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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 5, 2020)
COMMUNITY October 5, 2020 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 11 OHS, TIS collaborate to preserve and create access to oral history interviews with local immigrants and refugees The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) and The Immigrant Story (TIS) have announced that a series of oral history interviews with local immigrants are now publicly available through the OHS Digital Collections website. The stories shared in the audio interviews cover a wide range of experiences and per- spectives from around the globe. The individuals, who have nearly all found their home in Oregon, provide a glimpse at the variety of reasons that compel people to immigrate: for safety, for opportunity, for careers, for love. Discussions between OHS and TIS began in 2018 around finding a suitable archive for The Immigrant Story’s original oral history recordings. OHS’s commit- ment to public access, substantial experience with oral history collections, and existing infrastructure to preserve digital recordings made the organization a natural home. The newly available recordings are among the earliest recorded by The Immigrant Story. More will be added over time. The agreement is part of a larger part- nership between OHS and TIS that also includes public programs and a series of exhibitions at the OHS museum in downtown Portland. The first exhibit in the three-exhibit partnership, “DREAMs Deferred,” is on view through October 11. Giant rat wins animal hero award for sniffing out landmines Continued from page 4 Name: Magawa. Sex: Male. Date of birth: November 5, 2014. Birthplace: Morogoro, Tanzania. Current location: Siem Reap, Cambodia. Length: 70 centimeters (27.5 inches). Weight: 1,230 grams (2.7 pounds). Favorite food: Bananas and peanuts. Favorite toy: Running wheel in the playground. Personality: A determined worker and always friendly. Temperament: Quick and decisive. Likes to take naps at break time. Favorite activities: Eating watermelon and looking for landmines, knowing he’ll be rewarded with bananas. What he has in common with Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex: Magawa and the duchess share the same jeweller: Cleave & Company. The court jewellers struck Magawa’s miniature PDSA Gold Medal as well as creating Meghan’s engagement ring. How big is Magawa’s medal: It is 18.25 millimeters (0.72 inches) in diameter and weighs 3.9 grams (0.14 ounces). One of the recordings now live on the website features a 2017 interview with Anisha Ginshing. In the interview, Ginshing discusses her early life in a camp for Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, immi- grating to Idaho at age nine, and learning English as a Second Language in elementary school. After moving to Portland, Ginshing attended Parkrose High School, where she took advance- placement courses and was involved in extracurricular activities, including a Latinx student leadership club. Through the club, she became involved in multicultural festivals at her school and introduced her school to traditional Nepali dances and foods. In 2017, she began studies at Portland Community College with plans to become a registered nurse. Another interview features a conver- sation with Indian immigrant Prashant Ashok Kakad. Born in Nasik, India, in 1982, Kakad’s father was an officer in India‘s Air Force, but switched careers in CAPTURING HISTORY. The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) and The Immigrant Story have an- nounced that a series of oral history interviews with local immigrants are now publicly available through the OHS Digital Collections website. The stories shared in the audio interviews cover a wide range of experiences and perspectives from around the globe. (Photo courtesy of The Immigrant Story) the mid-1990s to become a police officer in Bombay. Kakad graduated from high school in Bombay in 1999, and then attended the Institute of Chemical Technology in Mumbai. He came to the United States in 2003 to attend Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he earned a master’s degree in polymer science in 2006 and later moved to Hillsboro, Oregon to work at Intel. In 2009, he decided to leave Intel to pursue a career in music, and in 2010, he founded Jai Ho! dance parties and Bollywood Dreams Entertainment. The candid conversations and the others now available on OHS Digital Collections were initially recorded so TIS volunteer journalists could write short biographies of each person for the organization’s website. Founded in 2017 by Sankar Raman, The Immigrant Story’s mission is “to document, narrate, and curate the stories of immigrants in order to enhance empathy and help promote an inclusive community.” Its goal is to both advance the national dialogue and to dispel myths about new Americans through strong, thoughtful narratives. OHS Digital Collections highlight more than 31,000 items, including photographs, manuscripts, ephemera, moving images, and audio recordings. To learn more, or to explore the online collection, visit <www.ohs.org>. Mental health is just as important as physical health Take care of yourself with fully covered mental health services We know this is a difficult time. COVID-19 has probably made your life more challenging. With the school year disrupted and separated from friends, children are facing emotional burdens, too. But help is available for you and your family. The Oregon Health Plan (OHP) covers most mental health services. Providers are available for both online and in-person appointments. Get the care you need — fully covered. Here are some tips to help your Services include: appointment go smoothly ⊲ Find a quiet, private space so you can talk freely. Use a headset or headphones if you can. Counseling and therapy Mental health care for children ⊲ If possible, make sure your phone or computer has a camera. ⊲ Get your phone, tablet or computer ready a few minutes early. You may have to download an app to connect to your provider. Substance use treatment Addiction recovery support ⊲ Remember that video uses a lot of cell phone data if you’re not on Wi-Fi. Contact CareOregon Customer Service to connect to mental health services. Reach us 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 800-224-4840 or TTY 711. careoregon.org/connect-to-care connect to care
