Events

As part of their commemoration of the Oregon 150th celebration, the PSU Friends of History will sponsor a showing of Ivy Lin's 2009 Documentary "Come Together Home" on Friday, Dec 4 at the  5th Avenue Cinema starting at 7pm. A discussion with the director, Ivy Lin, will follow the showing of the film which is free and open to the public. The 5th Avenue Cinema is located at 510 SW Hall St.

The first wave of Chinese immigrants started to arrive in Portland in 1850, working as railroad workers, launderers, loggers, and cannery workers. Their hard work and industry helped to build the city of Portland and the state of Oregon. The documentary "Come Together Home" retraces the final journey of disinterred remains of early Chinese immigrants from Portland to Hong Kong, as taken by Ivy Lin herself.

The first Chinese burial ground in Portland, and the site of the 1500 burials was situated in Block 14 in Lone Fir Cemetery It was hidden for years under a (now demolished) Multnomah County office building that was built over the hallowed ground. Now Block 14 stands as a fenced-off void of gravel and dirt after most of the remains were exhumed and shipped back to China in 1928 and 1949.

Come view the extraordinary pilgimage Ivy Lin herself made 81 years after the first major disinternment and shipment made its way to China via Hong Kong and learn a little more about the valuable contributions made to Oregon by these early Chinese immigrants.

The Friends of History is a group of volunteers who believe that the Department of History at PSU offers a strong program worthy of community attention and support. We promote excellence in the teaching and the study of history within the University and through our balanced and free programs which are produced as part of our outreach to the city and the community PSU serves