Community / A.C.E. November 7, 2016 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11 Exhibit lays bare Portland’s annexation east of 82nd Avenue By Ryan Nakano The Asian Reporter he room is dark. Mounted on the walls are large posters bleeding red, black, and white like old political propaganda pieces. Underneath the posters sit stacks of cardboard boxes once filed away with documents that most of the people in the room were unfamiliar with until October. The art exhibit is part of a city-funded program, but the endeavor itself is a critique on the city, its funding, and the projects that developed from a long-forgotten history of neighborhoods east of 82nd Avenue. The artist, 42-year-old Sabina Haque, stands at the entrance of the display held in Portland’s Jade District, fielding questions from a group of guests. To her right, a set of three televisions simultaneously screen the testimonials of residents who grew up in east county. One of the residents featured on the televisions, Bonnie McKnight, a community activist, talks about the annexation process, explaining how each citizen of the unincorporated region would be worth around $7.50 to Portland, likening it to a giant grant program for the city. One map of the area, which was annexed between 1983 and 1987, shows that approximately 140,000 people lived there. “There was never any transparency when it came to the annexation,” McKnight says in the video. “It was generally, ‘here is what we are going to do.’” According to Haque’s artist statement and explanation about the exhibit, “82nd Avenue served as the easternmost boundary of the city of Portland. In the 1980s, Portland expanded the city’s boundaries roughly to 182nd Avenue … Longtime residents, neighborhood activists, and an influx of Southeast Asian immigrants came together in this evolving geographical space in a decade marked by economic and political turmoil.” Today, Haque’s statement con- tinues, east Portland is the most diverse and rapidly growing section of the city, encompassing one-quarter of its population as well as nearly 40 percent of its youth. A large projection in the exhibit shows the transformation of 82nd Avenue over the past 100 years, a visual landscape of the history of the existing multicultural melting pot of the region told through storefront billboards and neon signs. The area became the home of many immigrants. Before the ’80s, the region was unincorporated, meaning it was not officially part of Portland. It was not even connected to the city’s sewage system. RACC grant The Regional Arts & Culture Coun- cil (RACC) granted funding to the City of Portland Archives & Records Center (PARC) to host an artist in residency. It would be the second opportunity for PARC to connect with a local artist, so they put out the call. There was the selection process: hours of reviewing applicants and more than 100 informational sessions. Sabina Haque was chosen. Haque, who was born in Columbus, T NEW RESOURCE CENTERS. Portland State University recently opened the doors to its two newest cultural resource centers — the Pa- cific Islander, Asian & Asian American Student Center and the Pan-African Commons — that provide computer labs, lounges, study spaces, and more to students. The grand opening of the centers was held November 2 and included performances (top photo), informational booths (bottom photo), and more. (AR Photos/Jan Landis) PSU opens two new resource centers for students of color Portland State University (PSU) recently opened the doors to its two newest cultural resource centers: the Pacific Islander, Asian & Asian American Student Center and the Pan-African Commons. The two new centers join PSU’s three other cultural resource centers: the Multicultural Center, the Native American Student & Community Center, and La Casa Latina. In recent years, students had requested centers for African-American and African students as well as Asian-American, Asian, and Pacific Islander students. Last December, students convened a Speak Out event to publicly describe their experiences and challenges. “When the students went up in the front of that room and started to tell the administration with so much passion and love and grace what they needed, I realized that something was going to happen,” said Cynthia Gómez, executive director of the university’s Cultural Resource Centers. Shortly afterward, PSU president Wim Wiewel announced the formation of the two new centers. In the months since, the leadership team of the Cultural Resource Centers has engaged students and solicited feedback to determine the role the centers should play in the community; even the names of the centers were chosen by public discussion and vote. PSU students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to continue that effort to help craft the missions for the new centers. All of the university’s cultural centers offer resources such as computer labs, lounges, and study spaces. They also provide event and program facilitation, as well as opportunities for student leadership, employment, and volunteer work. “When someone walks into our space, they should be able to see themselves,” said Makerusa “Mak” Porotesano, director of the Pacific Islander, Asian & Asian American Student Center. He hopes visitors to the centers will see themselves in the art and in the faces around them, that they’ll hear themselves in the music, and that they’ll think, “I’m from here.” To learn more, visit . The Asian Reporter is published on the first & third Monday each month. News page advertising deadlines for our next print edition are: November 21 to December 4, 2016 edition: Space reservations due: Wednesday, November 16 at 1:00pm Artwork due: Thursday, November 17 at 1:00pm ANNEXATION & TRANSFORMATION. An art installation by Sabina Haque that focuses on neighborhoods east of 82nd Avenue is open for viewing on Thursday, November 17 from 6:00 to 8:00pm at the Jade/APANO Multicultural Space, located at 8114 S.E. Division Street in Portland. (AR Photos/Ryan Nakano) Ohio, but grew up in Karachi, I found as big as possible,” Haque Pakistan, has spent the past 10 years said. “I wanted to shine a light on living in Portland with her husband these neighborhoods east of 82nd so and two kids. She is a visual artist people could experience its presence and a professor of art at Portland in a big way.” And then, of course, there is the State University. In past projects, Haque has worked venue where the exhibit is currently with students, teaching cultural and housed — the working space of the oral histories through the arts. She Asian Pacific American Network of has coordinated activities tackling Oregon (APANO), which is located at the issue of annexation and the corner of 82nd Avenue and assimilation from an Indian and Division Street. Even before Haque was selected for Pakistani perspective. Before connecting with PARC, the residency, city archivist Diana Haque knew very little about the Banning had chosen east Portland as history of east Portland. So for the the topic. “We chose east Portland because last year, she and a team of research assistants have been digging. What we wanted to shine a light on 82nd to immediately struck her was the hopefully introduce the idea that absence of transparency by the city these communities existed and still and the lack of voice given to exist in the records and that the city residents of the unincorporated archives have records that pertain to all of its city’s citizens,” Banning region. “Things were done behind closed said. Banning also mentioned how the doors,” Haque said. The city told residents to “please come to these team was really excited for the community meetings — after they exhibit to be on view within the had already made the decision to community it represents. By displaying her work at the Jade/ incorporate the east.” Haque believes the lack of APANO Multicultural Space (JAMS), transparency continues to be a Haque has been able to bring art to challenge when it comes to the city the forefront of the community it is and its relationship with the reflecting. Banning likens the communities that exist within it. She research process for the artist-in- went on to say that while her exhibit residency program to that of falling serves as a means of historical through a rabbit hole. For some viewers, Haque’s art documentation, it is also a way to exhibit of Portland east of 82nd might address possible solutions. “How do we find our voice? How can feel very much the same. But after we come up with solutions that work seeing it, she hopes they will not say for everybody, not just the people in to themselves, “look at what power? How can cities effectively happened,” but rather “what will work with citizens?” — These are become of it?” Another viewing of Haque’s exhibit questions she hopes the exhibit takes place on Thursday, November elicits. Stepping into the display, there are 17 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the a couple very noticeable things. One Jade/APANO Multicultural Space, located at 8114 S.E. Division Street in is the documents themselves. “Because most of this specific part Portland. The event also features an of the city went underrepresented artist talk at 7:00pm. To learn more, and under-documented for so long, I call (971) 340-4861 or visit .