Portland, Oregon has a mix of
German,
Irish, Indigenous, and LGBTQ+ cultures, and accordingly values sincerity, thoughtfulness, individuality, greenery, craft beer, alternative
music, alternatives to the
British colonial styles of medicine and schooling, artistic expression, and mutual aid.
Portlanders commonly challenge one another to be their best selves. However, due to white dominance, cultural differences
may be construed as defects of character. Many
Black, Indigenous, and people of color cope with the resultant stress by describing themselves as “lightskin,” white, or “white-passing,” but this tends to worsen their isolation.
Portland’s housing prices have risen sharply in recent decades, and many longtime residents blame this on an influx of migrants from larger cities in search of a more
wholesome and easygoing life. As a city which values small, local business, economic opportunities have not kept pace with population growth, with the result that the city’s artists and artisans increasingly struggle to sustain the creative culture for which the city became known.
A: There’s a
legend of a guy who came to Portland Oregon and planted a ton of palm
trees all over the place. Then he
left!
B: Yeah? How tall are the palms?
A: They’re not thriving, but they’re surviving.
