Asian Reporter (Portland, OR) 
February 6, 2007 

GREAT EXPECTATIONS
Columnist Maileen Hamto writes about Portland's new immigrant and refugee task force.


Efforts made by some of Oregon's Republican lawmakers to push English-only legislation are disheartening, but not surprising. Mandating English as the official state language of Oregon veils their probable motivation with false Americanism. It is yet another way to fuel the xenophobic anti-immigration movement peopled by so-called "nativists," whose primary motive is to legislate racism.

I'm a bilingual, naturalized American citizen. I speak and read English fluently. The English-only initiative is worrisome to me because of what's written between the lines: "In this state, if you speak any language other than English, you're a second-class citizen."

It's a good thing brown folks have enlightened friends in our Portland city hall. By establishing the city's first-ever Immigrant and Refugee Task Force, the city takes an important first step in creating a more inclusive civic environment for new Portlanders.

The work of Bridgetown Voices and the Center for Intercultural Organizing laid the foundation for the creation of the task force, which seeks to "identify barriers to access and inclusion and recommend solutions to address them." It's encouraging to know that we live among progressive-minded folks who understand the value of acknowledging the increasing diversity of the city's neighborhoods. The task force will provide a vehicle for community leaders to articulate concerns about access to resources, and there is much that the city government can learn from it.

Foreign-born Asians represent 35 percent of Portland's immigrant population, while Latinos represent 36 percent. Twenty percent of Portland's immigrants are of European descent, while Africans represent two percent. In addition to Spanish and Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese are among foreign languages most widely spoken in Portland.

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.

Refugees and immigrants have always lived along the margins of mainstream society. As a former new immigrant, I understand the challenges of assimilating into a new society and lifestyle. As immigrants, we expect a certain degree of "otherness" that comes with being new arrivals. Few of us harbor romanticized notions of Lady Liberty welcoming the "poor and tired … huddled masses" with open arms. From the get-go, we understand that life in America isn't going to be easy. We're grateful for educational and economic opportunities for our families, and we're prepared and willing to work hard.

But to be successful, it is important that immigrants and refugees have the same access to resources, knowledge, and information, essentially the same freedoms and the same rights as everyone else.

Therein lies the most important work of the task force: to serve an advocacy role for the diverse communities that call Portland home, and bring actionable solutions to the table. The foremost challenge and charge of the task force is to get everyone to share their knowledge and cross-pollinate ideas about how the city can work more effectively across different communities, while ensuring that every group has adequate representation in the process.

Portland State University students worked alongside Bridgetown Voices to compile a report on top issues facing Portland's immigrants and refugees. Students reviewed responses to surveys collected through focus groups, public forums, and other community dialogues, and also conducted interviews with community leaders.

Different communities share similar concerns: access to education and health care, community and civic integration, reform of immigrant and refugee laws, and a non-biased police force. Addressing the latter, Asians who participated in the study expressed concern that young Asian Americans are being "unfairly profiled as potential gang members." Both Arab and Asian respondents expressed concern that students do not have adequate opportunities to explore their respective cultures.

Portland's Asian, African, Arab, and Slavic/Russian communities share the same frustration over immigration laws that make it difficult to bring husbands, wives, children, and other family members to the United States. It's unlikely that the City of Portland task force can impact immigration laws, but this concern underscores the fact that refugee and immigrant families in Portland maintain close ties to the old country, while making a serious effort to firmly establish roots here in the States.

Discussing the issue of civic engagement, Asian respondents envision a Portland where Asian and Pacific Islander communities "no longer feel marginalized" and are "full and active participants" in city affairs. Arabs and Muslims expressed a desire to become more visible in civic and community affairs.

By lending a voice to Portlanders who do not have the means to speak out, the task force will serve the city well. Beyond advocating for marginalized populations, it's my hope that their work would also serve to empower, encourage, and enable various communities to more actively participate in the workings of city government. Who knows? Immigrants and refugees may eventually play a larger and more visible role in influencing the decision-making processes that impact everyday life for all residents of Portland, not just those who speak (only and/or primarily) English.