April 28. 2010
‘rhl (Jortlanb OObseruer
Tour
that anti-black sentiment marked
Oregon from its inception. Its
original 1857 state constitution
was the only one to ever explic­
itly exclude black people.
continued
from page 4
Although the exclusion provi­
the government began rounding sion was seldom enforced, its
up Japanese families, seizing legacy continued well into the
their money and businesses, and 20th century as racist public ac­
interning them. The Oregon Ex­ commodation practices became
position Center was where many com m on, including sundown
ended up.
laws, which excluded people
At the time, the center was from a town after nightfall, said
the site o f many agricultural Hess.
events, and was hastily prepared
The Kian also built up the
for the influx o f Japanese, ex­ largest presence w est o f the
plained Valerie Otani, an artist Rocky Mountains, with estimates
who built two traditional Japa­ ranging from 35,000 to 200,000
nese gates outside to remember members, she said. Its member­
the event. The gates are lined ship included a governor, nu­
with newspaper plates, brandish­ merous other elected officials,
ing headlines like, "Portland to and police chiefs from across
be First Jap-Free City."
the state, who wielded consider­
"While it's a sad place, it's a able power in the state before
significant place for our commu­ they withered during the 1920s.
nity," she said.
As the tour wrapped up, the
Otani said over three thou­ bus traveled through southeast
sand Japanese filled the center, Portland to the site o f a more
which was lined with barbed recent flareup o f racial violence,
wire, who were allowed to take w here M u lu g eta S eraw , an
only what they could carry in Ethiopian immigrant, was beaten
their arms, and were assigned to to death by skinheads in 1988- a
stalls that previously housed ani­ reminder that white suprema­
mals.
cists continued to have a pres­
"T here w ere flies e v e ry ­ ence well into the 20th century.
where," said Otani, who de­
Hess mentioned that it's no
scribed it as unbearably hot in accident that Oregon is one o f
the summer, and saturated with the whitest states in the union,
a strong stench leftover from the and that the north and northeast
animals.
parts o f the city have been hubs
Back on the bus, the tour o f the black community for a
headed toward downtown pass­ reason. Historical powers have
ing by PGE Park, where thé shaped the city she said, and,
K.KK once held rallies.
"basically, we live with the after-
"It's another one o f those math o f those powers."
ghosts," said Hess, who explained
SAVE THIS DATE
Page 17
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