 It’s AANHPI Month
Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Month means a lot to me. I'm the first Asian American woman ever elected to the Portland City Council. I'm proud to serve with my colleague, Councilor Sameer Kanal, who is the first Asian American man on the Council. I also say with a very clear hope: I don’t want us to be the last. Representation matters — not just for the people who are in those roles, but for everyone who is watching and wondering if there’s space for them too.
We didn't get here alone.
We're standing on the shoulders of folks who resisted, organized, and built long before we took our seats on the dais. And we're making sure to honor that legacy and build opportunities for those to come. May is a special time to honor Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. Our stories are American stories. And they are diasporic stories. Our stories are woven together from everywhere, right here in Portland, and they help make up the fabric of our daily lives.
Portland is also home to two incredible museums housing Asian American history in Oregon: the Japanese American Museum of Oregon and the Portland Chinatown Museum. Here is a comprehensive resource from Oregon State University for Asian American history in Oregon.
 Class of 2026 Japanese American Graduation Banquet
It was an honor and a delight to be the keynote speaker at the 2026 Japanese American Graduation Banquet on Sunday. The banquet is a tradition that started in 1948 when Misao Hayashi had a reception for the local Japanese American graduates at the Broadway Theater. Charles Shimomura was the first master of ceremony for the event, where the Oregon Nisei Veterans honored outstanding athletes. The reception’s purpose has broadened over the 77 years to honor outstanding high school graduates in the Portland metropolitan area, with scholarships offered by 11 sponsoring organizations. Congratulations, Class of 2026, we are so proud of you! And we can’t wait to see where you go next.
 Voices of Change: APANO Fundraiser
APANO held a celebration of their organization last night, “Voices of Change: Igniting Embers,” and it was a wonderful testament to the important work they do. This has been an especially challenging year for Asian and other communities of color, and APANO programs – including community and workforce development, clean energy, preserving cultural practices, supporting small businesses, and advocating for meaningful policy improvements, education, and civic participation – make a big difference. I was glad to be part of this special evening.
 Oregon Rises Above Hate
It was wonderful to speak at the Oregon Rises Above Hate community celebration for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at the Lan Su Chinese Garden in Old Town Saturday. Culture, community, and connection – the fifth annual event was a beautiful showcase of the diversity of the AANHPI community.
Arts Tax Reform
If you haven’t seen Councilor Dunphy’s epic Bob Ross-style reel explaining the arts tax reform I’m co-sponsoring with him and Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney, run to Instagram! It explains the reform we’re excited to put forward — and it is funny and creative. This reform is not a new tax, it fixes an existing tax so that many more people won’t have to pay, and it adjusts it for inflation and ongoing sustainability that eventually will save the jobs of many art teachers.
Here are some of the updates:
- Increases filing threshold to $20,000 for single tax filer / $40,000 for joint tax filers — instead of any adult who makes more than $1,000. (44% fewer people will be required to file / 32% fewer people required to pay)
- Adjusts rate to $50 from $35 to match inflation since 2012 when the tax was created, which addresses the depleting fund and lack of sustainability
- Prevents huge future cuts to local arts organizations and the loss of many art teachers
- Makes the tax sustainable and stable for the future
- Simplifies payment by standardizing it with other tax filing
I also want to acknowledge that a $15 increase is a burden for many people, and that earning $20,000 a year is not a living wage. Those realities matter. This reform is about reducing who has to pay at the low end, honoring people’s real financial constraints, and making sure we protect arts education and local organizations that rely on this funding.
My goal is to balance individual impacts with the collective good so that our community can keep the arts in our classrooms and protect the jobs of the teachers who make that possible.
Council addressed this May 6, and will revisit it again this Wednesday, May 13. Please sign up to offer testimony and support these fixes!
Budget Season
My team has been hustling to review the Mayor’s budget to understand how it aligns with what District 3 constituents want, and don’t want. We asked you all to weigh in about our community’s priorities through our survey, and you answered!
We heard from all 21 neighborhoods in District 3, and here are some of the results.
The top 5 priorities you listed are:
- Housing stability, renters support, and collaboration with homelessness services
- Street repair and maintenance (e.g. potholes, paving / repaving, striping, etc.)
- Community safety programs (e.g. Portland Street Response, Community Health Assessment and Treatment, outreach teams)
- Community centers and parks
- Active transportation infrastructure (e.g. bicycle, pedestrian, and transit infrastructure, sidewalk ramps, curb cuts)
We are so grateful to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts on a critical matter to our community, and thanks to the many people who have turned up for in-person and virtual budget town halls. Stay tuned for more information and for other opportunities to have your voices heard on the budget. This is democracy in action!
More information about the budget process and upcoming work sessions, meetings, and deadlines can be found here.
 Double Bike Bus Day!
What’s better than one Bike Bus? TWO Bike Buses! On Wednesday morning I got to ride with Bike Bus groups from Arleta Elementary School and Lane Middle School. We even got to ride for one block with my first-ever Preschool Bike Bus, from Woodstock Community Center! Riding to school with students always gets my day started with an upbeat energy, and schools report that it has that effect on students too. Arleta Principal Lisa Hawking shared that the program has had a positive impact on attendance at the school, and that is echoed in research about Bike Bus programs. Information about school bike buses can be found here, and adults can commute to downtown with the City Bike Bus, organized by PBOT, every fourth Wednesday of the month from April through September, 2026. A huge thank you to the hardworking volunteer coordinators who make these programs go!
Join Us for a Pre-Gavel Event for Older Americans Month
As I shared last week, May is Older Americans Month. On May 13 from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. I invite you to join me at City Hall for a proclamation and pre-gavel event that will celebrate Older Americans Month and serve as an introduction to age-friendly next steps that I’ll be bringing forward soon! The event will start with the Portland Raging Grannies singing people into Council Chambers, then at 2 p.m. AARP Oregon will award the City of Portland with a plaque recognizing Portland’s past age-friendly efforts before we hear from Multnomah County representatives, myself, and Council President Jamie Dunphy. You can watch the event starting at 2 p.m. virtually at Portland City Council’s YouTube link.
Woodstock Community Center Plant Sale
The annual Woodstock Community Center Plant Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow, May 9, at the center, 5905 SE 43rd Avenue. Donated plants, including native plants, organic vegetable starts, trees, and much more, are available, and the fundraiser is staffed by volunteers. Proceeds support essential maintenance of the community center.
Second Saturday Foster Road Cleanup
A monthly community-driven litter cleanup of Foster Road takes place from 10 a.m. to noon every second Saturday, including tomorrow, May 9. Sponsored by SOLVE, the cleanups start at Laurelwood Park, SE 64th Avenue and Foster Road. Supplies are provided, and you can RSVP here.
PDXJACL Mother's Day Rally and March
A Mother’s Day Rally and March to Support Refugees and Immigrants will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 10 starting at the Japanese American Historical Plaza, at NW Couch Street and Naito Parkway in Tom McCall Waterfront Park. You can find out more about the event, sponsored by the Portland Japanese American Citizens League, here.
Leach Botanical Garden Mother’s Day Celebration
Leach Botanical Garden will hold a Mother’s Day Celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 10 in the manor house, 6704 SE 122nd Avenue. Live Celtic harp music and refreshments will be offered; admission is $8.
New Street Plaza in Foster-Powell
The Foster-Powell Neighborhood is getting a new street plaza at SE 72nd Avenue and Schiller Street! Out of 21 applications, the city selected the Foster-Powell intersection as one of four new street plazas. Voting is open for painting designs through May 11 at 5 p.m.
Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting
The Portland Bureau of Transportation will be holding a Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 12 in Room 216 of the Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue. The agenda is here, and a virtual attendance option is also available.
Get Ready, Stay Ready Workshop
The Black Affinity Group will be hosting “Get Ready, Stay Ready,” a free workshop designed to equip young Black men ages 10–17 with practical life skills and strengthen community connections, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16 at SE Uplift, 3534 SE Main Street. Inspired by Jason Huey’s 100 Things a Black Boy Should Do and Know, the program brings together Black community leaders and professionals to share hands-on guidance on topics such as cooking, hygiene and etiquette, car maintenance, and fishing. You can learn more and register here.
Mt. Tabor Art Walk
The 19th annual Mt. Tabor Art Walk, an opportunity to look at work by local artists in their home studios, will be held May 16 and 17. For more information about the event, including a list of featured artists, visit their website here.
BikeLoud Rides
Upcoming rides with BikeLoud include:
82nd Avenue TIF Meetings
A meeting about the new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for the 82nd Avenue corridor, including much of the western section of the Foster-Powell neighborhood, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 20 and every third Wednesday of the month at APANO, 8188 SE Division Street. For more information, you can email Kyoung Shin here, or visit Prosper Portland’s website.
Neighborhood Associations
Many District 3 neighborhood associations are holding their annual board elections at this time of year, and running and/or voting can be a great way to get involved. You can find your neighborhood using this map, and find information about board members and ways to get involved on the “city” and “website” links listed. Some upcoming elections include: Foster-Powell May 11, Richmond candidacy deadline May 11, Laurelhurst and Hosford-Abernethy May 12, Mt. Tabor and Sunnyside May 13, Kerns May 20, Rose City Park May 26, and Brooklyn May 27.
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