Advocacy Continues for the Lone Fir Memorial Project
On April 4 2026, Multnomah County’s chair and commissioners read their apology on site for the first time.
Jump to a section:
Background
Block 14 at Lone Fir Cemetery holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for Portland's Chinese American community. Since 2023, 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, and funding for a community memorial.
The community efforts of making a memorial at Lone Fir Block 14 began in 2005, over the course of the long journey, much more has come to light about the individuals buried at Block 14 and the injustices they endured. Hundreds of Chinese American graves were desecrated, and over 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.
We hope to continue our advocacy work on this to secure the needed funding to complete the memorial as designed. 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. This memorial must be completed with the care, accuracy, and dignity that honors both their lives and their enduring legacy.
Our Progress
February 4, 2025
An informational briefing focused on the historic harm and the hope for repair at the Chinese Section of Lone Fir Cemetery. It marked an important next step in our nearly two-year effort to seek an official apology from the County on behalf of the Chinese American community.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
April 24, 2025
Chair Vega Pederson released her executive budget that includes $1 million for the Block 14 Memorial. But that is less than half of $2.5 million that was initially requested to build the community supported design.
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
Commissioner Moyer proposed an additional amendment adding another $1 million and called for funding for perpetual care.
June 3, 2025
Commissioner Jones-Dixon proposed an amendment to close the remaining funding gap.
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 formally adopted an apology resolution acknowledging historical injustices and allocated $1 million in FY26, with the intention to commit $1.5 million in FY27 toward the Chinese Memorial at Lone Fir Cemetery.
The budget was adopted with this budget note.
April 4, 2026
Multnomah County’s chair and commissioners read their apology on site, at Lone Fir Cemetery, for the first time after initially delivering it at a board meeting last June during the 5th Annual Qing Ming Gathering. This day was significant as it marked the start of memorial construction as well.
April 29, 2026
Commissioner Brim-Edwards introduced an amendment to add $1.5 million in capital for the Lone Fir Memorial, co-sponsored by Commissioner Moyer.
Next Steps
Construction of the memorial commenced in March 2026, a milestone two decades in the making. Ensuring full funding is now paramount so that every element of the design can come to fruition.
The County is scheduled to adopt its FY 2027 budget on June 4, 2026. However, the Executive Budget released by Chair Vega Pederson on April 16, 2026 does not include any funding for the Lone Fir Memorial Project.
Once again, our community must raise its voice to ensure the County fulfills its stated intent, and allocates the additional $1.5 million needed to complete the memorial as designed.
How You Can Help
Now is the moment to act!
Submit your testimony in writing or in person to ensure this project gets the funding it deserves.
Attend a Public Budget Hearing
The County’s public budget hearings, beginning April 29, 2026, are a critical opportunity to advocate for restoring funding for the memorial.
Please RSVP here to attend a hearing or submit comments.
Download this Letter template and add your own words for written comments or testimony prep.
Upcoming Budget Hearing Dates
Wednesday, April 29, 6–8 p.m.
Multnomah Building Boardroom (501 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., Portland)
Wednesday, May 13, 6–8 p.m.
Mt. Hood Community College, Town and Gown Room (26000 S.E. Stark St., Gresham, OR 97030)
Wednesday, May 20, 6–8 p.m.
This will be a virtual hearing.