PaSe 4 _____________________________________
^fJovtlatth (©bserucr____________________ October3. 2012
Study Looks at Gentrified Portland
Young college
graduates move
here and stay
(AP) — Portland may not be "a
city where young people go to re
tire," but it’s the place they go to be
underemployed, a new study found.
A famous quip by Fred Armisen
on the television show "Portlandia"
led Portland State University re
searchers to investigate the reality
behind the comment. The quirky
IFC network series pokes fun at the
Oregon city's many eccentricities.
The researchers' review found
that Portland is a magnet for the
young and college educated from
across the country, even though a
disproportionate share of them are
working part-time or holding jobs
that don't require a degree.
In short, young college grads are
moving here, and staying, because
they like the city's amenities and
culture, not because they're chas
ing jobs. Their participation in the
labor force tracks with other cities,
but they make 84 cents on the dollar
when compared to the average of
the 50 largest metropolitan areas,
the research found.
"You put all of that together, and
it suggests that young people are
coming here and they're trying to
make the best of it," said Greg
Schrock, an assistant professor in
urban studies at PSU. "They're com
mitted to working, they're commit
ted to trying to make ends meet, but
they're more committed to living in
Portland."
Young people are drawn by a
relatively low cost of living, a vi
brant arts scene and a collegial, laid-
back atmosphere. With abundant
public transit, a vibrant bicycle cul
ture and many walkable neighbor
hoods, there's no need for a car.
"I'm pretty content being able to
support myself on a minimum-wage
job," said Deanna Horton, 22, who
graduated in May from Lewis &
Clark college and is now working
the front desk at a science museum.
Horton doesn't have a driver's li
cense, but she said the only time
she's ever felt she needed one was
A young couple enjoys the view o f Mount Hood from Washington
Park. (AP photo)
when she moved across town.
A transplant from Syosset, N. Y.,
on Long Island, Horton said she'd
love to have a more challenging and
fulfilling job — but not enough to
give up on a city that supports things
like a neighborhood tool library,
which gives residents free access to
a wide variety of tools for carpentry,
home improvement and gardening.
"I feel like my job prospects in
other places would be really good,"
she said, looking over the top of her
Apple com puter at the popular
Stumptown Coffee. "But I don't want
to try."
Portland's reputation as the place
young people go to retire was ce
m en ted w ith a sk etch on
"Portlandia."
The PSU researchers studied
Census data from 1980 to 2010
with a focus on young people,
ages 21 to 39, with a college de
gree. They found that the m igra
tion o f those people to Portland
had already begun in 1980 and
was consistent throughout the 20-
year span. Portland was the only
m ajor city that never saw a lull in
migration, even during recessions.
The data suggest that young
people continue flocking to Port
land, in good times and in bad.
And they're coming from places
large and small. While young col
lege graduates tend to move to larger
metro areas, Portland had a net gain
in migration from cities large and
small.
Come Out for Our Families!
We believe all our families have so much in common: we struggle to access healthy
food, quality education, affordable healthcare, and housing. Our families also face
discrimination that prevents us from thriving in our workplaces and our neighbor
hoods. As families of color, we experience unique challenges as we work to keep our
homes, our jobs, and our health.
These struggles affect Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) families of
color in very unique ways. LGBT families of color are part of the fabric of our com
munity and members of our own families.
Alliance of M inority Chambers
Causa Oregon
Farmworker Housing Development Corporation
Latino Network
Lewis & Clark Law School
Native American Youth and Family Center
Northwest Health Foundation
Oregon Action
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
(PCUN) Oregon's Farmworker Union
Unfortunately, some of our LGBT family members do not feel our community's full
support. So, in honor of National Coming Out Day, we are coming out as friends, fam
ily and public allies of LGBT families of color. We believe our communities are stron
gest when all families - extended families, multi-generational families, single-parent
families and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender families - have the resources, re
spect and love they need to thrive.
We believe it's time to come out in support of all our families. Join us!
Mariotta Gary-Smith, Health Educator,
Multnomah County Health Department
Lorena Manzo
Lead Organizer, Causa Oregon
Larry Roper, Vice Provost for Student Affairs,
Oregon State University
Sharon J. Gary-Smith, Executive Director,
McKenzie River Gathering Foundation
Nichole J. Maher
Northwest Health Foundation
Carmen Rubio
Executive Director, Latino Network
Avel Louise Gordly
Jason Mak
Diana Ruiz
Lisa Reed Guarnero
Donna Maxey
Commissioner, City of Portland Human Rights
Roy Hunter Sampsel, Executive Director,
Institute for Tribal Government, PSU
Joe McFerrin II, President/CEO, Portland
Opportunities Industrialization Center (POIC)
June Arima Schumann, Board co-chair, Asian
Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)
Jilma Meneses, Chief Diversity Officer,
Portland State University
Ty Schwoefferman, Health Equity Organizer,
Urban League of Portland
Captain Kevin Modica
Portland Police Bureau, Youth Services Division
Sho Shigeoka
Emi Hanawa
School Psychologist, Portland Public Schools
Levi Herrera-Lopez, Executive Director,
Mono a Mono Family Center
Portland African American Leadership Forum
Linda Hornbuckle, Community Health Special
ist, Multnomah County Health Department
Portland Japanese American Citizens League
M iki Hunnicut
Portland State University
Rich Iwasaki
Portland Japanese American Citizens League
Alberto Moreno, Executive Director,
Oregon Latino Health Coalition-
Kayse Jama, Executive Director,
Center for Intercultural Organizing
Matt Morton, Executive Director,
Native American Youth and Family Center
Dante James, Director, City of Portland Office
of Equity and Human Rights
Thach Nguyen, Asian Pacific American Net
work of Oregon (APANO)
Annabelle Jaram illo
Commissioner, Benton County
Melissa “ M im i” Nolledo
Chairperson, Eugene/Springfield Asian Council
Roy Jay, Executive Director,
Alliance of Minority Chambers
Pam Phan, Member, Asian Pacific American
Network of Oregon (APANO)
Roberto Jimenez, Executive Director,
Farmworker Housing Development Corporation
Lolenzo T. Poe, Jr. Chief Equity and Diversity
Officer, Portland Public Schools
J.B. Kim, Assistant Dean, Diversity and
Academic Resources, Lewis & Clark Law School
Vera Poole
Multnomah County Sherriff
Larry Kleinman, Secretary-Treasurer,
Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste
(PCUN) Oregon's Farmworker Union
Midge Purcell, Director of Advocacy and
Public Policy, Urban League of Portland
Urban League of Portland
(All other organizations listed for affiliation
purposes only.)
Donny Adair, President,
Donny Adair Consulting
Tina Adair, Membership Services
Representative, Kaiser Permanente
David Barrios
Native Community Member
Andrae L. Brown
Associate Professor, Lewis & Clark College
Cyreena Boston Ashby
Portland African American Leadership Forum
Jo Ann (Bowman) Hardesty
Karol Collymore
Gerald Deloney
Se-ah-dom Edmo, Tribal & Diversity Outreach,
Lewis & Clark College
Paul Knauls
Community Leader
Susan Leedham, Co-president, Portland
Japanese American Citizens League {JACL)
Antoinette Edwards, Director, City of
Portland’s Office of Youth Violence Prevention,
Co-Founder of PFLAG Portland Black Chapter
Thomas Le Ngo, Asian Pacific American
Network of Oregon (APANO)
Keith Edwards
International Business Representative, IBEW
Francisco Lopez
Executive Director, Causa Oregon
www.basicnghts.org/ourfamilies
Guadalupe Quinn, Program Coordinator,
Immigrant Rights Advocacy Program (Amigos)
Gauri Rajbaidya
Rev. W illiam Sinkford
Senior Minister, First Unitarian Church
Commissioner Loretta Smith
District 2, Multnomah County
Channbunmorl (Chom) Sou, Asian Pacific
American Network of Oregon (APANO)
Lamar Tillman, Outreach Coordinator,
Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette
Tricia Tillman, Administrator,
Office of Equity and Inclusion
Sheila Warren, President,
Portland Parent Union
Myrna-Yvonne Williams, African American
AIDS Awareness Action Alliance (A6)
Ron Williams, Executive Director,
Oregon Action
Jean Yamamoto, Co-president,
Portland Japanese American Citizens League
Anita Yap
I
V
Ramon Ramirez
Presidente, Pineros y Campesinos Unidos del
Noroeste (PCUN) Oregon's Farmworker Union
Liani Reeves
General Counsel, Office of the Governor
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Suk Rhee, Vice President, Planning &
Operations, Northwest Health Foundation
E l H ispanic N ews
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