First Congregational UCC
1126 Southwest Park Avenue,
Portland, OR, 97205
7:00 PM, Friday, November 11, 2022
We invite you to join us on November 11th for “I Am An American Live.” This event is part of the programming by the Oregon Rises Above Hate coalition, with the aim of drawing attention to the historic xenophobia experienced by the Asian American community in Oregon and across the U.S. This history of systemic bias includes policies that have resulted in discrimination, incarceration, erasure and a recent increase in hate crimes.
“I Am An American Live” will kick off with wonderful music by a special quartet of exceptional musicians of Asian descent from the Oregon Symphony: Keiko Araki, (violin), Shin-young Kwon (violin), Ningning Jin (viola), and Pansy Chang (cello). They will be playing music of contemporary Chinese composers to highlight their contribution to music.
After a brief intermission, four storytellers (Janet Liu, Liani Reeves, Jane Vogel Mantiri and Peggy Nagae) with roots from across Asia will present their lived experiences exploring what it means to belong in America, even when being partially erased and, at times, excluded. These powerful stories will inform us about an important aspect of our past as a state and as a nation and offer an opportunity for reflection on our collective history.
Join us for an evening of stories and music from Oregonians, about the places they built, the traditions they brought and what it has meant to truly belong in their hometown.
This free event is made possible by a generous contribution by Anne Naito-Campbell. Additional funding was provided by a grant from Marie Lamfrom Charitable Foundation and Ronald Naito Foundation.
