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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2019)
OPINION Page 6 n THE ASIAN REPORTER December 16, 2019 Volume 29 Number 24 December 16, 2019 ISSN: 1094-9453 The Asian Reporter is published on the first Monday each month. Please send all correspondence to: The Asian Reporter 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 2D, Portland, OR 97217 Phone: (503) 283-4440, Fax: (503) 283-4445 News Department e-mail: news@asianreporter.com Advertising Department e-mail: ads@asianreporter.com General e-mail: info@asianreporter.com Website: www.asianreporter.com Please send reader feedback, Asian-related press releases, and community interest ideas/stories to the addresses listed above. Please include a contact phone number. Advertising information available upon request. Publisher Jaime Lim Contributing Editors Ronault L.S. Catalani (Polo), Jeff Wenger Correspondents Ian Blazina, Josephine Bridges, Pamela Ellgen, Maileen Hamto, Edward J. Han, A.P. Kryza, Marie Lo, Simeon Mamaril, Julie Stegeman, Toni Tabora-Roberts, Allison Voigts Illustrator Jonathan Hill News Service Associated Press/Newsfinder Copyright 2019. Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication. Member Associated Press/Newsfinder Asian American Journalists Association Better Business Bureau Pacific Northwest Minority Publishers (PNMP) Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon MY TURN n Dmae Roberts Holiday picks Correspondence: The Asian Reporter welcomes reader response and participation. Please send all correspondence to: Mail: 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 2D, Portland, OR 97217-2220 Phone: (503) 283-4440 ** Fax: (503) 283-4445 News Department e-mail: news@asianreporter.com General e-mail: info@asianreporter.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES (U.S. rates only) Individual subscription (sent bulk rate): q Half year: $16 q Full year: $26 Individual subscription (sent first class mail): q Half year: $24 q Full year: $44 Office subscription (5 copies to one address): q Half year: $65 q Full year: $110 Institutional subscription (25 copies to one address): q Half year: $125 q Full year: $225 NEW SUBSCRIBER / ADDRESS CORRECTION INFORMATION FORM: Subscriber’s name: Company name: Address: City, State, ZIP: Phone: Fax: E-mail: Mail with payment or Fax with credit card information to: The Asian Reporter, Attn: Subscription Dept., 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 2D, Portland, OR 97217-2220 Phone: (503) 283-4440 * Fax: (503) 283-4445 q q q For VISA, Mastercard, or American Express payment only: Name (as it appears on the card): Type of card (circle): VISA Mastercard Card number: American Express Security code: Expiration date: Address of card: The last four issues of The Asian Reporter are available for pick up free at our office 24 hours a day at 922 N Killingsworth Street, Suite 2D, Portland, Oregon. Back issues of The Asian Reporter may be ordered by mail at the following rates: First copy: $1.50 Additional copies ordered at the same time: $1.00 each Send orders to: Asian Reporter Back Issues, 922 N. Killingsworth St., Portland, OR 97217-2220 The Asian Reporter welcomes reader response and participation. If you have a comment on a story we have printed, or have an Asian-related personal or community focus idea, please contact us. Please include a contact name, address, and phone number on all correspondence. Thank you. hile growing up, my family’s idea of enjoying holiday events was to go shopping at a discount store. Because we were isolated in a small Oregon town, there really weren’t community gatherings we felt welcome to attend. Luckily in Portland, there are many ways to spend time during the holidays, with some even offering free or low-cost tickets. Below are some cultural events I recommend that are friendly for people of color. December 16 — I always want to support arts events by the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO). Its new show, Oh Brother, Mother!, features two young men, a Nepali and Vietnamese, who perform a show written by IRCO’s Asian Immigrant & Refugee Youth Council (AIR-YC). Through the hidden stories of their mothers, the two friends take the audience on a journey discovering heritage, identity, and the immigration experience. Described as a play about “bromance and strong women,” the show also includes famous Asian musical numbers and original artwork by Asian youth in Portland. It takes place at Milagro Theatre (525 S.E. Stark Street, Portland) on December 16 at 7:00pm and tickets are only $5 (proceeds benefit AIR-YC). To learn more, visit <www.irco.org>. December 19 — Another IRCO event is “Wax and Gold,” a visual poem of a film hosted by Stumptown Coffee. In the spring of 2019, Stumptown, the Farm League, and director Britton Caillouette travelled to Ethiopia to learn about the country’s history as the origin of coffee and the birthplace of humanity. The short film weaves a narrative portrait of Ethiopia through shared histories and traditions as well as interviews with coffee producer Haile Gebre and jazz icon Mulatu Astatke. A suggested donation of $5 is collected at the door with proceeds benefitting IRCO. The 30-minute film is shown every half hour between 6:00pm and 9:00pm at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 S.E. Clinton Street, Portland). December 21 — Indigenous Come Up is hosting a Portland Indigenous Marketplace for last-minute shoppers from 2:00pm to 7:00pm at the Leaven Community Center (5431 N.E. 20th Avenue, Portland). In addition to vendors selling indigenous-made and -designed art, crafts, and jewelry, the event also includes free face painting, storytelling, and music. The marketplace is open to the public. The direct entrance to the marketplace (with stairs) is located on the corner of 20th and N.E. Killingsworth Street; the ADA-accessible entrance is on N.E. 20th close to the parking lot. To W learn more, visit <www.giftingartsandcrafts.com>. Below are some holiday plays I suggest readers attend. Many theatres offer “rush” tickets, which are available at lower prices usually 10 minutes before the start time of the show, and most Portland theatres participate in $5 “Arts For All” tickets for low-income attendees. In addition, a majority of theatres accept volunteers to usher their shows. To find out about discounted ticket options, visit <www.racc.org/access>. Through December 22 — Maya Malán- Gonzalez’s A Xmas Cuento Remix, a modern-day Latinx take on the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, is currently playing at Milagro Theatre (525 S.E. Stark Street, Portland). The world premiere of the new adaptation casts a Latina as the Scrooge character who finds redemption through visits from three ghosts from the past, present, and future to reunite her with her family and make positive change. It also features plenty of fun bilingual holiday songs. The show takes place Thursday through Sunday. To buy tickets, call (503) 236-7253 or visit <www.milagro.org>. Through December 29 — Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon, is a reimagining of the Bennet sisters in 1815, two years after the end of Pride and Prejudice. The racially diverse cast highlights sisters who are black, Asian, and white, and stars Portland favorite actress Lauren Modica, who is delightful as Mary, the most neglected sister in the original book. If you’d like to see Mary finally receive attention and find love, as well as enjoy costume comedy, this is a holiday treat. Check out ticket specials and discounts at <www.pcs.org/ tickets/ticket-specials>. Through January 5 — Matilda the Musical, based on the book by famed children’s author Roald Dahl, is lighting up the stage at the Northwest Children’s Theater (NWCT). The smash hit musical has a racially diverse cast of young female students who learn how to empower themselves amid villainous adults. NWCT always puts kids first in their productions and the play is family friendly. Shows begin at noon and 4:30pm. There is an American Sign Language interpreted show on December 21 at noon, and on the same day at 4:30pm there is an audio described show for blind and visually impaired attendees. To learn more, or to buy tickets, call (503) 222-2190 or visit <www. nwcts.org>. I hope you are able to take a night off from Netflix and Prime Video to attend some of these events. Happy holidays! Opinions expressed in this newspaper are those of the authors and not necessarily those of this publication.