A4 • Friday, July 30, 2021 | Seaside Signal | SeasideSignal.com
SignalViewpoints
Attendees at a Consejo Hispano event.
Nonprofi t aids Hispanics during pandemic
SEEN FROM SEASIDE
R.J. MARX
Formally incorporated in 2006, Consejo
Hispano is a community-based nonprofi t
whose mission is the equitable integration
of resident Hispanics into the broader social
and economic fabric of the lower Columbia
community.
Born and raised in Costa Rica in a bicul-
tural and bilingual home, executive direc-
tor Jenny Pool Radway immigrated to the
United States as a teenager. She attended
Ripon College in Wisconsin where she grad-
uated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in polit-
ical science and Spanish and a minor in clas-
sical studies. She also holds a master’s degree
in human services and a master’s degree in
Latin American economics and politics from
the Universidad de Salamanca. Prior to join-
ing Consejo Hispano, Radway lived in Den-
ver, Colorado, and Salamanca, Spain.
The Signal spoke with Pool Radway
about eff orts to reach the Hispanic commu-
nity in Clatsop County, the pandemic, immi-
gration and what’s next for Consejo Hispano.
Q: How do you reach out to the com-
munity, especially the southern part of
Clatsop County?
A: We cover Clatsop, Columbia and Tilla-
mook counties in Oregon and Pacifi c County
in Washington. That’s because we don’t have
a lot of culturally specifi c and culturally
responsive organizations, other than us in
those areas. And so people know us and call
us for any number of things. And just know
that if we don’t have the answer, we’ll help
them get in touch with the resources or the
answers that they need.
We have our Facebook page, of course,
and we have several WhatsApp groups, but
primarily, it’s still word of mouth, of people
saying I need help. I’m a Spanish speaker.
It doesn’t matter if they’re in south Clat-
sop County or in Nehalem or where we’re
at. They’ll call our offi ce and get assistance
from us.
Q: What are the major issues in the
county?
A: Recently, with the high heat, we
received calls around worker rights and how
Jenny Pool Radway is the executive director
of Consejo Hispano.
people can advocate for themselves at work
when it’s super hot. Things that are always
ongoing are helping children register for
school or translation services.
The last two weeks, for example, we’ve
been in Cannon Beach, doing surveys so
that the county has information on how to
help the Latinx community with the ARPA
(American Rescue Plan Act) funding that
they’re receiving. So we’ve been doing sur-
veys with community members when they’re
at the soccer fi eld.
We also had a COVID vaccination clinic
last month on June 30 at the Cannon Beach
Chamber of Commerce, and we’re going to
have the follow-up next week.
Q: What kind of turnout did you get for
that?
A: We had about 80 adults come. They
didn’t all get vaccinated, but they showed up
to learn about them. We thought that was a
pretty good turnout for a Wednesday evening.
Q: So in a way you represent an oppor-
tunity to reach out to a neglected or under-
served audience?
A: Absolutely. We are a trusted resource
for the community members.
Q: During the COVID-19 pandemic
last year, I know that there was a lot of
concern about the worker conditions in
Astoria and elsewhere. Did you share
those concerns?
A: We did and we still do. There are still a
lot of issues, not just at the canneries, but for
farm workers in general. And for people who
work in the tourism industry and the restau-
rant industry as well.
Q: What are the kinds of worker issues
you might see, specifi cally in the tourism
and restaurant industry?
A: Not enough protection, in terms of
getting hand sanitizer, face masks, enough
PPE (personal protective equipment) sup-
plies that they need. In diff erent parts of the
county, we have people, someone will call
their employer and say, “I’m asymptomatic,
but I’ve tested positive for COVID” and the
employer will still let them come to work.
And while our community members rec-
ognize that that is not what should be hap-
pening, they also don’t have a choice because
they need to feed their families and keep a
roof over their head. They don’t want to lose
their employment.
Q: Is there still an issue with immigra-
tion status and fears of deportation?
A: Absolutely. A lot of community mem-
bers didn’t want to get vaccinated at fi rst
because of concerns of what questions were
asked when you got your vaccine.
Q: So they were reluctant to do so?
A: Absolutely. Until we explained that
that was not something that would get them
into any trouble. That still plays a big role in
our community.
Q: Did the same thing happen last year
with the census? Did you fi nd that peo-
ple overcame their concerns about possi-
bly the information being used in a way to
harm themselves or their families?
A: I don’t think we overcame the issue
then. Mostly because we were still under a
Trump presidency and people didn’t know
what the election results would be. A lot of
people did not participate, and we’re defi -
nitely undercounted.
Q: So our census numbers are going to
be underreported?
A: Absolutely. A lot of people are not tech-
nologically savvy, because they don’t have a
lot of experience or technology at home, like
a laptop to use. They don’t want to use their
phone, because they’re afraid that it might be
tracked, even though it’s not.
It’s hard to reassure people when there’s a
doubt. And we were in the middle of a pan-
demic, so we couldn’t really bring laptops to
them to complete it.
Q: Did you fi nd Latinx people, espe-
cially under the Trump administration,
returning to their home countries?
A: No. People hold out hope. They think
if I go back, and then somebody else gets
elected who sees things more favorably, it
will be much harder for me to come back.
It’s a hard journey.
Q: Do you see more people coming into
the U.S. now that Biden is president?
A: No.
Q: So the the fear of a quote unquote
“immigrant tide” is not happening here?
A: I don’t think the Oregon numbers have
changed. I couldn’t speak to other places in
the country.
Q: A federal judge ruled that Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals, a program
that allows certain immigrants to tem-
porarily avoid deportation and receive
renewable work permits, is illegal and
ordered the Biden administration to stop
giving permits. Is that of concern?
A: Absolutely. There’s about 60,000 peo-
ple who are, not locally, but 60,000 people
who are stuck in, you know, limbo because
their applications were being processed and
we don’t know if they’re going to continue to
be processed or what’s happening there. We
did see an increase locally once there was an
administrative change in the White House
that we had a lot more people applying for
DACA.
Q: Do you have any initiatives going on
right now that you’d like to talk about?
A: We have been working with the Ore-
gon Worker Relief Fund for over a year
now. It’s an organization that was created
because of the pandemic. And we’ve been
able to bring in over $1 million in the Clat-
sop County (area) in assistance. The numbers
are pretty good. And we’re really proud of
that work.
Q: Do you have any any wish list of
things you’d like to see in the county or
locally for the population?
A: I think I’d like there to be more access,
more language access, and certainly more
economic access. That’s very broad, but it’s
because there’s so much that falls under that.
Q: Do you think Clatsop County has
got a ways to go in terms of improving
their outreach?
A: Yes, but I think that they’re willing to
do it. And that’s a huge piece of the puzzle.
Q: Do you feel optimistic about where
you’re headed? Or do you feel that you’ve
got severe challenges? What’s your
outlook?
A: I’m very optimistic. I think we have a
great staff . We’re a growing team. And we’re
right in the middle of our strategic planning
process right now. But I think that, yeah, we
have great things happening in the next few
years.
BRIEFS
New KMUN
frequency in
Cannon Beach
The new KMUN trans-
lator in Cannon Beach is at
the north end of town, well
above the inundation zone
atop a 50-foot tower that is
much closer to the tops of
the surrounding trees. Find
KMUN at 89.3 FM in the
Cannon Beach area.
The radio waves trans-
mit at 250 watts instead of
the 10 watts provided by
the old transmitter which
was located in a barn, sur-
rounded by trees, east of the
highway, in midtown.
Beyond KMUN’s more
powerful broadcast antenna,
the tower will also accom-
modate radio antennas for
local ham, general mobile
radio service and Cannon
Beach emergency radios.
Residents named to
Pacifi c University
dean’s list
Local students were
named to the dean’s list at
Pacific University in For-
est Grove, Oregon.
Katie Weber of Cannon
Beach was named to the
dean’s list for the fall 2020
and spring 2021 terms.
Andrea Castro-Martinez
was named to the dean’s
list for the spring 2021
term.
Founded
in
1849,
Pacific University is a
comprehensive university
hart and Luke Nelson of
Seaside were named to the
spring 2021 dean’s list at
Linfi eld University.
The dean’s list identifi es
students who have earned a
term GPA at least equivalent
to a cum laude (at least 3.65
GPA) for a given semester.
It is computed following the
posting of grades at the end
of each semester.
offering
undergraduate,
graduate and professional
programs in the liberal arts
and sciences, business,
education, health profes-
sions and optometry.
Students named to
Linfi eld dean’s list
Caitlin Hillman of Gear-
PUBLIC MEETINGS
Avenue A.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 4
MONDAY, AUG. 9
First Ave.
TUESDAY, AUG. 17
Seaside Improvement Com-
mission, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m.,
cityofseaside.us.
Gearhart Planning Commission,
6 p.m., cityofgearhart.us.
Gearhart Small Business Com-
mittee, 6 p.m., cityofgearhart.com.
TUESDAY, AUG. 3
Seaside Library Board of
Directors, 4:30 p.m., 1131
Broadway St.
THURSDAY, AUG. 5
THURSDAY, AUG. 12
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 13
Seaside Community Center
Commission, 10 a.m., 1225
Seaside Planning Commis-
sion, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
Seaside Parks Advisory Com-
mittee, 6 p.m., 989 Broadway.
Seaside Civic and Convention
Center Commission, 5 p.m., 415
Gearhart City Council 6 p.m.,
public hearings, cityofgearhart.us.
Seaside Planning Commission,
6 p.m., work session, 989
Broadway.
Contact local agencies for laest
meeting information and atten-
dance guidelines.
CIRCULATION
MANAGER
Shannon Arlint
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
Sarah Silver-
Tecza
PUBLISHER
EDITOR
Kari Borgen
R.J. Marx
PRODUCTION
MANAGER
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
John D. Bruijn
Skyler Archibald
Joshua Heineman
Katherine Lacaze
Esther Moberg
SYSTEMS
MANAGER
Carl Earl
Seaside Signal
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