invest them in the communities that have been disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition and the war of drugs through programs like the Cannabis Program’s Social Equity & Educational Development (SEED) Initiatives.
The push to divest from police is complicated by the fact that break-ins at cannabis retailers rose during the pandemic. Cannabis retailers have more cash on their premises than many other businesses due to federal regulations making banking difficult for them and the stigma surrounding cannabis that causes many banks to refuse to do business with retailers, even though it is legal. These difficulties force many businesses to accept payments in cash only, making them targets for theft.
Dasheeda Dawson believes part of the solution lies in upstream community safety efforts and support for local businesses. But the stigma surrounding cannabis businesses means that the community does not rally around them the same way they would for a mom and pop shop that had been burglarized. Without community support, many cannabis businesses must rely on the police to deal with these challenges.
“[Due to worry about increased crime] most neighborhoods are still very fearful of having that cannabis retailer or operator in their community,” Dawson explained.
Despite the difficulties during her first year in the job, Dawson and the Cannabis Program team continue to push for equitable cannabis regulation and changing the way we view cannabis retailers and consumers to make our communities safe for all Portlanders. Read the full interview here.
Learn more about Civic Life’s Cannabis Program here!
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A Black Lives Matter and Pride Flag hang from an apartment window in Portland. These displays are one of the many ways community can show support for one another.
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Celebrating Communities
Join the Community Safety team on Wednesday, June 30 from 2 to 3 p.m. for a free and virtual presentation on "celebrating communities." This presentation will discuss how neighborhoods can connect by organizing resource fairs, hosting block parties, or collaborating with the Community Safety team to create a Neighbors Together training. The presentation will also explore resources to cope with the social isolation we have all experienced over the past last year.
You can register for the Wednesday, June 30, 2 pm training here.
You can also take advantage of the many community safety trainings by requesting a no-cost Community Safety training for your community or business. And as you’re planning your summer activities, make sure to take advantage of PBOT’s Summer Parkways lineup of virtual and outdoor events.
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Smiling members of Real Change Initiative pose in front of the entrance of Council Chambers at Portland City Hall.
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Disability Equity & Engagement Study
On May 17, Real Choice Initiative, a Portland-based nonprofit run by and for people with disabilities, launched the Disability Equity and Engagement Study. The study is a collaboration between Real Choice Initiative and the Center for Public Service at Portland State University. The results of the study will help the City of Portland understand barriers to civic engagement for people with disabilities and severe health concerns.
The survey has had impressive engagement but is still seeking more people to participate! If you or someone you know is part of the disability community or a person with severe health concerns, please consider taking the survey. It is currently live in five languages, and data collectors are available to support you if you need help completing it. Please call (503) 877-5418 for assistance or access the survey online here. The survey ends on Friday, July 2.
Following the data collection period, Real Choice Initiative will host a town hall event to present the preliminary data to people who took the survey and will conduct a community-inclusive data analysis process to draw conclusions. The town hall is anticipated to be held in mid-July.
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The East Portland Community Office is moving to a new space. While the office looks for their new location, its staff will continue to work remotely.
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EPCO is Moving!
East Portland Community Office (EPCO) is one of seven geographically based community hubs supported by Civic Life. EPCO aids independent and volunteer-lead neighborhoods and community groups in East Portland focused on community-building, civic engagement, and advocacy efforts.
EPCO is moving out of their current location in Hazelwood Hydropark. While they look for a new facility and office space, they will continue to work remotely, offering support and connecting East Portlanders to funding and other opportunities. If you have any questions, please email Josee.Kangabe@portlandoregon.gov.
Civic Life is committed to EPCO and the great work of East Portlanders. We will continue to keep you updated when they find their new physical space.
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Image shows the impressive work of the local group Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX. This group collaborates with the houseless community to keep North Portland clean. If you too are interested in helping to keep Portland clean you can roll up your sleeves and join SOLVE on June 25 and June 26, for its annual Pick Up, Portland! event.
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City-Wide Cleanup Effort
In April we featured a story about the group, Neighbors Helping Neighbors PDX, and the tremendous work they are doing to help clean up North Portland. If you are passionate about collaborating with community to help keep our city clean then please join SOLVE on Friday June 25 and Saturday June 26 for their fifth annual Pick It Up, Portland! This citywide cleanup event is hosted in partnership with Pacific Power, the City of Portland, and other organizations and is a great opportunity for Portlanders to roll up their sleeves and help clean up our wonderful city.
You can learn more and sign up to volunteer here.
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