After Fire
Brett Zimmerman on the impossible problems first responders are asked to solve.
We Contain Multitudes
Joon Ae Haworth-Kaufka on how BIPOC adoptees are rewriting the mainstream adoption narrative
Writing on the Wall
Enrique Bautista writes about graffiti, belonging, and finding new ways to leave a mark on the world.
That's Group Living
An excerpt from "Group Living and Other Recipes" by Lola Milholland
Pride Reading
Join Oregon Humanities and Incite: Queer Writers Read at Bishop & Wilde on Wednesday, June 26, from 7:00–9:00 p.m. for a celebration of queer and trans pride. This reading will feature writers Bobby Jo Valentine, Emily Moon, Zoe Gamell Brown, Aakash Kishore, Rowan Bay, and Jordan Marzka.
Mount Doom
Rowan Bay writes about feeling out of place as a gay teenager in a religious community
Life after Running
Astra Lincoln writes about the psychology of illness and injury among athletes.
Unwritten
Jessica Yen on the anxieties and frustrations of parenting in multiple languages.
Portrait of My Mother in Mint Green
She lived most of her life in the United States. Why didn’t she become a citizen?
Unapologetically Afghan American
Yalda Asmatey writes about straddling two worlds: Afghanistan, the country of her birth, and the United States.
Me, Myself, and Us: Evolving Identity Beyond Labels
As a multimedia artist, MOsley WOtta uses personal, lived experiences to drive his explorations into identity, place, race, and care. Through examples from his recent work, which incorporates musical, visual, and immersive performance with discussion and dialogue practices, WOtta will guide participants in exploring how identity labels both inform our relationship to our communities—and how it can transform them.
Telling Our Story
May Saechao writes about how the Iu Mien community connects to history and traditions across time and distance.
Building a Bridge for Mental Health
A youth-led organization is addressing mental health in AAPI communities and offering cross-generational care.
Conversation Project: Understanding Urban/Rural Divides
We live in a time of increasing polarization that often correlates to divides between urban and rural regions in our state. This polarization is so extreme that it often seems like the two sides may have completely different experiences of the world. Join facilitator Nick Nash in a conversation that asks, How does the urban/rural divide affect the ways we relate to each other as Oregonians? What is the urban/rural divide, and how do we understand it? How does this divide affect our day-to-day lives, our experiences of being governed, and of the COVID-19 pandemic? This conversation is a chance to reflect on the beliefs we have about our urban or rural neighbors with a focus on discovering and abandoning misbeliefs, investigating and learning about the real differences between the urban and the rural, and trying to find things that we all share as Oregonians.
Three Proposals, Two Weddings, and One Cow
Jordan Marzka writes about farming, flirting, and failure in farm simulator games.
Amplify Women
Have you noticed that we don’t hear enough women on the radio in Portland (or nearly anywhere)? For the last 5 years, XRAY has sought to shine a spotlight on these disparities and inequities in the voices we listen to and the perspectives whose media we consume. Since radio is an industry that continues to exclude women and those with intersecting experiences of marginalization, we hold an all-day radio teach-in each year on International Women’s Day.
Beyond Pigmentocracy
Chance White Eyes and Rachel L. Cushman write about how racism, representation, and internalized oppression affect their family
Dear Pepe Siesta
Javier Cervantes writes a letter to Pepe Siesta—an iconic image of a man napping under a sombrero—after a surprise encounter in Central Oregon.
The New Americans
Brian Liu on David Chang's Ugly Delicious, honesty, and what it means to be Asian American.
Fermenting My Asian American Identity
Jen Shin writes about how a summer in Vietnam helped her embrace her Korean heritage.
Navigating Systems: Code Switching & Imposter Syndrome
Join Portland Through a Latinx Lens to explore the concepts of code switching and imposter syndrome with hosts Amy Bader and Estefania Zavala. This program is supported by a Responsive Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.
Living Undocu/DACAmented
Join Portland Through a Latinx Lens for a night of history, storytelling, reflection, and action, learning more about the undocu/DACAmented community through the lens of a formerly undocu/DACAmented community member. This event, be hosted by Miguel Rodriguez, will follow the historical and contemporary implications of the DACA program by interweaving his own lived experience and context. This program is supported by a Responsive Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.
Heavy and Hiking
Being big and hiking has its challenges, not least the judgement and impatience of others. But Oregon’s trails were made for me too. An essay by Karina L. Agbisit
Consider This: Women in Business
Jackson County Library Services presents an hourlong panel discussion with local women business owners on how they have navigated challenges in order to find or create opportunity for success, followed by a thirty-minute Q&A. This event is sponsored by Oregon Humanities.
Cuentos del Rio (River Tales)
Program Coordinator Rozzell Medina will interview director Julie Schroell after this online screening presented by Portland EcoFilm Festival.
The Other Side of What We Know
Caitlyn May writes about searching for the identity lost when her mother was adopted by a white family in New York.
Reciprocity of Tradition
Photographer Joe Whittle explores how traditional practices of Native Americans of the Columbia Plateau strengthen communities and preserve connections to the land.
Organizing from the Outside
Jyothi Natarajan talks with Oregonians finding connection while protesting oppression in Kashmir from afar.
The Struggles That Unite Us
Eric K. Ward reflects on how the idea of the urban-rural divide only serves to separate us.
One Country Again
Astrid Melton reflects on her East German identity after the fall of the wall and reunification.
CANCELED - Conversation Project: Race and Adoption
The decision to adopt across racial or cultural lines is a lifelong commitment to exploring matters of race and identity, confronting racism in all its forms, and developing new skills and perspectives. In this conversation, facilitator Astrid Castro will ask participants to explore questions such as, What role do race and racism play in your family? What are the personal experiences that inform how you talk to adopted children in your life about where they are from? Where do you need to grow to be the best resource you can be for children who are adopted? While particularly of relevance to families directly in transracial adoptive families, this conversation will also raise questions of how we talk to children about important issues like race and identity, adoption, and cultural appropriation.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled to a later date.CANCELED - Conversation Project: Is Technology Outpacing Our Humanity?
Technology is often considered a cure-all to our modern challenges. It is, undeniably, a powerful tool in addressing our greatest endeavors. Whether it be automation, the iPhone, or gene editing, some say our technical capacities have outstripped our moral knowledge. Others believe they have provided us immense creativity in dealing with our biggest ethical questions. Are these mutually exclusive? Facilitator Manuel Padilla will lead this conversation to explore how technology shapes our moral reasoning and our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader (held in Spanish)
*This conversation will be held in Spanish. Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Join facilitator Pepe Moscoso for a conversation that explores an alternative view of leadership and asks, When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders? What do we have to offer that is needed? Participants will have the chance to ask these questions of themselves and to explore with their friends and neighbors what makes a great leader in their communities. The admission fee for this conversation is $5.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader (held in Spanish)
*This conversation will be held in Spanish. Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Join facilitator Pepe Moscoso for a conversation that explores an alternative view of leadership and asks, When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders? What do we have to offer that is needed? Participants will have the chance to ask these questions of themselves and to explore with their friends and neighbors what makes a great leader in their communities.
This conversation has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - Conversation Project: What Makes Oregon Hip Hop?
Hip hop is nothing if not adaptable. It is owned by everyone and no one. Its constant evolution has kept it at the forefront of both mainstream and underground cultural movements for decades. It has been adopted, co-opted, incorporated, stolen, appreciated, revered, feared, hated, and celebrated since its inception. If hip hop is everywhere, then where and how does it arise in Oregon? Join artist and educator Jason Graham to explore questions such as, Where is hip hop embraced in Oregon, where is it rejected? How is it received and perceived throughout the rural, urban, suburban communities in which we live? What effect has hip hop had on Oregon, and what impact has Oregon made on hip hop? This conversation may include some hands-on activities.
Indian Enough
Emma Hodges writes about how the "enduring colonialist notion" of blood quantum fails to encompass the complexity of Native identity.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Power dynamics influence who benefits from certain cultural experience, and—given the global nature of our world—parts of our individual and cultural identities are shaped by cultures other than our own. How do we make sense of this and what effect does it have on us as individuals and as Oregonians? Facilitator Surabhi Majahan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
How We Grow Old: Stories of Aging in Oregon and Beyond
What are the stories that shape how we think about growing old? How do we acknowledge the unique differences among aging individuals and separate the true stories from the myths? How do we accept the wisdom of our elders’ experiences while also recognizing new ideas about what it means to age in America? No matter our age, we all hear and tell stories about growing older that reflect our own ideals and fears—and the ideals and fears of our communities. Join facilitator Melissa Madenski as we look at the power of story in a conversation that will ask you to share your own experiences and ideas about aging and listen to the perspectives of others in your community.
Bias and Kids: How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children? - English
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Is Technology Outpacing Our Humanity?
Technology is often considered a cure-all to our modern challenges. It is, undeniably, a powerful tool in addressing our greatest endeavors. Whether it be automation, the iPhone, or gene editing, some say our technical capacities have outstripped our moral knowledge. Others believe they have provided us immense creativity in dealing with our biggest ethical questions. Are these mutually exclusive? Facilitator Manuel Padilla will lead this conversation to explore how technology shapes our moral reasoning and our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another.
CANCELED - Bias and Kids: How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children?
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - The Space Between Us: Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon
Global displacement is on the rise, thanks to intractable conflicts, economics, and climate change. Oregonians have and will continue to see the results of international migration in our neighborhoods. In this conversation, Manuel Padilla, who has worked with refugees in Haiti, Chad, and Washington, DC, asks participants to consider questions of uprootedness, hospitality, identity, perception, and integration and how we might build more informed, responsive, resilient, and vibrant communities.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities. Please RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/exploring-power-privilege-with-courage-creativity-and-compassion-registration-92806255007
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - Everyone Can Be a Leader: Exploring Nontraditional Community Leadership- English
Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Join facilitator Pepe Moscoso for a conversation that explores an alternative view of leadership and asks, When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders? What do we have to offer that is needed? Participants will have the chance to ask these questions of themselves and to explore with their friends and neighbors what makes a great leader in their communities.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - How We Grow Old: Stories of Aging in Oregon and Beyond
What are the stories that shape how we think about growing old? How do we acknowledge the unique differences among aging individuals and separate the true stories from the myths? How do we accept the wisdom of our elders’ experiences while also recognizing new ideas about what it means to age in America? No matter our age, we all hear and tell stories about growing older that reflect our own ideals and fears—and the ideals and fears of our communities. Join facilitator Melissa Madenski as we look at the power of story in a conversation that will ask you to share your own experiences and ideas about aging and listen to the perspectives of others in your community.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - How We Grow Old: Stories of Aging in Oregon and Beyond
What are the stories that shape how we think about growing old? How do we acknowledge the unique differences among aging individuals and separate the true stories from the myths? How do we accept the wisdom of our elders’ experiences while also recognizing new ideas about what it means to age in America? No matter our age, we all hear and tell stories about growing older that reflect our own ideals and fears—and the ideals and fears of our communities. Join facilitator Melissa Madenski as we look at the power of story in a conversation that will ask you to share your own experiences and ideas about aging and listen to the perspectives of others in your community.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.Bias and Kids: How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children? - English
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Is Technology Outpacing Our Humanity?
Technology is often considered a cure-all to our modern challenges. It is, undeniably, a powerful tool in addressing our greatest endeavors. Whether it be automation, the iPhone, or gene editing, some say our technical capacities have outstripped our moral knowledge. Others believe they have provided us immense creativity in dealing with our biggest ethical questions. Are these mutually exclusive? Facilitator Manuel Padilla will lead this conversation to explore how technology shapes our moral reasoning and our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another.
Bias and Kids: How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children? - English & Spanish
*This conversation will be offered in both English and Spanish. Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
The Space Between Us: Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon
Global displacement is on the rise, thanks to intractable conflicts, economics, and climate change. Oregonians have and will continue to see the results of international migration in our neighborhoods. In this conversation, Manuel Padilla, who has worked with refugees in Haiti, Chad, and Washington, DC, asks participants to consider questions of uprootedness, hospitality, identity, perception, and integration and how we might build more informed, responsive, resilient, and vibrant communities. Admission Fee: $5 donation suggested
Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities.
The Middle Class and Other Stories About Wealth, Status, and Power
Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation. What exactly, for example, is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention? When does talking about class turn into class warfare, or pandering, or simple confusion? To what extent can we talk about class without talking about race, ethnicity, and cultural background? Class is clearly related to wealth and money, but it also involves much more than that, from education to dress to the shows we watch, the words we use, and the clothes we wear. What are the measures and markers that help us recognize class, and to what extent is class useful for seeing our state, our neighbors, and ourselves?
CANCELED - How We Grow Old: Stories of Aging in Oregon and Beyond
What are the stories that shape how we think about growing old? How do we acknowledge the unique differences among aging individuals and separate the true stories from the myths? How do we accept the wisdom of our elders’ experiences while also recognizing new ideas about what it means to age in America? No matter our age, we all hear and tell stories about growing older that reflect our own ideals and fears—and the ideals and fears of our communities. Join facilitator Melissa Madenski as we look at the power of story in a conversation that will ask you to share your own experiences and ideas about aging and listen to the perspectives of others in your community.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
This conversation aims to bring people together to discuss the diverse experiences of belonging in Oregon. Challenging stereotypical visions of what it means to be an “Oregonian,” participants are asked to consider how being an Oregonian or part of the community looks different for all of us. Centered around participants’ unique identities, we will look inward and share how our race, gender and other identity markers shape our relationships to our community and the world around us. We will touch on Oregon’s founding racial exclusion laws, immigration trends and share how we can foster inclusion in our own lives.
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be A Leader (held in Spanish)
Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Join facilitator Pepe Moscoso for a conversation that explores an alternative view of leadership and asks, When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders? What do we have to offer that is needed? Participants will have the chance to ask these questions of themselves and to explore with their friends and neighbors what makes a great leader in their communities. *This conversation will be held in Spanish.
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging is a life-long experience that is both universal and different for everyone. While most of us agree that people of different generations have wisdom to offer those who are ahead of or behind them in life’s journey, barriers to connection often persist between generations. Many of these barriers are rooted in our ideas about age and aging. Where do these ideas come from, and how do they impede or encourage relationships across generational differences? Independent scholars Jenny Sasser and Simeon Dreyfuss lead an open discussion about how we experience aging in community. How do we acknowledge both the universality of aging and the differences we experience? How do we create meaningful connections with others of different ages and life stages?
OH Grant Event: Stories My Mother and Father Told Me: Diana Lo Mei Hing
Diana Lo Mei Hing shares stories about growing up in China on the eve of the Cultural Revolution and in Italy. She was born in Hong Kong and spent her childhood in Canton City, China in the years leading up to the Cultural Revolution. When she was eleven, the family fled to Milan, Italy where she received a fine arts education. She is a well known artist in Italy where she continues to exhibit. Since 2015, she and her American husband, a fine art photographer, have made their home in Portland. This event is part of the Portland Chinatown History Museum's ongoing series, Stories My Mother and Father Told Me, a series exploring the experiences of immigrants in Oregon featuring artists, writers, and community elders.
Canceled: Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Join facilitator Pepe Moscoso for a conversation that explores an alternative view of leadership and asks, When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders? What do we have to offer that is needed? Participants will have the chance to ask these questions of themselves and to explore with their friends and neighbors what makes a great leader in their communities.
CANCELED - Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Power dynamics influence who benefits from certain cultural experience, and—given the global nature of our world—parts of our individual and cultural identities are shaped by cultures other than our own. How do we make sense of this and what effect does it have on us as individuals and as Oregonians? Facilitator Surabhi Majahan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods. This conversation will take place in the program room.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - Conversation Project: What Are You?
The number of mixed-race people and interracial families in Oregon is growing. What are the challenges and benefits of growing up mixed-race, raising mixed-race children, or being an interracial couple in a state that’s historically been mostly white? How can we openly discuss our own ethnic and racial heritage with each other without being regarded as odd or unusual? How have the answers to “What are you?” changed through the decades? Dmae Roberts, who has written essays and produced film and radio documentaries about being a biracial Asian American in Oregon, leads a discussion of heritage that goes beyond checking one race on US Census forms. This conversation will take place at the PCC Rock Creek Event Center, Section A.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
This conversation aims to bring people together to discuss the diverse experiences of belonging in Oregon. Challenging stereotypical visions of what it means to be an “Oregonian,” participants are asked to consider how being an Oregonian or part of the community looks different for all of us. Centered around participant’s unique identities, we will look inward and share how our race, gender and other identity markers shape our relationships to our community and the world around us. We will touch on Oregon’s founding racial exclusion laws, immigration trends and share how we can foster inclusion in our own lives. This event will take place at the Multnomah Arts Center in room 30.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.CANCELED - Conversation Project: How We Grow Old
What are the stories that shape how we think about growing old? How do we acknowledge the unique differences among aging individuals and separate the true stories from the myths? How do we accept the wisdom of our elders’ experiences while also recognizing new ideas about what it means to age in America? No matter our age, we all hear and tell stories about growing older that reflect our own ideals and fears—and the ideals and fears of our communities. Join facilitator Melissa Madenski as we look at the power of story in a conversation that will ask you to share your own experiences and ideas about aging and listen to the perspectives of others in your community. The admission fee for this event is $5, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. This event will take place in the grange hall.
This event has been postponed and will be rescheduled.Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
The United States is a culturally diverse nation with residents who can trace their heritage to countries across the globe, and our diversity is projected to continue to increase over the next several decades. Given the differences of race, ethnicity, place, religion, wealth, language, education, and ideology that exist in the US, what are the things that unite us a nation? How do we understand what it means to be American and what we hold valuable? Join this conversation led by facilitator Ellen Knutson to share your ideas about what it means to be American and hear others’ ideas, to identify differences and points of connection that may lead us toward the ideal stated in our nation’s motto: E pluribus unum, out of many, one.
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities. This event will take place at the Multnomah Arts Center in room 30.
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities.
Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
The United States is a culturally diverse nation with residents who can trace their heritage to countries across the globe, and our diversity is projected to continue to increase over the next several decades. Given the differences of race, ethnicity, place, religion, wealth, language, education, and ideology that exist in the US, what are the things that unite us a nation? How do we understand what it means to be American and what we hold valuable? Join this conversation led by facilitator Ellen Knutson to share your ideas about what it means to be American and hear others’ ideas, to identify differences and points of connection that may lead us toward the ideal stated in our nation’s motto: E pluribus unum, out of many, one. This conversation will take place in the Boxer Pause Room in Washburne Hall in the University Center.
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities. This conversation will take place in the Sellwood Library Meeting Room.
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories About Wealth, Status, and Power
Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation. What exactly, for example, is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention? When does talking about class turn into class warfare, or pandering, or simple confusion? To what extent can we talk about class without talking about race, ethnicity, and cultural background? Class is clearly related to wealth and money, but it also involves much more than that, from education to dress to the shows we watch, the words we use, and the clothes we wear. What are the measures and markers that help us recognize class, and to what extent is class useful for seeing our state, our neighbors, and ourselves? This event will take place at PCC Rock Creek Event Center, Section A.
Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
The United States is a culturally diverse nation with residents who can trace their heritage to countries across the globe, and our diversity is projected to continue to increase over the next several decades. Given the differences of race, ethnicity, place, religion, wealth, language, education, and ideology that exist in the US, what are the things that unite us a nation? How do we understand what it means to be American and what we hold valuable? Join this conversation led by facilitator Ellen Knutson to share your ideas about what it means to be American and hear others’ ideas, to identify differences and points of connection that may lead us toward the ideal stated in our nation’s motto: E pluribus unum, out of many, one. This event will take place in Meeting Room A.
Conversation Project: What Are You?
The number of mixed-race people and interracial families in Oregon is growing. What are the challenges and benefits of growing up mixed-race, raising mixed-race children, or being an interracial couple in a state that’s historically been mostly white? How can we openly discuss our own ethnic and racial heritage with each other without being regarded as odd or unusual? How have the answers to “What are you?” changed through the decades? Dmae Roberts, who has written essays and produced film and radio documentaries about being a biracial Asian American in Oregon, leads a discussion of heritage that goes beyond checking one race on US Census forms. This event will take place in the Education Room.
Conversation Project: Recognizing the Diversity Among Us
Regardless of who we are or where we live, each of us lives among a diverse and vibrant collection of people and cultures. Reflecting on our differences can help us to see ourselves and “others” as part of our whole ecosystem. Awareness and appreciation of the ways that we are different from each other has all kinds of positive impact in our lives, creating in us a feeling of community and inspiring respect, empathy, and solidarity. Join facilitator Miguel Angel Herrada for a conversation that takes a new look at this idea and explores how a deep understanding of diversity can be an indispensable tool for making better choices about the world we share. This event will take place in the PCC Rock Creek Event Center, Building 9. Temporary parking permits are available at kiosks on campus.
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories About Wealth, Status, and Power
Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation. What exactly, for example, is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention? When does talking about class turn into class warfare, or pandering, or simple confusion? To what extent can we talk about class without talking about race, ethnicity, and cultural background? Class is clearly related to wealth and money, but it also involves much more than that, from education to dress to the shows we watch, the words we use, and the clothes we wear. What are the measures and markers that help us recognize class, and to what extent is class useful for seeing our state, our neighbors, and ourselves?
Conversation Project: What Makes Oregon Hip Hop?
Hip hop is nothing if not adaptable. It is owned by everyone and no one. Its constant evolution has kept it at the forefront of both mainstream and underground cultural movements for decades. It has been adopted, co-opted, incorporated, stolen, appreciated, revered, feared, hated, and celebrated since its inception. If hip hop is everywhere, then where and how does it arise in Oregon? Join artist and educator Jason Graham to explore questions such as, Where is hip hop embraced in Oregon, where is it rejected? How is it received and perceived throughout the rural, urban, suburban communities in which we live? What effect has hip hop had on Oregon, and what impact has Oregon made on hip hop? This conversation may include some hands-on activities.
Conversation Project: How We Grow Old
What are the stories that shape how we think about growing old? How do we acknowledge the unique differences among aging individuals and separate the true stories from the myths? How do we accept the wisdom of our elders’ experiences while also recognizing new ideas about what it means to age in America? No matter our age, we all hear and tell stories about growing older that reflect our own ideals and fears—and the ideals and fears of our communities. Join facilitator Melissa Madenski as we look at the power of story in a conversation that will ask you to share your own experiences and ideas about aging and listen to the perspectives of others in your community.
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Global displacement is on the rise, thanks to intractable conflicts, economics, and climate change. Oregonians have and will continue to see the results of international migration in our neighborhoods. In this conversation, Manuel Padilla, who has worked with refugees in Haiti, Chad, and Washington, DC, asks participants to consider questions of uprootedness, hospitality, identity, perception, and integration and how we might build more informed, responsive, resilient, and vibrant communities.
Across the Divide
Andie Madsen interviews three Oregonians who grew up in rural areas and moved to Portland about their relationships to their rural identities.
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
A majority of Americans now accept gay and lesbian relationships, but the queer population is made up of a diversity of communities and experiences. Are all queer people accepted, tolerated, and embraced everywhere? Where are we made to feel welcome? Where do we feel unwelcome and unsafe? How do race, language, gender identity, family structure, faith, where we work, and where we live shape how we are seen, welcomed, and accepted? Join facilitator Jill Winsor in a discussion that explores how the complexity of the queer community intersects with the spaces and communities that surround us.
Conversation Project: Race and Adoption
The decision to adopt across racial or cultural lines is a lifelong commitment to exploring matters of race and identity, confronting racism in all its forms, and developing new skills and perspectives. In this conversation, facilitator Astrid Castro will ask participants to explore questions such as, What role do race and racism play in your family? What are the personal experiences that inform how you talk to adopted children in your life about where they are from? Where do you need to grow to be the best resource you can be for children who are adopted? While particularly of relevance to families directly in transracial adoptive families, this conversation will also raise questions of how we talk to children about important issues like race and identity, adoption, and cultural appropriation.
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Global displacement is on the rise, thanks to intractable conflicts, economics, and climate change. Oregonians have and will continue to see the results of international migration in our neighborhoods. In this conversation, Manuel Padilla, who has worked with refugees in Haiti, Chad, and Washington, DC, asks participants to consider questions of uprootedness, hospitality, identity, perception, and integration and how we might build more informed, responsive, resilient, and vibrant communities. A $5 donation is suggested. No person will be turned away for lack of funds.
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories About Wealth, Status, and Power
Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation. What exactly, for example, is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention? When does talking about class turn into class warfare, or pandering, or simple confusion? To what extent can we talk about class without talking about race, ethnicity, and cultural background? Class is clearly related to wealth and money, but it also involves much more than that, from education to dress to the shows we watch, the words we use, and the clothes we wear. What are the measures and markers that help us recognize class, and to what extent is class useful for seeing our state, our neighbors, and ourselves?
Conversation Project: How We Grow Old
What are the stories that shape how we think about growing old? How do we acknowledge the unique differences among aging individuals and separate the true stories from the myths? How do we accept the wisdom of our elders’ experiences while also recognizing new ideas about what it means to age in America? No matter our age, we all hear and tell stories about growing older that reflect our own ideals and fears—and the ideals and fears of our communities. Join facilitator Melissa Madenski as we look at the power of story in a conversation that will ask you to share your own experiences and ideas about aging and listen to the perspectives of others in your community.
Conversation Project: Is Technology Outpacing Our Humanity?
Technology is often considered a cure-all to our modern challenges. It is, undeniably, a powerful tool in addressing our greatest endeavors. Whether it be automation, the iPhone, or gene editing, some say our technical capacities have outstripped our moral knowledge. Others believe they have provided us immense creativity in dealing with our biggest ethical questions. Are these mutually exclusive? Facilitator Manuel Padilla will lead this conversation to explore how technology shapes our moral reasoning and our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another.
Conversation Project: Is Technology Outpacing Our Humanity?
Technology is often considered a cure-all to our modern challenges. It is, undeniably, a powerful tool in addressing our greatest endeavors. Whether it be automation, the iPhone, or gene editing, some say our technical capacities have outstripped our moral knowledge. Others believe they have provided us immense creativity in dealing with our biggest ethical questions. Are these mutually exclusive? Facilitator Manuel Padilla will lead this conversation to explore how technology shapes our moral reasoning and our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another.
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Join facilitator Pepe Moscoso for a conversation that explores an alternative view of leadership and asks, When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders? What do we have to offer that is needed? Participants will have the chance to ask these questions of themselves and to explore with their friends and neighbors what makes a great leader in their communities.
Black Mark, Black Legend
Intisar Abioto explores the legacy of Black artists in Portland and the meaning of that history for current creators in the community, as part of Oregon Humanities' Emerging Journalists, Community Stories fellowship program.
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
A majority of Americans now accept gay and lesbian relationships, but the queer population is made up of a diversity of communities and experiences. Are all queer people accepted, tolerated, and embraced everywhere? Where are we made to feel welcome? Where do we feel unwelcome and unsafe? How do race, language, gender identity, family structure, faith, where we work, and where we live shape how we are seen, welcomed, and accepted? Join facilitator Jill Winsor in a discussion that explores how the complexity of the queer community intersects with the spaces and communities that surround us.
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
A majority of Americans now accept gay and lesbian relationships, but the queer population is made up of a diversity of communities and experiences. Are all queer people accepted, tolerated, and embraced everywhere? Where are we made to feel welcome? Where do we feel unwelcome and unsafe? How do race, language, gender identity, family structure, faith, where we work, and where we live shape how we are seen, welcomed, and accepted? Join facilitator Jill Winsor in a discussion that explores how the complexity of the queer community intersects with the spaces and communities that surround us.
Conversation Project: Is Technology Outpacing Our Humanity?
Technology is often considered a cure-all to our modern challenges. It is, undeniably, a powerful tool in addressing our greatest endeavors. Whether it be automation, the iPhone, or gene editing, some say our technical capacities have outstripped our moral knowledge. Others believe they have provided us immense creativity in dealing with our biggest ethical questions. Are these mutually exclusive? Facilitator Manuel Padilla will lead this conversation to explore how technology shapes our moral reasoning and our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another. This event will take place in the board room at Portland Public Schools' main office.
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Global displacement is on the rise, thanks to intractable conflicts, economics, and climate change. Oregonians have and will continue to see the results of international migration in our neighborhoods. In this conversation, Manuel Padilla, who has worked with refugees in Haiti, Chad, and Washington, DC, asks participants to consider questions of uprootedness, hospitality, identity, perception, and integration and how we might build more informed, responsive, resilient, and vibrant communities.
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Global displacement is on the rise, thanks to intractable conflicts, economics, and climate change. Oregonians have and will continue to see the results of international migration in our neighborhoods. In this conversation, Manuel Padilla, who has worked with refugees in Haiti, Chad, and Washington, DC, asks participants to consider questions of uprootedness, hospitality, identity, perception, and integration and how we might build more informed, responsive, resilient, and vibrant communities.
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Global displacement is on the rise, thanks to intractable conflicts, economics, and climate change. Oregonians have and will continue to see the results of international migration in our neighborhoods. In this conversation, Manuel Padilla, who has worked with refugees in Haiti, Chad, and Washington, DC, asks participants to consider questions of uprootedness, hospitality, identity, perception, and integration and how we might build more informed, responsive, resilient, and vibrant communities.
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities.
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities.
Conversation Project: Race and Adoption
The decision to adopt across racial or cultural lines is a lifelong commitment to exploring matters of race and identity, confronting racism in all its forms, and developing new skills and perspectives. In this conversation, facilitator Astrid Castro will ask participants to explore questions such as, What role do race and racism play in your family? What are the personal experiences that inform how you talk to adopted children in your life about where they are from? Where do you need to grow to be the best resource you can be for children who are adopted? While particularly of relevance to families directly in transracial adoptive families, this conversation will also raise questions of how we talk to children about important issues like race and identity, adoption, and cultural appropriation. This event will take place in the Community Room.
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
A majority of Americans now accept gay and lesbian relationships, but the queer population is made up of a diversity of communities and experiences. Are all queer people accepted, tolerated, and embraced everywhere? Where are we made to feel welcome? Where do we feel unwelcome and unsafe? How do race, language, gender identity, family structure, faith, where we work, and where we live shape how we are seen, welcomed, and accepted? Join facilitator Jill Winsor in a discussion that explores how the complexity of the queer community intersects with the spaces and communities that surround us. This event will take place in the Keeston Room.
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Popular understandings of leadership tell us that leaders look a certain way: they are in charge. They possess outward strength. They are extroverted and act pragmatically rather than emotionally. Perhaps most important, leaders are people in positions of authority and power. Join facilitator Pepe Moscoso for a conversation that explores an alternative view of leadership and asks, When are we leaders in our communities? How can our unique senses of self contribute to our roles as leaders? What do we have to offer that is needed? Participants will have the chance to ask these questions of themselves and to explore with their friends and neighbors what makes a great leader in their communities.
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Although Census data show Oregon’s population becoming more racially diverse, the state remains one of the whitest in the nation. Many Oregonians value racial diversity and the dimension and depth it adds to our lives, yet we remain largely isolated from one another and have yet to fulfill the vision of a racially integrated society. Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation about the challenges to creating racially diverse, inclusive communities despite the accomplishments since the civil rights era. What does the racial integration of place require of us, and how might we prepare to create and embrace this opportunity?
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Conversation Project: Listening to Young People
What does it look like when adults really listen to young people? Cultural beliefs about young people perpetuate myths that cause harm, especially when combined with laws that control their physical and emotional autonomy and limit their ability to participate in public life. Young people experiencing marginalization for any reason—race, gender, sexuality, ability—also have the added layer of not being taken seriously because of their age. And yet the history of social justice movements in the United States is deeply connected to young people’s agency, autonomy, and power. Join facilitator Emily Squires for a conversation that asks folks to explore their own beliefs about what it means to be young and to reflect on their individual relationship to power as it relates to age.
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities.
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
As individuals and groups, we experience different levels of privilege and power. Recognizing our relationship to oppression can bring feelings of guilt, shame, and grief. How can we hold space for these feelings while also creating conditions for new insights to emerge to deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves? Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities.
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Conversation Project: Race and Adoption
The decision to adopt across racial or cultural lines is a lifelong commitment to exploring matters of race and identity, confronting racism in all its forms, and developing new skills and perspectives. In this conversation, facilitator Astrid Castro will ask participants to explore questions such as, What role do race and racism play in your family? What are the personal experiences that inform how you talk to adopted children in your life about where they are from? Where do you need to grow to be the best resource you can be for children who are adopted? While particularly of relevance to families directly in transracial adoptive families, this conversation will also raise questions of how we talk to children about important issues like race and identity, adoption, and cultural appropriation.
Airlie Poetry Night
Airlie Press, a nonprofit publisher, is hosting a free, public, open poetry event at Devil's Den Wine Bar in the Alberta Arts District as part of the Association of Writers and Publishers (AWP) conference. This event is family-friendly, all-ages, and open to anyone interested in reading their work. The event will also featured notable local writers.
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Although Census data show Oregon’s population becoming more racially diverse, the state remains one of the whitest in the nation. Many Oregonians value racial diversity and the dimension and depth it adds to our lives, yet we remain largely isolated from one another and have yet to fulfill the vision of a racially integrated society. Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation about the challenges to creating racially diverse, inclusive communities despite the accomplishments since the civil rights era. What does the racial integration of place require of us, and how might we prepare to create and embrace this opportunity?
Conversation Project: What Are You? Mixed-Race and Interracial Families in Oregon’s Past and Future
The number of mixed-race people and interracial families in Oregon is growing. What are the challenges and benefits of growing up mixed-race, raising mixed-race children, or being an interracial couple in a state that’s historically been mostly white? How can we openly discuss our own ethnic and racial heritage with each other without being regarded as odd or unusual? How have the answers to “What are you?” changed through the decades? Dmae Roberts, who has written essays and produced film and radio documentaries about being a biracial Asian American in Oregon, leads a discussion of heritage that goes beyond checking one race on US Census forms.
Conversation Project: Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives.
Conversation Project: Recognizing the Diversity Among Us
Regardless of who we are or where we live, each of us lives among a diverse and vibrant collection of people and cultures. Reflecting on our differences can help us to see ourselves and “others” as part of our whole ecosystem. Awareness and appreciation of the ways that we are different from each other has all kinds of positive impact in our lives, creating in us a feeling of community and inspiring respect, empathy, and solidarity. Join facilitator Miguel Angel Herrada for a conversation that takes a new look at this idea and explores how a deep understanding of diversity can be an indispensable tool for making better choices about the world we share. This event will be conducted in Spanish.
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Global displacement is on the rise, thanks to intractable conflicts, economics, and climate change. Oregonians have and will continue to see the results of international migration in our neighborhoods. In this conversation, Manuel Padilla, who has worked with refugees in Haiti, Chad, and Washington, DC, asks participants to consider questions of uprootedness, hospitality, identity, perception, and integration and how we might build more informed, responsive, resilient, and vibrant communities.
Conversation Project: White Allyship in Close-knit Communities
In this conversation led by facilitator Alexis James, participants will have the chance to explore their identities, learn how to acknowledge different lived experiences without alienating friends and neighbors, and move toward action in their own communities.
Conversation Project: Race and Adoption
In this conversation, facilitator Astrid Castro will ask participants to explore questions such as, What role do race and racism play in your family?
Conversation Project: In Good Faith
Exploring Religious Difference in Oregon
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Exploring Nontraditional Community Leadership
Conversation Project: How We Grow Old
Stories of Aging in Oregon and Beyond
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon
More than Words
Emilly Prado explores the stories of three families in the small rural border town of Nyssa, Oregon, and how immigration policy changes have affected their lives.
Conversation Project: How We Grow Old
Stories of Aging in Oregon and Beyond
Conversation Project: Race and Adoption
In this conversation, facilitator Astrid Castro will ask participants to explore questions such as, What role do race and racism play in your family? What are the personal experiences that inform how you talk to adopted children in your life about where they are from? Where do you need to grow to be the best resource you can be for children who are adopted?
CANCELED: Conversation Project: How We Grow Old
Stories of Aging in Oregon and Beyond
CANCELED: Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon
Conversation Project: What Are You? Mixed-Race and Interracial Families in Oregon’s Past and Future
The number of mixed-race people and interracial families in Oregon is growing. What are the challenges and benefits of growing up mixed-race, raising mixed-race children, or being an interracial couple in a state that’s historically been mostly white? How can we openly discuss our own ethnic and racial heritage with each other without being regarded as odd or unusual? How have the answers to “What are you?” changed through the decades? Dmae Roberts, who has written essays and produced film and radio documentaries about being a biracial Asian American in Oregon, leads a discussion of heritage that goes beyond checking one race on US Census forms.
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Although Census data show Oregon’s population becoming more racially diverse, the state remains one of the whitest in the nation. Many Oregonians value racial diversity and the dimension and depth it adds to our lives, yet we remain largely isolated from one another and have yet to fulfill the vision of a racially integrated society. Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation about the challenges to creating racially diverse, inclusive communities despite the accomplishments since the civil rights era. What does the racial integration of place require of us, and how might we prepare to create and embrace this opportunity?
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories About Wealth, Status, and Power
Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation. What exactly, for example, is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention? When does talking about class turn into class warfare, or pandering, or simple confusion? To what extent can we talk about class without talking about race, ethnicity, and cultural background? Class is clearly related to wealth and money, but it also involves much more than that, from education to dress to the shows we watch, the words we use, and the clothes we wear. What are the measures and markers that help us recognize class, and to what extent is class useful for seeing our state, our neighbors, and ourselves?
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Conversation Project: How We Grow Old
What are the stories that shape how we think about growing old? How do we acknowledge the unique differences among aging individuals and separate the true stories from the myths? How do we accept the wisdom of our elders’ experiences while also recognizing new ideas about what it means to age in America? No matter our age, we all hear and tell stories about growing older that reflect our own ideals and fears—and the ideals and fears of our communities. Join facilitator Melissa Madenski as we look at the power of story in a conversation that will ask you to share your own experiences and ideas about aging and listen to the perspectives of others in your community.
Conversation Project: Listening to Young People
What does it look like when adults really listen to young people? Cultural beliefs about young people perpetuate myths that cause harm, especially when combined with laws that control their physical and emotional autonomy and limit their ability to participate in public life. Young people experiencing marginalization for any reason—race, gender, sexuality, ability—also have the added layer of not being taken seriously because of their age. And yet the history of social justice movements in the United States is deeply connected to young people’s agency, autonomy, and power. Join facilitator Emily Squires for a conversation that asks folks to explore their own beliefs about what it means to be young and to reflect on their individual relationship to power as it relates to age. This event will take place in the Wilson High School Library
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
A majority of Americans now accept gay and lesbian relationships, but the queer population is made up of a diversity of communities and experiences. Are all queer people accepted, tolerated, and embraced everywhere? Where are we made to feel welcome? Where do we feel unwelcome and unsafe? How do race, language, gender identity, family structure, faith, where we work, and where we live shape how we are seen, welcomed, and accepted? Join facilitator Jill Winsor in a discussion that explores how the complexity of the queer community intersects with the spaces and communities that surround us.
Conversation Project: Talking About Dying
Death is a universal event that transcends many of the differences between us, but it's not something that we have regular opportunities to think and talk about. Oregon Humanities developed the Talking about Dying program to create more public opportunities to reflect on the stories and influences that shape our thinking about death and dying and to hear perspectives and ideas from fellow community members. Talking about Dying community conversations are free, ninety-minute facilitated discussions geared toward public audiences (ages 15+). During the program, participants talk together about questions such as, What do we want—and not want—at the end of our life? How might our family, culture, religion, and beliefs shape how we think about death? How do access to care, geography, and desires to be remembered affect our decisions about the end of our life? Facilitated by Andrea Cano.
Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
In 2015, Oregon’s population exceeded 4 million people. Not only are we growing in number, we’re also changing demographically. Considering that Oregon has a history of racial exclusion, these changes prompt questions about Oregonian identity and values. How do we build communities that welcome people of all backgrounds? How are minority and under-represented populations included and treated today? Drawing on the diverse histories and backgrounds of attendees, Kerani Mitchell leads a conversation that asks what makes us Oregonian and how can we create inclusive communities.
Conversation Project: Recognizing the Diversity Among Us
Regardless of who we are or where we live, each of us lives among a diverse and vibrant collection of people and cultures. Reflecting on our differences can help us to see ourselves and “others” as part of our whole ecosystem. Awareness and appreciation of the ways that we are different from each other has all kinds of positive impact in our lives, creating in us a feeling of community and inspiring respect, empathy, and solidarity. Join facilitator Miguel Angel Herrada for a conversation that takes a new look at this idea and explores how a deep understanding of diversity can be an indispensable tool for making better choices about the world we share.
Peace and Dignity
Mohamed Asem writes about finding community in shared stories of unjust detention in an excerpt from his memoir, Stranger in the Pen.
Croppings: Enrique Chagoya, Reverse Anthropology
Through January 27, 2019, at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art
Bias and Kids: How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children?
During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Why DIY? Self-sufficiency and American Life
Are we as self-sufficient as we can be? As we should be? What are the pleasures and pitfalls of doing it yourself? This conversation investigates why we strive to be makers and doers in a world that provides more conveniences than ever before.
Conversation Project: In Good Faith
Religion is a topic traditionally not discussed in mixed company. But what do we lose when we avoid exploring our religious differences? Oregon is among the states in the US where people are most likely to identify as religiously unaffiliated. Many Oregonians have spiritual practices that both align with and transcend institutional definitions. Others filter strongly held values through religious traditions and frameworks. Writer and former chaplain Elizabeth Harlan-Ferlo will lead participants in examining the tools we use to talk about religion without dismissing others’ beliefs or flattening the beautiful and sometimes harrowing complexities of our experiences. At the host’s request, this conversation may be customized to fit the specific needs of their community.
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories About Wealth, Status, and Power
Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation. What exactly, for example, is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention? When does talking about class turn into class warfare, or pandering, or simple confusion? To what extent can we talk about class without talking about race, ethnicity, and cultural background? Class is clearly related to wealth and money, but it also involves much more than that, from education to dress to the shows we watch, the words we use, and the clothes we wear. What are the measures and markers that help us recognize class, and to what extent is class useful for seeing our state, our neighbors, and ourselves?
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
Most people agree that children need healthy, loving, supportive environments to thrive. But, as parents, family members, teachers, neighbors, and voters—how do our biases influence how we interact with the children in our lives and communities? And, how do those biases influence how children perceive themselves and what they will become? During our conversation led by Verónika Nuñez and Kyrié Kellett, we will reflect on how our biases—conscious and unconscious—related to gender, race, class, culture, and other traits, shape everything from our subtle interactions with the kids we care for to the way we make political decisions that influence children in our society.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Power dynamics influence who benefits from certain cultural experience, and—given the global nature of our world—parts of our individual and cultural identities are shaped by cultures other than our own. How do we make sense of this and what effect does it have on us as individuals and as Oregonians? Facilitator Surabhi Majahan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
The United States is a culturally diverse nation with residents who can trace their heritage to countries across the globe, and our diversity is projected to continue to increase over the next several decades. Given the differences of race, ethnicity, place, religion, wealth, language, education, and ideology that exist in the US, what are the things that unite us a nation? How do we understand what it means to be American and what we hold valuable? Join this conversation led by facilitator Ellen Knutson to share your ideas about what it means to be American and hear others’ ideas, to identify differences and points of connection that may lead us toward the ideal stated in our nation’s motto: E pluribus unum, out of many, one.
Conversation Project: From the Desert to the Sea
What are people really asking when they ask, “Where do you live?” In Oregon, philosophical and political divides have deep connections to geographic location. This conversation, led by author Kristy Athens, will explore the assumptions Oregonians have historically made about each other based on both literal and figurative place—including east versus west and urban versus rural—as well as the potential benefits and harms of conflating where you are (or have been) with who you are.
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Exploring Nontraditional Community Leadership
Conversation Project: Is Technology Outpacing Our Humanity?
Facilitator Manuel Padilla will lead this conversation to explore how technology shapes our moral reasoning and our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another.
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: Why DIY?
Self-sufficiency and American Life
Conversation Project: Listening to Young People
What does it look like when adults really listen to young people? Cultural beliefs about young people perpetuate myths that cause harm, especially when combined with laws that control their physical and emotional autonomy and limit their ability to participate in public life. Young people experiencing marginalization for any reason—race, gender, sexuality, ability—also have the added layer of not being taken seriously because of their age. And yet the history of social justice movements in the United States is deeply connected to young people’s agency, autonomy, and power. Join facilitator Emily Squires for a conversation that asks folks to explore their own beliefs about what it means to be young and to reflect on their individual relationship to power as it relates to age.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead a conversation that explores cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
My Name
Sravya Tadepalli writes about her experiences with people mispronouncing her name.
Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
In 2015, Oregon’s population exceeded 4 million people. Not only are we growing in number, we’re also changing demographically. Considering that Oregon has a history of racial exclusion, these changes prompt questions about Oregonian identity and values. How do we build communities that welcome people of all backgrounds? How are minority and under-represented populations included and treated today? Drawing on the diverse histories and backgrounds of attendees, Kerani Mitchell leads a conversation that asks what makes us Oregonian and how can we create inclusive communities.
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children?
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Exploring Nontraditional Community Leadership
Conversation Project: Is Technology Outpacing Our Humanity?
Facilitator Manuel Padilla will lead this conversation to explore how technology shapes our moral reasoning and our perceptions of, and relationships with, one another.
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Exploring Nontraditional Community Leadership
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children?
Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
Join this conversation led by facilitator Ellen Knutson to share your ideas about what it means to be American and hear others’ ideas, to identify differences and points of connection that may lead us toward the ideal stated in our nation’s motto: E pluribus unum, out of many, one.
Conversation Project: Why DIY? Self-sufficiency and American Life
This conversation investigates why we strive to be makers and doers in a world that provides more conveniences than ever before. How might the “new industrial revolution” of tinkerers and crafters affect American schools and workplaces?
Exploring Power and Privilege with Courage, Creativity, and Compassion
Join facilitator Ridhi D’Cruz for a conversation that explores how we face and transform oppression in our everyday lives. This conversation will include some hands-on activities.
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation about the challenges to creating racially diverse, inclusive communities despite the accomplishments since the civil rights era.
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children? This event will be held in Spanish
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation about the challenges to creating racially diverse, inclusive communities despite the accomplishments since the civil rights era.
Conversation Project: Race and Adoption
In this conversation, facilitator Astrid Castro will ask participants to explore questions such as, What role do race and racism play in your family? What are the personal experiences that inform how you talk to adopted children in your life about where they are from? Where do you need to grow to be the best resource you can be for children who are adopted?
Conversation Project: The Space Between Us
Immigrants, Refugees, and Oregon
Conversation Project: Everyone Can Be a Leader
Exploring Nontraditional Community Leadership
Conversation Project: Bias and Kids
How Do Our Prejudices Affect Our Children?
Conversation Project: Why DIY? Self-sufficiency and American Life
Are we as self-sufficient as we can be? As we should be? What are the pleasures and pitfalls of doing it yourself? This conversation investigates why we strive to be makers and doers in a world that provides more conveniences than ever before.
People, Not Pundits
Catherine Johnson writes about attending a conservative convention in an effort to understand her mother's politics.
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging and Intergenerational Friendship
Black. Muslim. Woman.
Tiara Darnell talks to Fatmah Worfeley, a nineteen-year-old Portland activist and student, about racism within the Muslim community, her parents’ interracial marriage, reconciling her Palestinian and Libyan heritage, and coming to terms with her Blackness.
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Becoming Asian
Scot Nakagawa explores the roots of race and the model minority myth
Gamanfest: Reclaiming Identity Through Art and Activism
Inspired by the spirit of gaman—"perseverance" or "endurance"—and those Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated in government camps during World War II, this festival serves as a venue for artists and activists within the Asian American community who use their heritage and culture as motivation for the work they create.
Gamanfest: Reclaiming Identity Through Art and Activism
Inspired by the spirit of gaman—"perseverance" or "endurance"—and those Japanese Americans who were unjustly incarcerated in government camps during World War II, this festival serves as a venue for artists and activists within the Asian American community who use their heritage and culture as motivation for the work they create.
Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
Drawing on the diverse histories and backgrounds of participants, Kerani Mitchell leads a conversation that asks what makes us Oregonian and how can we create inclusive communities.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: Ritual and Ceremony in Modern Life
Holly Pruett leads a conversation about the role of ritual and ceremony in participants’ family and cultural histories, the impact of life events that have passed unobserved, and the new ceremonies that people are creating to mark these milestones.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging and Intergenerational Friendship
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Many Oregonians value racial diversity and the dimension and depth it adds to our lives, yet we remain largely isolated from one another and have yet to fulfill the vision of a racially integrated society. Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation that explores some of the causes of this continued isolation and the differences of experience between Oregonians of different races.
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation that explores the differences of experience between Oregonians of different races, such as institutional racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias.
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories about Wealth, Status, and Power
Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation. What exactly, for example, is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention?
Black History Month Film Series: "I Am Not Your Negro"
Self Enhancement, Inc. presents Raoul Peck's film I Am Not Your Negro, followed by a panel discussion with Aisha Karefa-Smart, a niece of James Baldwin, and Darrais Carter, assistant professor of Black studies at Portland State university. This program is made possible in part by a Responsive Program Grant from Oregon Humanities.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation that explores some of the causes of this continued isolation and the differences of experience between Oregonians of different races—such as institutional racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias.
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation that explores some of the causes of this continued isolation and the differences of experience between Oregonians of different races—such as institutional racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias.
Conversation Project: Ritual and Ceremony in Modern Life
Holly Pruett, a life-cycle celebrant who works with individuals, families, and communities to commemorate such occasions, leads a conversation about the role of ritual and ceremony in participants’ family and cultural histories and the new ceremonies that people are creating to mark these milestones.
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation that explores some of the causes of this continued isolation and the differences of experience between Oregonians of different races—such as institutional racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias.
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: Ritual and Ceremony in Modern Life
Holly Pruett, a life-cycle celebrant who works with individuals, families, and communities to commemorate such occasions, leads a conversation about the role of ritual and ceremony in participants’ family and cultural histories.
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
A majority of Americans now accept gay and lesbian relationships, but the queer population is made up of a diversity of communities and experiences. Are all queer people accepted, tolerated, and embraced everywhere? Join facilitator Jill Winsor in a discussion that explores how the complexity of the queer community intersects with the spaces and communities that surround us.
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Facilitator Surabhi Mahajan will lead us in a conversation to explore cultural appropriation beyond who’s “allowed” to wear certain clothing or cook particular foods.
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories about Wealth, Status, and Power
Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation. What exactly, for example, is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention?
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging and Intergenerational Friendship
Alternate Endings, Radical Beginnings
A program of short videos by Visual AIDS
Unresolved Issues of the Twentieth Century: The Quest For the Repatriation of Nazi Looted Art
Donald S. Burris, one of a small group of American lawyers who have dedicated their careers to assisting survivors and their heirs in regaining artworks stolen from them by the Nazis, will talk about his firm's successful retrieval of Gustav Klimt's "Woman in Gold."
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging and Intergenerational Friendship
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
A majority of Americans now accept gay and lesbian relationships, but the queer population is made up of a diversity of communities and experiences. Are all queer people accepted, tolerated, and embraced everywhere? Join facilitator Jill Winsor in a discussion that explores how the complexity of the queer community intersects with the spaces and communities that surround us.
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
Given the differences of race, ethnicity, place, religion, wealth, language, education, and ideology that exist in the US, what are the things that unite us a nation?
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
What systems are in place to prevent the racial integration and equity many of us strive for? Knowing what we do, how do we act—as individuals and communities—to embrace the opportunity presented by a more diverse Oregon?
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories about Wealth, Status, and Power
What exactly is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention? Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation.
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
Join facilitator Jill Winsor in a discussion that explores how the complexity of the queer community intersects with the spaces and communities that surround us.
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging and Intergenerational Friendship
Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
Given the differences of race, ethnicity, place, religion, wealth, language, education, and ideology that exist in the US, what are the things that unite us a nation?
Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Conversation Project: The Middle Class and Other Stories about Wealth, Status, and Power
What exactly is the middle class, who does it include and exclude, and why does it get so much attention? Join Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis for a conversation that explores what we think and how we talk about class in Oregon and the nation.
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging and Intergenerational Friendship
Conversation Project: What Are You?
Mixed-Race and Interracial Families in Oregon’s Past and Future
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging and Intergenerational Friendship
Conversation Project: What Is Cultural Appropriation?
Issues of cultural appropriation and identity are complicated. Power dynamics influence who benefits from certain cultural experience, and—given the global nature of our world—parts of our individual and cultural identities are shaped by cultures other than our own. How do we make sense of this and what effect does it have on us as individuals and as Oregonians?
Conversation Project: What Does It Mean to Be American?
Given the differences of race, ethnicity, place, religion, wealth, language, education, and ideology that exist in the US, what are the things that unite us a nation? How do we understand what it means to be American and what we hold valuable?
Conversation Project: Ritual and Ceremony in Modern Life
How do we make meaning out of the big milestones in our personal and community lives?
Conversation Project: Where Are Queer People Welcome?
A majority of Americans now accept gay and lesbian relationships, but the queer population is made up of a diversity of communities and experiences. Are all queer people accepted, tolerated, and embraced everywhere?
Conversation Project: What Are You?
Mixed-Race and Interracial Families in Oregon’s Past and Future
What Is Mine
Editor Kathleen Holt on looking for identity in the post-colonial welter of midcentury Hawaii.
Your Cultural Attire
Conversations about appropriation sometimes miss the complexity of culture. An article by Zahir Janmohamed
S'so's Tamales
Sal Sahme writes about finding his spiritual path as a boy on First Mesa.
Posts
Readers write about Claim
Conversation Project: What Are You?
Mixed-Race and Interracial Families in Oregon's Past and Future
Who is Not at the Table?
Filmmaker Ifanyi Bell reflects on the making of “Future: Portland 2”
Conversation Project: Where Are You from?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: Understanding Disability
Family and Community Stories
Conversation Project: Where Are You from?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Conversation Project: Where Are You from?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
POSTPONED Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation that explores some of the causes of this continued isolation and the differences of experience between Oregonians of different races—such as institutional racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias.
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: What We Want from the Wild
In this conversation, Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis will help participants step back from policy decisions and consider more basic questions about our relationship to the mountains, air, trees, animals, and streams around us. What do we want from nature? What do we understand nature to be, and how do we see ourselves fitting in?
Race & Place: Old Town's Chinatown and Japantown through Chinese American and Nikkei Eyes
Chinese and Japanese American elders explore Old Town's multiethnic and multiracial past. This is an Oregon Humanities grant-funded event.
Conversation Project: Just a Number
Aging and Intergenerational Friendship
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: What We Want from the Wild
Oregonians across the political spectrum place a high value on the diverse natural resources of our state, but we are divided about how these resources should be used and talked about. In this conversation, Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis will help participants step back from policy decisions and consider more basic questions about our relationship to the mountains, air, trees, animals, and streams around us.
Conversation Project: Power, Privilege, and Racial Diversity in Oregon
Many Oregonians value racial diversity and the dimension and depth it adds to our lives, yet we remain largely isolated from one another and have yet to fulfill the vision of a racially integrated society. Willamette University professor Emily Drew will lead participants in a conversation that explores some of the causes of this continued isolation and the differences of experience between Oregonians of different races—such as institutional racism, white privilege, and unconscious bias.
Conversation Project: Where Are You from?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Good Hair
Going natural despite family and societal expectations. An essay by Kimberly Melton
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Race & Place: Old Town's Chinatown and Japantown through Chinese American and Nikkei Eyes
Chinese and Japanese American elders explore Old Town's multiethnic and multiracial past. This is an Oregon Humanities grant-funded event.
Conversation Project: Understanding Disability
Family and Community Stories
Conversation Project: Where Are You from?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Conversation Project: What We Want from the Wild
Oregonians across the political spectrum place a high value on the diverse natural resources of our state, but we are divided about how these resources should be used and talked about. In this conversation, Oregon Humanities Executive Director Adam Davis will help participants step back from policy decisions and consider more basic questions about our relationship to the mountains, air, trees, animals, and streams around us.
Conversation Project: What Are You?
Mixed-Race and Interracial Families in Oregon's Past and Future
Community Forum on Identity and the Use of Race on National Forms
The NAACP Eugene-Springfield Branch hosts a forum about racial identification on government forms. This is an Oregon Humanities grant-funded event.
Conversation Project: Where Are You From?
Exploring What Makes Us Oregonians
Conversation Project: What's in a Label?
Thinking about Diversity and Racial Categories
Also Fire
Writer Brook Shelley on everyday life as an act of rebellion.
Slow Ascent
A Chinese American woman searches for belonging in the country of her grandparents. An essay by Jessica Yen
A Tremendous Force of Will
A conversation about the Great Migration's and the civil right movement with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Isabel Wilkerson
Between Ribbon and Root
Hope and a history of tragedy live together in a Cowlitz woman's son. An essay by Christine Dupres
Mothers to Daughters
Mothers give advice to their daughters about living bravely in an unsafe world in this film produced by Sika Stanton for Oregon Humanities.
Objects in Motion
Editor Kathleen Holt on inertia
What We Pass On
Adam Davis, executive director of Oregon Humanities, writes about cultural inheritance.
This Way through Oregon
Illustrating the systems that move salmon, waste, traffic, and legislation
So to Speak
Novelist Laila Lalami on moving between languages to find her voice
All the Same Ocean
Finding the horizon in a life rocked with waves. An essay by Jason Arias
Trademark Offense
Bandleader Simon Tam explains his fight to trademark his band’s name, “The Slants.” Tam recently argued his case before the US Supreme Court. He won.
Group Therapy
Copping out at an uptown slumber party. An essay by Dionisia Morales
The Rim of the Wound
Writer Wendy Willis's open letter to the students of Columbia University Multicultural Affairs Advisory Board, with a special note to her daughters.
Perhaps, Perhaps
Bobby Arellano on waiting for an alcoholic father to stand up
Kansas in Technicolor
After a mastectomy, finding beauty in loss. An essay by Gretchen Icenogle
Resume Usual Activity
Jamie Passaro writes about parenting—and being parented—through mental illness.
Starting Over
The bumpy repair of a family after a sudden loss. An essay by Melissa Madenski
A Temporary Insanity
Torn between the pull of family and the pull of home. An essay by Gail Wells
Magazine Podcast: Quandary
Talking about Ferguson, feminism, and filling out forms with Oregon Humanities magazine contributors
Messy Business
Editor Kathleen Holt on parenting as performance
Feel-Good Feminism
Bitch Media cofounder Andi Zeisler wonders if feminism's pop-culture cachet has doomed the movement.
Boxed In
Writer Wendy Willis ponders which race to check and which people to leave behind when asked about her racial and ethnic background.
Posts
Readers Write about Quandary
Another Life
I think often of the taste of my grandfather's grapes and of the meat from my father's knife. An essay by Hanna Neuschwander
What's the Use?
Why bother with history? Why bother at all? An essay by Robert Leo Heilman
The Bamboo Ceiling
Alex Tizon on how "Orientals" became "Asians." An excerpt from Big Little Man: In Search of My Asian Self
Origin Stories
The surprising beginnings of six of Oregons claims to fame
Small Man in a Big Country
Native language is just the first thing an immigrant family abandons in order to become American. An excerpt from Little Big Man: In Search of My Asian Self by Alex Tizon
What's Mine Is Yours
Editor Kathleen Holt on developing a capacity for solitude and a habit of self-reflection in her children
Mark My Words
Linguist Edwin Battistella on pronouns and the myth of a "me generation"
In Defense of Navel-Gazing
To understand the world, we must first understand ourselves. An essay by Jay Ponteri
Trapped in the Spotlight
What happens when quitting your job means quitting yourself? An essay by Courtenay Hameister
The Thing with Feathers
Joanna Rose on a writer's road trip gone wrong
You Remind Me of Me
Parent and child, strange and baffling creatures that are part, yet no part, of each other. An essay by Daniel Rivas
Posts
Readers write about "Me"
More Than Skin Deep
Scholar Naomi Zack on the science and social construction of race in America
One America?
A conversation between Gregory Rodriguez and Tomas Jimenez about American identity, race, immigration, and ideology.
Being Brown
Bobbie Willis Soeby on when skin lies and when skin tells the truth
Rodeo City
Pendleton has built its identity around a dogged loyalty to tradition. An essay by Sarah Mirk
A Region by Any Name
From Ecotopia to Cascadia Megaregion, visions of the Pacific Northwest have been secessionist in nature. An essay by Carl Abbott
Where Are You From?
Connecting to the places where we live. An essay by Wendy Willis
Clinging to the Dream
Why do Americans have such a hard time talking about class? An essay by Leigh van der Werff
Under God
Frances Bellamy and the origins of the Pledge of Allegiance. By Richard Ellis
Immobile Dreams
How did the trailer come to be a symbol of failure? An essay by Rebecca Hartman
The Image and Act of Communion
Editor's note
Unimaginable Riches
The unfamiliar offers its own rewards. An essay by Joanne Mulcahey
Laughing Into the Abyss
The existential howl of Jewish American humor. By Scott Nadelson
Seen Though Not Heard
In the designs on a Klikitat basket, a woman finds an unspoken link to her past. An essay by Christine Dupres