Eugene Delta Rotary hosted Mayor Kaarin Knudson and a delegation of Eugene’s leading Filipino-Americans, on October 23rd. The mayor read a proclamation honoring Filipino History Month and followed with extensive remarks about finding inspiration and working through challenges faced by our Eugene community.

One of the visiting delegation, Melissa Nolledo, shared her perspective on the event:

“Mayor Kaarin [Knudson] came to Eugene Delta Rotary to read the proclamation for Filipino American History Month, and her remarks were some of the most poignant and powerful I’ve heard. They resonated with all of us in that room. She grounded her speech in Rotary’s Four-Way Test, circling back to the fourth: ‘Will it be beneficial to all concerned?’ From there, she drew on Toni Morrison and the poet Octavio Paz, reflecting on how we grieve not only what we’ve lost, but also what changes in us along the way. Yet through those changes, we find strength in one another. That’s the power of community, and the kind of leadership we need right now. She reminded us that our stories all matter. That listening, and really hearing each other, is where everything else begins.

I had the honor of sharing Our Stories: Immigrants of America alongside her words, and we also brought one of the traveling banners from the Illumination Project — Melissa Carino’s story on display, even though she couldn’t be there in person. As the City’s multicultural liaison, it was Melissa who helped secure today’s proclamation, and it felt right to have her with us in spirit.

So many incredible people filled that room — Dr. Miriam Mickelson, Superintendent of Eugene School District 4J; Mindy Linder, Community Engagement Specialist for the City of Springfield; and so many other amazing humans I wish I could name every single one of.

Our histories belong here. Our voices deserve to be heard. Today was so much more than a proclamation. It was a celebration of belonging, solidarity, and the community we keep building together. Maraming salamat sa inyong lahat — and a special thank you to Curtis Diama, the Philippine American Association of Lane County, the Filams who joined us, and the entire Eugene Delta Rotary club for hosting us today.”

News Source : https://rotarydistrict5110.com/eugenes-mayor-kaarin-knudsen-honors-filipino-community-at-delta-rotary-meeting/