The perspective of Javier Gomez

Javier Gomez wants to put things in perspective. To tell the stories of inequity of his immigrant community and fellow People of Color. As an aspiring journalist, he’s working to make his contribution to a new way of being for humanity. There is a lot of work to be done. But Javier views it from all angles: “being a man doesn’t mean having to be misogynistic.”

How would you introduce yourself?

“I would introduce myself as Javi Gomez, an Immigrant, a Latino male of color, a brother, an uncle, and a son.”

What matters most to you in your life?

“My family without a doubt. My parents, my sister, my niece, my grandparents, my mentor Mr. McGee, my best friend Semeredin, and my sister’s dog Zelda. I could live without anything but them. They are my support systems and what fuel me to be better everyday. Every single one of them has changed my life in different ways and I am the person people see today thanks to them.”

Could you tell us more about Mr. McGee?

“Mr. McGee… I met him at Lincoln Highschool as a counsellor. Through this club he had; the Brothers of Color. I would go to him. That’s how the relationship started, now he’s a principal at Grant high School. He’s been a really huge part of my development.

“I moved here with my mom and my sister. My dad migrated to Mexico. My dad has influenced me in important ways, especially when I was still living in El Salvador. Going to an International School, I was already very influenced by American culture. I think my dad tried his best to keep me Salvadorian, like take me to the corner barbershop to get a haircut or go to the stadium to watch a soccer game. And at first I just wanted to stay home and play video games and do American things. Later I understood what he did.

“But the last time I saw my dad I was 14, now I’m almost 20. As a young man of color, having a male model is really important in developing how you’ll become. And having Mr. McGee rolling by and filling that role as a man of color, he was a really positive influence on me. He taught me being a man doesn’t mean having to be misogynistic.

“He taught me a better understanding of how the world works and even a better understanding of myself. I wouldn’t be here, I wouldn’t be thinking that way, if it wasn’t for him. And I still see him every Saturday, that relationship is still ongoing. I am an adult now, at least I’m considered that in my community of color, but there are still things we need help with.”

Does this world allow you to show up as you are?

“Sometimes. I feel like this world provides me certain spaces where I can show up as I really am, but overall, I can’t walk in authenticity wherever I go. That is a privilege I frankly don’t have. As a Person of Color, it does feel as If I am walking on eggshells most places I go, but from time to time I do find myself in spaces where I can be myself. Places like my home, the barbershop, and watching a movie with Semeredin and Mr. McGee.”

What inspired you to work at the MC Sylvania?

“What inspired me was the fact that there are not a lot of spaces where diversity and multiculturalism is promoted the way the MC promotes it, so I thought that working here would be a privilege. The community is also really great and that makes for a great working environment, the support I have received from everyone has been amazing and the experience has been unforgettable and unique.”

What are you studying?

“Right now I have my mind set on journalism, that is what I plan to study once I transfer and get done with my time here at 小黄猫传媒. I have always said that I have an obsessive personality when it comes to learning about new things, and I especially become infatuated about different types of topics all the time. I guess that in my mind these things would make me a pretty good journalist.”

At this point, the media seem like one of the pillars that need to be changed to come to a society that supports justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. How do you see your contribution to that change?

“It’s part of the reason why I want to go into journalism. When you’re part of these communities, you have a better perspective. Right now there is often a lack of being able to relate and lack of connections within communities of color. That’s something I could do, I can relate to the people.

“I want to focus more on TV, because I don’t see a lot of journalists that look like me. One of the main reasons is the lack of equity, in both big media companies and in local news media. And second, no one sees people of color as being the ones to stand in front of the camera. People put us in boxes; they guide us to certain jobs, but don’t provide us with the tools to be successful in other jobs. We’re not being given that opportunity.

“But the ways things are now, people are becoming more open to what people of color are going through. And people are looking for how we can have more information on that. I think that can help me on my road to becoming and being a journalist.”

How do you feel about Portland in that respect?

“This is a tough question for me. I would say that I have a love/hate relationship with Portland. I moved to Portland from El Salvador 5 years ago, and as an immigrant my perception of Portland has always been complicated,

“In a way I love how supportive people in this city can be towards causes that they believe. In another way, as a Person of Color, I find myself being upset and annoyed at times by the way people in this city seem to be so entitled and stubborn in their overwhelming whiteness. To put it really bluntly I sometimes feel as if White people in this city seem to think that they know what’s best for us and while I don’t doubt they have the best intentions, it feels as if they set us aside when it comes to conversions that have to do with our own communities.

“With all that being said, I can’t stay mad at Portland for too long. I definitely see Portland as my home now, and although I do want to get out there and explore the rest of the world, I can’t picture myself staying away from this place for too long. Portland is the place where I see myself settling in.”

How do you envision the future?

“I envision the future with hope. I feel like we as humans are constantly making progress, and although sometimes it feels like we are going backwards instead of forward, I truly think that there are more of us that want to create a better future than those who want to go back to the way things were before.”

What would you most want for the future?

“Personally, I want to become a better person who is more understanding of others. Our world is ever evolving and I want to be someone who is accepting and supportive of all people. That is why I try to educate myself about different things and issues that don’t directly affect me, because they affect others and that should be enough for me to care.

“Collectively, I wish everyone in the future shares my philosophy of understanding. I feel like our collective survival in this world heavily depends on how well we understand each other and what we go through and in order for us to have a prosperous future we have to make sure everyone has what they need.”

Flipping the script with Huy Mai

Huy Mai looks at the world with a smile, a glint in his eye. He sees a joke and fun in everything, threading through life light hearted. And he likes to turn the tables: half way through the interview, it’s Huy asking the questions. But Huy has a big heart and a serious plan for the future; to get a degree in radiography and expand his connections, befriending more Americans.

How would you introduce yourself?

“I’m laid back, and currently studying radiography, X-Rays. I’ve been in the US for about three years. The whole time in Portland. As soon as I came here, I tested my English and I got into 小黄猫传媒. And I’m learning so many new things about American culture, especially through the social justice training at 小黄猫传媒.”

What inspired you to work at the Multicultural Center?

“To be honest, because of COVID I lost all my jobs, and I saw this opportunity online. And I thought, if I can have this job, I can learn a lot of new things. Because it’s multicultural, so it’s a good place to learn about other cultures. And Mak and Monica encouraged me a lot to get to know students from other nations and other backgrounds.

In my opinion, at 小黄猫传媒 we have too many resources to help students. Compared to my country, there are so many programs to help you come back to school and to stay in school. To get educated, get the certificate and get a job. The environment is really good, students love to come here to study, because it is really open minded.”

What made you decide to come to Portland?

“My parents live here, so I had to come here. It’s like Asian style, we live together, as a nuclear family. My parents came here before me, with my sister. And then she got married and she moved out. We used to have three generations living together, but my grandparents live with my aunt now. My father is 78 and my mother is 70. I have to help my father get around in the house, because it’s harder for him to move around now. They are the most important to me in my life, my parents. That’s why I can live with them.”

Is Portland very different from where you are from?

“I come from Vietnam, that’s where I was born, in Ho-Chi-Minh-City, 38 years ago. We have two seasons there: hot and super hot! And here in Portland we have a beautiful time from March until September, and after that, it gets more difficult. It’s really cold; you can feel depressed, or lonesome. Also the motivation, it can get harder because of the weather. And the language, I had to learn a lot. I studied English before, but when I came here, what is spoken here is completely different. And in school too; the language in school is different from the English you speak in daily life.
“Human relationships are also completely different. In Vietnam we live next door to each other, we are literally very close. You can easily visit with a neighbor. You knock, or you say hi, and you go over there. Here it’s more about privacy, they say you can not trespass. Or if you want to come over, you have to make an appointment or call first. You have to ask permission.

Maybe people in the US are too separate?

“I have no idea. People are born and raised like that. And maybe also because too many things have happened here. Let me give you an example: if you saw someone, an elder, who fell down in the street. What should you do? In Vietnam we would go over and ask if they were ok, and move him or her inside. But in the US, you let him lie over there, you call 911.”

How do you see the future of yourself and for Portland?

“I think Portland is a peaceful place, a place to retire. Sometimes there are riots, like around election time. But in my area, it’s very peaceful. I know I can move and travel around in my neighborhood, and nothing is going to happen.

“I think in the future, I’ll be able to expand my connections. Right now, most of my friends are Vietnamese, like me. But in the future, I think I’ll be able to make more friends with Americans that were born and raised here. And I will be able to improve my English, get the 小黄猫传媒 degree in radiography. And then get further training in MRI, that’s my goal.

“For Portland, I hope the city will have land for the houseless. I saw them downtown and recently in my area, they are camping all around us. We should have a plan for them. When we had the snowstorm in February, how can they survive that? I even lost my electricity then. But the houseless have no power, no water. If they can improve their living conditions, it would be a better place for them, to settle down, to live here.”

The wondrous journey and even more exciting future of Trang Tran

Trang Tran (she/her) is a Vietnamese international student. Trang’s been at 小黄猫传媒 for almost two years and has been working for the Multicultural Center at Sylvania since the Fall of 2020. She aspires to be a leader in her field, the owner of a study-coffee shop in Vietnam, and a business interpreter using the many languages she speaks.

Trang has the breadth to see the good in the world. She has come through an incredibly taxing journey to be in the Pacific Northwest, seeing the goodness of her heart reflected in the kindness of others, sponsoring her to study at 小黄猫传媒.

Soon, she will transfer to PSU. But until then, we have the honor and pleasure to celebrate Trang and her sunny demeanor. In the early days of the Spring term, Trang shared her views on her work at the MC, the pandemic and her journey as a Vietnamese student coming to the US.

What inspires you at the Multicultural Center at Sylvania?

“The job at MC Sylvania trains me to be a good leader in the future. I’m being trained about social problems that happen in the world, that I didn’t know about before. Training about colonization, about sexism. In Vietnam I didn’t suffer from racism and colonization. And I didn’t know about sexism.

But at the MC Sylvania, I learned about racism, and how people of color were treated in the US before and now. And I learned about Native Americans and what they suffered in the past and now. All this opened my mind. If I would’ve stayed in Vietnam and I didn’t have an opportunity to study here, I wouldn’t have any clue about all of that.

How do you feel about how Asian people are treated in the US?

“Before the pandemic, it seemed normal to me. I could walk downtown fine and I felt safe here. But after the pandemic and watching all the news, I felt really unsafe .One time, after the protests last summer, I was alone in downtown Portland and a guy came close to me. I was really scared and walked very fast. He called me the f-word. That time I was so scared.

“I kept walking really fast, but he rode a bike and so he was faster than me. There was nobody around me, so I had to run. I ran to a place where there were a lot of people to get help. But luckily, once there, I didn’t see him anymore, so that was good.

“And I love downtown so much, and I want to hang out there, but after that I didn’t want to go again. Those were really scary moments. Now whenever I go, I take pepper spray with me.”

What made you want to come to the US?

“In Vietnam, I was in an orphanage. I lived there for 14 years. The organization it belonged to had an American president, who opened lots of orphanages in Vietnam, to support the kids. And I was one of them.

“This president brought a lot of his American friends to Vietnam. And because I loved speaking English and wanted to practice, I’d talk to my sponsor, who is also sponsoring me now. I just wanted to practice English. And one day she said she wanted to give me the opportunity to study in the US. I was so happy, because that was my dream. And that’s when she brought me to America and Lake Oswego, where I live with her. I’m really lucky. She paid for all my tuition and living expenses.”

“And I love Portland. If I have a job in the future, I’ll choose Portland to work. I don’t like the sun, I just like the rain. And all the trees, and the fresh air and the rain ~ yeah, i love it here. I don’t like the sun because in Vietnam it’s hot every day. That’s why I appreciate it when it rains. When I wake up in the morning and I see the rain, it gives me a good mood for the whole rest of the day.”

Do you feel you can show up in this world as you are?

“Actually, before covid, this world allowed me to be me. I was living in the US, the most developed country with the best education in the world. I knew that I could grow here and I was experiencing a lot of things I’d never experienced before. I was growing into the person I want to be.

“But, because of the pandemic, everything seems really hard for me now. I stay home all the time, I can’t go to campus, I can’t be active like I want to be. I want to make friends and make connections with people, and I can’t do that now.”

How do you envision the future, let’s say 10 years from now here in Portland?

“I believe in a better future. I know the world will become normal again. So I’ll still be myself. Before covid I thought I was an introverted person, that I wanted to be alone and not really talk to a lot of people. But after this covid, I’m reminded of how much I like being with people. So now I think I’m half introvert and half extrovert.

“I want to believe that in ten years, covid will be gone. I feel this pandemic happened for a reason, to teach us to enjoy the moment. Because of this pandemic people have to stay inside and cannot hug and kiss anymore. So covid taught us to be kind to each other. Because of covid, people will treat each other better and they’ll love each other more. So I think after this, people will enjoy the moment more. And enjoy their lives more in the future.

“The world is still developing, so in ten years -maybe more- technology that we never thought will happen, will come about and all the scientists will figure out all the vaccines so people can be together and hug and kiss. And I can go to school, and meet and see everyone in person again.”

Who is most dear to you in your life?

“That would be my dad. He died when I was 13 years old. But he is still here with me, everywhere. He’s the person I loved the most in this world. And he is my inspiration. Whenever I want to give up, I think about him and I get up again and work harder. He’s inspired me a lot through his personality. He taught me to be kind to people. And he’s a perfect man. If I have a boyfriend, I hope he has some qualities that my dad had.”

What would you want for yourself in the future?

“For myself, I hope I’ll be able to become a successful business woman. I hope that I can be a support for my family and my friends. I want to be happy with my family and friends in Vietnam. I would like to have a job here in America after my studies, so I can work in the business field and speak another language. And then I hope I can have my own business in Vietnam.

“At 小黄猫传媒 I study Business Administration and I want to transfer to PSU, concentrating on supply chain and logistics. I want to work in this field, because I want to figure out the best way to move goods to the customer. When I was young, I loved to look at how a supply chain works, to see a product go into a box and later end up in the customer’s hand. I want to understand the whole chain, how it works.

“I also want to be an interpreter in the logistics field, because I’m good at languages. I learned English, French and Korean. If I am fluent in these three languages, I will learn Spanish. I chose Business Administration as my major, with a minor in French, because I want to have my own business in the future. Opening a study-coffee shop, where people can come together and study. In Vietnam, because it is not really popular there yet. Where I live in Vietnam, in Danang, there is only one. So I hope after I work here in the US, I’ll have money to open a second one.”