Voices

From DIGITIZE (by Kahea) – A big struggle that many young Pacific Islanders deal with is finding their identity. As a teenager, you are already at an age where you are trying to learn about yourself and who you are—your identity. It can be hard to find where you fit in, how to act around others who don’t understand you or your Pacific Islander heritage. Sometimes it may feel like you’re living in two worlds, where in one you are comfortable being who you are and who you were raised to be, and the other you are the person that blends in the crowd.

From EchoX’s Voices – Since 1989, tribal communities have held Canoe Journey to heal from intergenerational trauma, reclaim Coast Salish traditions, reduce drug-use, and pass on teachings to future generations. This summer get ready to paddle to Seattle! We give thanks to the Muckleshoot, this year’s host nation.

From EchoX’s Voices – Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. In 2021, Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday. This year, we put together a collection of Juneteenth pieces centering Black voices to share and amplify existing community voices.

From EchoX’s Voices – Looking for youth Summer Programs? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled a curated list of summer youth programs across our service area (AK, ID, OR & WA). For a more curated list, visit our directory.

From EchoX’s Voices – June is Pride Month. Throughout the 1970s, Pride celebrations began popping up across the country in the month of June, eventually turning Pride into what it is known for today: colorful parades & rainbow attire in an effort to bring visibility to and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. As we organize, celebrate, and engage with Pride this month, let’s also acknowledge and remember that many cultures and people around the world have historically accepted all people—regardless of gender or sexual expression or orientation.

This year, the first week of May (May 1–7) was the National Week of Action for MMIW. The purpose of this week is to “call the nation and the world to action in honor of missing and murdered Indigenous women.” However, though the first week of May has passed this does not mean our action, accountability, or engagement should.

From DIGITIZE (by Emma) – Before February 2022, people didn’t really understand my Ukrainian background. They’d ask, “Why do you speak Russian if you’re Ukrainian?” For me, it was never really worth explaining it. But when the Ukraine War took over every headline in the country all of a sudden everybody cared.

From DIGITIZE (by Taya) – As I stroll along the streets of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a vibrant palette of cultures greets me. From Uzbek to Korean to Russian appearances, the vast array of ethnicities is astounding. It’s just one country, but everywhere I go, different dialects are spoken and different clothes greet me. I had only ever imagined my family being the “different” one in this scenario, but I was proven wrong.

From DIGITIZE (by Finn) – I have light brown wavy hair that used to be white-blond when I was a baby. My eyes are green. I’m tall and pretty skinny. I wear glasses. Those are all clearly visible things about me. What’s less clear is that I’m also a quarter Chinese.