The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current, May 01, 2023, Special Issue, Page 9, Image 9

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    Asian Heritage Issue
May 1, 2023
THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 9
CULTURAL CELEBRATION. New Year in the Park, a free family-friendly celebration of the Cambodian,
Lao, Thai, and Burmese New Year, took place at Glenhaven Park on a sunny Saturday in late April. The event fea-
tured traditional music, cultural dance (pictured), Asian cuisine, items for sale, and more. Some people attended
for a couple hours while others partied all day. (AR Photos/Jan Landis)
Thousands attend
2023 New Year in the Park
Attention I-84 Travelers!
By Jody Lim
The Asian Reporter
hile waiting at the red light to
turn west onto N.E. Siskiyou
Street from 82nd Avenue, I
could smell the celebration. On a sunny
spring day that reached at least 80°,
thousands of people attended the 2023
New Year in the Park in northeast
Portland over the weekend.
Just beyond the trees lining Glenhaven
Park were too many tents to counts. Small
pop-up tents shaded businesses, restau-
rants, and organizations. Two huge tents
covered the performance stage and
attendees.
At least 10 restaurants, such as
Burmese Delight, Mekong Bistro, Thip
Khoa, Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine, and
Ding Tea PDX, sold fried rice, papaya
salad, skewers, micola bowls, pad see ew,
crazy wings & rice, Burmese tea, lotus
cookies, fried bananas, and much more.
Festival-goers patiently waited in line for
their delightfully delicious cuisine.
Outreach booths included organizations
— the Immigrant and Refugee Community
Organization (IRCO), the Asian Pacific
American Network of Oregon (APANO),
and the Cambodian-American Commu-
nity of Oregon (CACO) — as well
businesses and government agencies —
the Multnomah County Library, DHS’s
API Net, the Oregon Department of
Justice’s Civil Rights Unit, the OHSU
BEFAST program, and the Multnomah
County Circuit Court, among others.
Anyone seeking information could find
someone willing to provide helpful
pamphlets and resources.
Plenty of freebies were also available —
candy, pens, buttons, calendars, flyers,
bookmarks, and band-aids. The BEFAST
(Balance. Eyes. Face. Arm. Speech. Time.)
booth educated attendees who stopped by
W
Our Gorge work projects between I-205 and
Hood River are in full swing. SLOW YOUR ROLL
and expect delays in multiple work zones.
Sign up for updates on
our project website at
i84GorgeConstruction.org
about the signs to be aware of in case
someone is experiencing a stroke. The
Civil Rights Unit distributed information
about its Stand Against Hate program.
Many vendors, including one from up
north in Bellevue, Washington, offered
sashes, hats, small sculptures, handbags,
wallets, scrunchies, shampoo, lotion,
jewelry, and more for sale. Youth were
invited to participate in arts and crafts at
the New Year in the Park table.
The booths, which surrounded the tall
performance tents, were bustling. I
noticed smiles everywhere. Celebration
organizers were also selling colorful New
Year in the Park t-shirts for only $20 as a
fundraiser.
And, of course, there were performers
and speakers onstage during the daylong
festival. Groups, individuals, and families
representing Lao, Myanmar, Thai, Iu
Continued on page 13
Department of Consumer & Business Services
Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers
What we do:
The Ombuds Office for Oregon Workers is the state office that serves as an
independent advocate for workers by helping them understand their rights,
protections, and responsibilities related to safety in the workplace
and the workers’ compensation system. Our services are free.
Ombuds for Oregon Workers
Call: (503) 378-3351 or 800-927-1271 (toll-free)
E-mail: oow.questions@dcbs.oregon.gov
Website: www.oregon.gov/DCBS/OOW
We provide free interpretation services
dcbs.oregon.gov