Celebrate With Us!

The Multnomah County Commission will formally adopt an apology resolution, acknowledging historical injustices and committing $2.5 million toward the Chinese Memorial at Lone Fir Cemetery.

About

For nearly two years, the C.A.C.A. Portland Lodge has been working to secure an official apology from Multnomah County for the historic harm inflicted on the Chinese American community regarding the Chinese Section, Block 14, at Lone Fir Cemetery.

Block 14 holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for Portland's Chinese American community. Hundreds of Chinese American graves were desecrated, and nearly 3,000 ancestors were erased from public memory by the County's actions. Honoring ancestors is a core cultural practice, making these harms especially painful.

Based on the community's input, we submitted an apology resolution draft to Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, outlining a request for funding in support of a community memorial. The memorial will restore dignity, preserve heritage, and reclaim the untold stories of early Chinese immigrants. It will serve as a place of healing, remembrance, and education, ensuring visibility and inclusion for communities long excluded from our shared history.

On February 4, 2025, board members Helen Ying and Michael Yun, along with Metro staff Karen Vitkay, presented this request to the Multnomah County Commission. Their briefing underscored the need for recognition, repair, and a formal commitment to honoring the history of the Chinese community at the Lone Fir Cemetery. 

We thank Chair Vega Pederson for advancing the County's apology and including $1 million in the proposed budget for the Block 14 Memorial. However, this is less than half of what was initially requested to build the community-supported design.

Now is the time to urge the Commission to fully honor its 2007 Memorandum of Understanding and partner with Metro to provide the necessary resources.

The research, engagement, planning, and design are complete and the Memorial is ready to be built.

Our Journey in Fighting for the Resolution

  • May 21 , 2025

    • Commissioners Brim-Edwards and Moyer co-sponsored an amendment adding $500,000 to support the memorial at Lone Fir Cemetery in Southeast Portland.

  • May 28, 2025

  • June 3, 2025

    • Commissioner Jones-Dixon proposed an amendment to close the remaining funding gap. (watch it here)

  • June 11, 2025

    • C.A.C.A were asked to submit a letter of support for this commitment. (read it here)

  • June 12, 2025

    • The County adopted its budget, allocating $1 million in FY 2026 toward the memorial and expressing intent to fund an additional $1.5 million in FY 2027.

  • June 26, 2025

    • The Multnomah County Commission will formally adopt an apology resolution, acknowledging historical injustices and committing $2.5 million toward the Chinese Memorial at Lone Fir Cemetery, at their budget meeting.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who submitted a testimony and/or presented testimony at the public budget hearings - your voices made a difference.