Environmental Justice

Reflection by Madison Thibado and Macey Schondel

        Despite spending the past three years at the University of Portland we had never once heard of the Jade District. The Jade District is an area in Southeast Portland that boasts one of the most diverse communities. Meeting with the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) completely opened our eyes to a new part of Portland and a new approach to environmental justice. The APANO office was located on SE 82^nd and Division St intersection. We were given the opportunity to tour the neighborhood and observe the many projects APANO has initiated around their community. While on this walk, we noticed a lack of consistent sidewalks, safe bike lanes, and robust public transportation access. APANO had noticed this too, which was one thing that fueled their desire to create a safe, beautiful place for their community to feel proud to be a part of. One of the most interesting strategies of this type of community development and advocacy we learned was that of creative place making. Creative place making describes organizing things like local art, community spaces, and gardens in a neighborhood in a way that sponsors a stronger identity of the community and build connections with the environment around them. One way APANO has worked to create their place in the Jade District is through painting of the public trashcans. The paintings resembled places and people in the area to portray the unique story of the Jade District. These beautiful, locally-sponsored pieces of art have created new connections and value to the Jade District residents. These trashcans felt like a hidden gem of the neighborhood that we are thankful to have learned the story behind them. These seemingly small acts have led to large improvements in the strength of identity that the diverse Jade District residents hold. Working towards the future, APANO is now planning their work with the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF), a new form of support for climate justice movements. It was incredibly inspiring to meet with a group of people so passionate about climate and social justice.  

              We were also lucky enough to hear from two other change-making organizations, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and Verde. Both of these organizations helped us to look deeper into the Portland Clean Energy Fund and how it will hopefully benefit other underrepresented communities along with APANO. The Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility highlighted the importance of building healthy communities as being a key factor in climate resilience. Under PCEF they would be able to gain support in making underserved parts of Portland a stronger community as well as helping to move towards clean energy. Verde similarly hopes to build stronger communities using PCEF money. Getting to meet with groups who would directly benefit from the fund helped to provide some perspective into the potential for change in Portland in the future. It was interesting to learn the importance of strengthening communities as a way to combat climate change injustices in Portland. While this huge issue of climate change seems daunting, being able to see firsthand how so many different groups are working to fight it was incredibly inspiring. We are so grateful to have been able to connect with people fighting for justice in our community.

              Going forward, we hope to take this new community-based perspective into consideration as we continue to push for climate justice in our own lives and communities.

In solidarity,

Madison and Macey

Reflection by Kat Yo and Diana Salgado Huicochea         

     As we finished our Environmental Justice tour in North Portland with the Portland Harbor Community Coalition, our last stop was our own University backyard, River Campus. Kat and I talked about our highs, lows, and buffalo (something that surprised us in the day).

Kat:  High- Getting the chance to learn the history of North Portland while standing on the ground where it happened.

         Low- Environmental issues are still impacting Portland communities, especially those who already experience a disproportionate amount of barriers in their daily lives.

        Buffalo- It is happening in our own backyard.

Diana: High- Learning about the history of how distorted human values have impacted the environment as well as the intersectionality of the environmental crisis with the marginalized communities.

            Low- Not knowing how humans can truly clean up the pollution done in the past without affecting the current ecosystem and vulnerable communities.

          Buffalo- Having vegetarian chicken alfredo.

              As students at the University of Portland we spend at least 4 years of our lives living there, not knowing the ecological degradation beneath us. Today we stood on the River Campus Beach, listening to the history of the Willamette River. Michael, Sarah, and Cassie, resident tour guides with the Portland Harbor Community Coalition, not only talked about the environmental impact of generations of human pollution, but the different methods and approaches to cleaning up the abandoned pollutants. One of these methods is called capping, a technique where concrete is placed over toxic soil to reduce human exposure. This method of restoration comprises river campus. While capping temporarily solves the degree of contact with pollution, it is important to know that the toxic pollutants remain beneath the brittle concrete. Any natural disaster (i.e. floods, earthquakes, oil explosions) threatens to re-expose the toxins. Another method is called consolidation, which entails placing all the polluted soil into a single contained area by the river. This solution still poses risks for the same reason capping is not a true solution to the issue. The third proposed strategy is called clean up. Although cleanup sounds appealing, executing this requires the clearing of native trees resulting in the destruction of the habitats within the ecosystem. Furthermore, the waste would still need to be transported elsewhere, raising additional risks.

          As we finished the day with our group reflection, we discussed how we can translate our highs and lows into a deeper awareness and how we can take action to influence environmental change. We learned today that there is still hope and you can be a part of the call to action. We kindly ask you to check out this link HERE, which explains how we can contribute to the solution by voicing our ideas. Our first day of the Environmental Justice Immersion has led us to explore the rich history, justice, and environmental significance in a small area of Portland. We look forward to the next five days that will continue to expose us to new learnings. We are grateful to have shared this first day experience with our community, each other and with you.

In Gratitude,

Kat Yo and Diana Salgado Huicochea