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