PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Portland is letting the immigrant and refugee community know they’re welcome in the Rose City with a week devoted to honoring them.
This year’s Welcoming Week, a series of events celebrating and offering a helping hand to immigrants and refugees, comes at a time when Oregon has been struggling with a surge in bias crimes.
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In the last decade, bias crime reports went from 10 in 2015 to nearly 170 in 2023, according to the Oregon Department of Justice . On a national level, a similar rise in bias crimes in recent years has been reported by the FBI .
On Wednesday at Portland’s Alberta House, Welcoming Week celebrations included a block party with live music, international cuisine, games, and family-friendly activities. The event, slated for 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., recognized the immigrant and refugee contributions to the city’s diversity, culture and local economy.
A free resource fair was also held earlier in the day at Portland Community College Cascade’s Terrell Hall in North Portland. Offerings included legal services and other assistance, such as connecting community members with employment information, health insurance, food and opportunities in housing and education.