| PLEASE
NOTE: Community
Language and Culture Bank officially
changed its name to Center
for Intercultural Organizing
in August, 2005 to better reflect our mission, work and values.
The Skanner (Portland, OR)
December 1, 2005
FORUM AIMS FOR INCLUSION
Immigrants seek a greater role in civic life and government
By Nancy McCarthy
As headlines in France capture the unrest among immigrants
from Northern and sub-Saharan Africa and President George
Bush proposes changes in United States immigration law, immigrants
in Portland are speaking out.
An immigration and refugee forum that will explore ways for
city government to include immigrants in civic affairs is
planned from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, in City Hall
Council Chambers, 1221 S.W. Fourth Ave. The free forum is
open to the public.
"The city of Portland does not have ways to engage immigrants,”
said Kayse Jama, an immigrant from Somalia who teaches a class
in "politics of immigration” at Portland State University.
One out of eight residents in the Portland metro area is
foreign-born and, in some eastside neighborhoods, immigrants
represent one of every three residents. In the past 10 years,
the city has experienced more than a 100 percent increase
in the number of immigrants living here.
As a result, Jama said, Portland's demographics are changing,
and with at least 1,600 immigrants — plus their relatives
— arriving every year, the city is "one of the fastest
gateways” in the country foreign-born residents. There are
4,000 to 5,000 Somalis alone in Portland, Jama noted.
Although individual Portlanders welcome the immigrants, challenges
abound, he said. Among them are a lack of jobs, language barriers,
limited housing and education.
"It's not easy being a refugee,” added Jama, who came
to Portland seven years ago after spending time in a refugee
camp.
Instead of focusing on individual issues, however, Saturday's
forum will discuss how immigrants can "co-integrate”
with other civic and social communities within Portland and
how an equitable social, political and economic environment
can be created for everyone.
The forum is sponsored by the Community Language and Culture
Bank, a multicultural organization that Jama founded in response
to the backlash against immigrants and refugees after the
Sept. 11 attacks, and by the city Office of Neighborhood Involvement.
It will include speeches by Mayor Tom Potter and City Commissioner
Erik Sten. A panel consisting of several local immigrants
then will discuss the challenges faced by refugees and immigrants
in Portland.
The panel discussion will be opened up to the audience for
further discussion. Two breakout sessions also are planned:
The first will involve city employees and immigrants who will
talk about the next steps to take to ensure inclusion in civic
affairs; and the second will discuss federal immigration policies
and potential immigration reform.
Students from Jama's class are planning the forum as part
of their required community project. The class discusses why
immigrants come to the United States and analyzes the effect
that federal immigration policies have on Portland.
"For example, farm workers,” Jama noted. "We need
them and we tell them we cannot live without you because no
one else will do the job. But they become the scapegoat for
every social illness in the country. The class will analyze
how they have contributed to society and how they are treated.”
Those taking the class, which is one of the university's
senior Capstone classes, designed to take students out of
the classroom and into the community, include students with
a variety of majors.
"What interests them is that this class offers tremendous
information about immigration policies. They become more informed
than any other American about immigration,” Jama said.
The Skanner - Portland (503) 285-5555
copyright The Skanner Newspaper Group
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