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The mission of Sons of Norway is to promote and to preserve the heritage and culture of Norway, to celebrate the relationship with other Nordic countries, and provide quality insurance and financial products to their members.

Join the annual Heritage Day/Tastes of Norway at Leif Erikson Lodge: March 23rd | 9:30-3pm
Participate in the Leif To Leif 5K Fun Run: Starts at 9am, you can register here


Plan for the upcoming International Children’s Friendship Festival in April

An event that is run by children and features performances by children. Various nationalities are represented through music, folk dancing and art. The children celebrate their international friendship through experiencing the rich tapestry of the world’s cultures.

When: April 20-21

Where: Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center
305 Harrison St., Seattle, WA, 98109

 

 


Lunar New Year Celebration is Saturday, February 24

 

Welcome to CIDBIA’s annual Lunar New Year Celebration. 2024 marks the Year of the Dragon!

Vendor booths will line up along S King St., dance performances and music will take place throughout the main stage at Hing Hay Park, foodies will have the opportunity to explore 40+ food walk destinations — you can truly feel the atmosphere of this cultural intersection. We look forward to celebrating with you soon!

FEBRUARY 24

11:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.

S KING STREET SEATTLE

The Food Walk will feature delicious menu items from Chinatown-ID businesses.

Visit at least 5 locations on the food walk tour and collect 5 stamps to enter-to-win a CID gift basket filled with neighborhood goodies! Menus can be found at our information booth throughout the event.


 

 

A Free Workshop on Preserving the Cultural and Historical Records of Your Ethnic Community, Organization and Families

Saturday, February 17th, 2024 | 9:30 am – 1:30 pm (PDT)

Kent Commons – 525 Fourth Ave North, Kent, WA 98032

 

Presented by:

The Ethnic Heritage Council and University of Washington Libraries with Greater Kent Historical Society, 4Culture, and City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

 
 

 


Heartfelt Thanks and Happy Holidays from EHC

We are deeply moved by the warmth and support we received at our recent Open House Saturday December 16. Your presence truly lit up the event, and your enthusiasm for our mission is fueling us to keep working with you all in the next year. 💝

It was a special honor for us to have Dr. Georgia McDade at our event, sharing her beautiful poems; we truly enjoyed her vivacious personality and thoughtful insights on humanity.

 

 

 

Also, as we reflect on the past year, we want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude. Your support truly MAKES a difference.

In this season of giving, we wish you the warmth of family, the joy of love, and the gift of mutual understanding. May your holidays be filled with happiness and may the coming year be filled with peace, prosperity and many more occasions to share our common goals, and passions.

From all of us at EHC we wish you a season of love, a season of cheer, and a wonderful New Year! 🌟


 

 

 

This is the perfect season to get together and at EHC, we did not want to miss this opportunity!
Come and join us December 16 for an afternoon among friends. If you are familiar with EHC, welcome back; if you don’t know us and want to learn a little bit more, we cannot wait to see you.

This is just a casual get together, with some light bites and beverages, and a few other surprises. Stay tuned for more details!

In the meanwhile, please let us know if you plan to attend. No worries, we understand that plans can change, we just want to get an idea of attendance!

Please RSVP here to help us plan better. Looking forward to seeing you there!


 

As Thanksgiving approaches, at EHC we want to take a moment to express our deep gratitude for your support to our organization and our mission.
Your support has enabled us to keep bringing you community events, Ethnic Roundtables, and Workshops such us We are History Keepers.

As we gather with family and friends to celebrate this season of gratitude, we invite you to consider continuing your support through your donations, volunteering efforts or simply spreading the word. Please consider becoming an EHC member and/or renewing your membership.

Once again, thank you for your incredible support. We are grateful for you not just on this holiday but every day of the year.

Wishing you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving.


Seattle Chinese Orchestra: Small Ensemble Performance

Sunday November 5

2p.m. – 4p.m.

Wing Luke Museum

719 S King Street, Seattle

Pre-registration needed!!
Light refreshments served

 
 
 

This is a special event not to miss. An afternoon performance followed by a chance to learn about Chinese musical instruments from members of the Seattle Chinese Orchestra!

The performance will start at 2:30p.m. with Q&A taking place at 3p.m.

Brought to you by Seattle Chinese Orchestra and Jade Guild.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We regret to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances, our October 7 planned event as part of the We Are History Keeper Series, in partnership with the Greater Kent Historical Society, will be postponed until further notice.

We will be communicating in advance when the new date of the event is set, but we are anticipating it will take place not before January 2024. We look forward to seeing you at the rescheduled event.

In the meantime, please do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions. You can refer to the Kent Historical Museum Web Page for more details.


 

 

 

 

 

Give BIG is a global movement which encourages us to unleash the power of people and organizations to transform our communities. Administered in our state through Washington Gives, the Give BIG platform provides vital support for small nonprofits across our region!

When you give, good things happen!

There’s a good feeling we get when we show up for others, whether it’s a family member, a neighbor, or a local nonprofit we care about. And it’s not just about good-feels — volunteering or donating money to support nonprofit groups helps everyone in the community.

Please help support Ethnic Heritage Council’s mission to share and preserve ethnic heritage to advance mutual understanding. This year, our goal is to reach $2,000. Your donation will help us plan and produce both in person and virtual programming while working closely and supporting our partners.

Thank you!

 



 

 

 



 
 
Happy 2023! We hope that this year brings us prosperity, connection and mutual understanding.

As it happens in every organization, this year many of our Board members at EHC have come to the end of their volunteering cycles. We see this as opportunity to take a step back, hit refresh, rethink our programs and take some time to rebuild the EHC Board with renewed energy.

We are calling for volunteers who are motivated to support EHC and our wonderful mission by joining the EHC Board.
We are also energized by the prospect of board members bringing new ideas and lending their time and knowledge to support future programming. You can check out our Mission and Goals here

If you are interested in joining, fill out the form below by January 31st. We believe than more than ever our mission remains relevant, current, and meaningful. Thanks in advance for considering. 

 


Video of the Ethnic Heritage Council 2022 Awards

On November 5th, we honored six outstanding 2022 Annual Award recipients from Puget Sound’s ethnic communities, whose exquisite music and inspiring messages represent EHC’s mission of sharing and preserving heritage to advance mutual understanding.

You can view the program from the event, and make sure to give the video a watch. 

 


As this year comes to a close, we reflect on our special friendship with you and the support you have given our programs, and wanted to express our gratitude.

From all at EHC, best wishes for the holidays, and for health and happiness throughout the coming year.

We cannot wait to share with you upcoming programs and projects to bring us together again in 2023.


 

Giving Tuesday is a global movement taking place the week after Thanksgiving, encouraging us to unleash the power of people and organizations to transform communities and the world.

But you don’t have to wait until Tue, Nov 29. You can give today!

Heartfelt thanks on behalf of the EHC board for your continued support. As you prepare to enjoy the holidays, please consider making a donation to help us reach our goal of $3,000 on the upcoming Giving Tuesday Nov 29.

Your contributions will make possible the continued presentation of EHC’s Ethnic Community Roundtables, Endurance Forums, We are History Keepers Workshops and the Annual Awards Program, as well as partnerships with numerous ethnic organizations.

We couldn’t offer these programs without your support. If you can contribute financially, we appreciate each and every donation. If you are unable to contribute, we understand! Sharing the link below with your friends and family can make a huge difference. Here are some more details about EHC’s 2022 Programs.


 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for making EHC Annual Awards Ceremony a success. We are honored and humbled to count on your support. With over 100 attendees, it was a remarkable afternoon where we enjoyed music, food, and shared experiences.

Congratulations once again to our Award Recipients for their extraordinary achievements and leadership in the diverse communities of our Puget Sound region.

 



 

The EHC Annual Awards Recipients represent extraordinary achievements and leadership in the diverse communities of our Puget Sound region. Join us to celebrate their many significant contributions.

You can download the press release here.

Your $35 registration includes reception delicacies and one beverage of your choice.


 

MORNING SESSION:

Presented by University of Washington Archivists and Librarians.

ORAL HISTORIES: Planning, Conducting and Preserving Oral Histories

LUNCH: Pack your own ethnic lunch and tell us what’s in it that represents your culture. Win a Prize!!

DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED

 

AFTERNOON SESSION:

Special Guest: Margaret Wetherbee, Head of Collections, Washington State Historical Society.

“Managing and Preserving Historical Artifacts.”

PANEL: “Heirlooms and Artifacts and the Stories They Tell.”

Risho Sapano, Founder and Executive Director, Mother Africa.
Richard Kott, Director/Exec. Producer of “Passing the Torch: 100 Years of the Polish Home Association.”

Presented by: The Ethnic Heritage Council and University of Washington Libraries with Greater Kent Historical Society, 4Culture, and City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture

 



Chinatown-International District Under Threat, Again

 

Longtime EHC board member Bettie Luke wrote to Sound Transit Board Members and all Seattle City Council members regarding Metro’s ‘4th & 5th Avenue’ proposals to further light rail expansion to Ballard and West Seattle. With her permission, portions of Bettie’s powerful letter are excerpted below:

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

Please help us support our efforts to urge the Sound Transit Board to NOT build a Transit Hub in the Chinatown International District (Metro’s ‘4th and 5th Avenue proposals).  

The CID is the last remaining ethnic neighborhood in Seattle and the cultural home to the Asian community. Any Transit plans in CID would be exceedingly damaging to this historic neighborhood. 

Submit this form just to show your support, choose any of all the objections and enter your name and email address if you choose to do so.

Please complete this 30-sec form by 8/23 prior to the Transit Board Meeting scheduled 8/25

 

“The CID is the last remaining ethnic neighborhood in Seattle and the cultural home to the Asian community. Any Transit plans in CID would be exceedingly damaging to this historic neighborhood. Past years of intrusive encroachment into the CID have shared a common undercurrent of racial disregard for our people, resulting in loss of land use and increased safety issues. 

It is interesting to note that in the early days, restrictive covenants, red lining and discriminatory practices restricted Asians to the CID, as the only place we could live. After all the years we have embraced the CID as our home base and center of culture, we now are faced with new threats of outside interests wanting to take away our land and impact our community.

Both 4th and 5th Avenue proposals feel like a land grab. These choices would destroy as many as 21 CID businesses plus loss of buildings, jobs, residents and patrons. The prolonged 10-year construction would create constant obstacles to restaurants, shops, businesses, events and organizations. 

…. Not only would many small businesses be lost, but the bigger businesses that stay in the district would have unseen and increasing loss from people avoiding the area because eating, visiting and shopping would be hampered by 10 years of constant construction noise, vibration, dust and detours and parking problems. The CID cannot survive and thrive under these conditions.

These Transit plans are the worst encroachment of the CID that I have ever seen in my 80 years. All proposed options should be thrown out. Our neighborhood should be a TRANSIT STOP on the line, not a transit staging center to send people to other parts of the city. 

Every encroachment into the CID has NOT been for our benefit. We end up paying the price of safety, health endangerment and economic loss. Even if it was unintentional or unconscious, every encroachment has contained some form of mainstream racism – systemic racism, institutional racism, economic racism and/or environmental racism.”

 


“Prevent Harm to the CID by Transit Planners”

Register to join EHC Event August 22

 

Register for this EHC upcoming event and help support the survival of Chinatown/International District. In this event we will address the current Chinatown-International District under threat situation due to the existing Transit Plans. Join this panel discussion to learn how you can support and prevent harm to our International District.

Our distinguished panel discussion will include among others, the following guests:

  • TEA – Transit Equity for All: Co-founders Paul Wu, Brian Chow, and Betty Lau
  • WLAM – Wing Luke Asian Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience: Deputy Executive Director Cassie Chinn
  • Puget Sound Sage: Co-executive Director Chrissy Shimizu

The Endurance Forum is EHC’s speaker series dedicated to efforts to preserve the identity and heritage of traditional peoples and cultures. Diaspora community leaders, academics, and others will offer insight into the tenacity of communities who assert their identity across generations despite great obstacles.


Applications now open for 2022-2023 BASE Residency Program – Deadline is June 30th 

 
Base is excited to announce the 2022-2023 Base Residency Program, curated by Seattle-based artists and curators NEVE and Râna San. Through a panel process led by the curators, five artists (or small collectives) researching traditional and indigenous dance and movement practices connected to their ancestry will receive a two-week residency between September 2022 – August 2023 along with an unrestricted stipend of $1,500.

Dancers/choreographers must be currently studying, researching, dancing, performing in their own peoples’ traditional or indigenous dance forms or, interested in exploring and researching their relationship to a traditional or indigenous dance form of their people.

We strongly encourage intersectionally marginalized artists who identify as Disabled, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color), LGBTQ2IA+, and/or low-income to apply.

 

EHC Launches “The Endurance Forum”

An EHC Speaker Series on the preservation of Heritage Communities

Launching May 2022, The Endurance Forum is EHC’s new speaker series dedicated to efforts to preserve the identity and heritage of traditional peoples and cultures. Diaspora community leaders, academics, and others will offer insight into the tenacity of communities who assert their identity across generations despite great obstacles.

Yelena Ambartsumian is our inaugural Forum guest. She will discuss the ongoing challenges of the Armenian people in the diaspora and the ancestral homeland.

 

 

Upcoming: “Community Leaders” Round Table

 

Mark your calendar for our first in-person event in over two years.

Community Leaders will discuss organizational resilience and how they are adapting to new realities. We look forward to welcoming you at our new home in the MLK Center!
 

Give Big 2022: Support the Future of EHC!

Help us reach our $3,500 goal!

 
Give BIG is a global movement which encourages us to unleash the power of people and organizations to transform our communities. Administered in our state through Washington Gives, the Give BIG platform provides vital support for small nonprofits across our region!
 
As we adjust to the ‘new normal’ after two difficult years, reaching our 2022 Give BIG goal of $3,500 will enable us to plan and produce in-person programming as we support our partners.
Thank you!
 

 


EHC Annual Awards:

Send Us Your Nominations by May 1st!

 

 We are currently accepting nominations for the EHC Annual Awards. The Awards will be presented at EHC’s 2022 Annual Meeting Reception & Awards Ceremony (date TBD). Nomination submissions by May 1st are encouraged -see submission details below.

The Spirit of Liberty Award is given to a naturalized citizen who has made significant contributions to his or her ethnic community and ethnic heritage, as well as to the community at large. 

The Aspasia Phoutrides Pulakis Memorial Award recognizes individual(s) who has contributed significantly to a Northwest ethnic community and the community-at-large through efforts to preserve, document, or present that community’s culture as part of the ethnic experience in the Pacific Northwest. 

The Gordon Ekvall Tracie Memorial Award recognizes ethnic performing artist(s) for excellence in ethnic performance and for his or her significant contributions to the development and presentation of the traditional cultural arts in the Pacific Northwest.

View our past honorees here


EHC with our Communities:

“Ukraine Support Charity Auction”

 
Friday, April 22

6 p.m. PT

Consider joining the charity auction to help raise funds for urgent humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine. The event will include a delicious dinner (Ukrainian and Polish cuisine), drinks and live performances by local Ukrainian musicians and artists.

100% of proceeds will support the ongoing efforts of the Ukrainian Association of Washington (UAWS).

 


 

April 4th – May 6th

 

FIUTS to host a virtual cohort

of the

Pan-Africa Youth Leadership Program

During this program, students and adult mentors from Botswana, Ethiopia, and The Gambia develop leadership and civic engagement skills, learn about U.S. history and culture, and build a network of Pan-African emerging leaders, forging bonds between youth from the African continent and Washington State.
 
Local youth and UW students may apply to be a ‘FIUTS Ambassador’, communicating asynchronously with African students to learn about one another’s culture, discuss shared topics of interest, and build new international friendships.
And … Seattle-area community members can get involved in a virtual recipe exchange and home hospitality event!
 

 
 

 

 


International Children’s Friendship Festival (ICFF) – April 23

 

 

Get involved – Multiple ways to participate!

 
International Children’s Friendship Festival is a community-driven event run by children, and featuring performances by children. Various nationalities are represented through music, folk dancing and art, celebrating international friendships, and the rich tapestry of the world’s cultures.
 
This event is free, and in-person.
 
Saturday, April 23, 2022
Fisher Pavilion, Seattle Center
 
 
 

 

We are looking forward to an engaging conversation with our special guests Megumi Nagata and Chieko Phillips of 4Culture who will update us on upcoming funding opportunities and will share their own stories of resilience during the pandemic.

Stacey Jehlik (International Affairs Director, City of Seattle) and June Cutler (President of Seattle-Surabaya Sister City Association and EHC Board member) will talk about the vital role of cultural diplomacy, and the creative journey leading to the recent publication of an amazing cookbook “The International Table”. This new volume highlights recipes from across the globe, including hallmark dishes from each of Seattle’s twenty sister cities. Learn more about the cookbook “The International Table” HERE.

We are also thrilled to welcome our special guest Jackie Jones-Hook (Executive Director, Buffalo Soldiers Museum- Tacoma) who will share about the mission of the museum to educate, preserve, and present the history and outstanding contributions of America’s Buffalo Soldiers from 1866—1944, including WWII, such as reflected by an exhibit that recently closed at Seattle Center Armory.


Empowering Youth Voices | 2022 World Citizen Essay Contest

Essay Submission now open! This competition is for all Washington State students in the 3rd-12th grades. Deadline: March 20th, 2022

 
Since 1998, the World Affairs Council of Seattle’s Global Classroom has been dedicated to ensuring that youth are included in conversations surrounding critical global issues. One way Global Classroom supports youth in increasing their global IQ is through their annual World Citizen Essay Contest (WCEC).

Each spring, the World Affairs Council hosts the WCEC for third through twelfth graders. The goal of the contest is to promote discussion among students, teachers, families, and community members about the ways that individuals can effect positive change in the global community. 

 

 


Join Us for Our 1st EHC Roundtable in 2022!

Online: Saturday, February 19, 2022 – 10am-11am PST 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT THIS EVENT:

Did you know that every two weeks a language disappears, taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage? At least 43% of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered. Only a few hundred languages have genuinely been given a place in education systems and the public domain, and less than a hundred are used in the digital world.

The International Mother Language Day (February 21) was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1999 and has been observed every year to promote cultural diversity and multilingualism.

Because change starts at home, join us in celebrating the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Pacific Northwest by honoring our ethnic communities where languages other than English are spoken. If you are a community organizer, curriculum designer, language advocate or simply a multilingual individual, come find out about statewide initiatives such as “Speak Your Language” or “Languages without Borders” that can offer a long term solution for the preservation of endangered mother languages, as well as how you and your community can get involved.

GUEST SPEAKERS:

  • Dr. Michele Anciaux Aoki, International Education and World Languages Advocate, having previously served as World Languages Program Supervisor at the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, where she developed the World Languages Competency-Based Credit Program that lay the foundation for the State Seal of Biliteracy. She also served as International Education Administrator for Seattle Public Schools until she retired in 2019. Currently, Michele volunteers with the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT) Testing Team and on the Advisory Board of the Global Seal of Biliteracy.
  • Dr. Russ Hugo, Asst. Director at the UW Language Learning Center, leading several major grants for STARTALK, GenCyber and Cultural Blind Spots. He wrote his dissertation on Indigenous languages in Washington State.
  • Dr. Bridget Yaden, Professor of Spanish at Pacific Lutheran University and past President of ACTFL, newly appointed Executive Director of PNCFL (Pacific NW Council for Languages).
  • Dr. Veronica Trapani, Associate Director – Content, World Languages and International Education, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

 


 
 
 
 
 
Start the new year off with an encore presentation of EHC/UW Libraries’ “What to Throw Away and What to Keep!” Learn how to evaluate your collections and determine what to preserve. Guiding questions and strategies will help you manage your papers, photos, digital files, books, and other historical materials.
 
For more information about We Are History Keepers, please visit the website
 
The event is FREE and open to all! 
 
Registration is required! 
 

 

 


 

 

Complete

Online Program Schedule

of the 2021 Annual Meeting

& Awards Ceremony

October 16, 2021

Download here

 

 
 
 

We’re celebrating our new EHC President

Otilia Baraboi will lead 40-year-old EHC

Otilia Baraboi
The Board of Directors of Ethnic Heritage Council is pleased to announce the election of Otilia Baraboi of the American Romanian community of Puget Sound as new president, succeeding Co-Presidents Linda Lee and Rosanne Royer.
 
Baraboi joined the EHC Board of Directors in 2019 and has served as Vice President prior to her election as President. She is the Executive Director and co-founder of the American Romanian Cultural Society www.arcsproject.org, established in 2013, and soon a national organization. As part of her work for ARCS, Baraboi has been managing the Romanian Film Festival in Seattle and a community-based school for Romanian heritage students, as well as numerous other cultural and educational events. Baraboi has a Ph.D. in French, with a focus on diaspora and unequal translation politics, and is currently an Affiliate Lecturer in the Department of Slavic Languages ​​and Literatures at the University of Washington. Before immigrating to Seattle from Romania in 2000, she was as a writer, literary journalist and translator. Baraboi is looking forward to collaborating with all local community cultural representatives across the generations to carry out the EHC mission of preserving and sharing ethnic heritage to enhance mutual understanding. You can reach her directly at otilia.baraboi@arcsproject.org
  
Outgoing Co-Presidents Linda Lee and Rosanne Royer will continue to serve on the board, with Lee serving in an officer role as Secretary. 
 
Linda Lee has served on the EHC board since 2017. She is a staff analyst at Boeing Commercial Airplanes within 737 Airplane Program Business Operations. Linda lived and worked in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China for 16 years involved in Public Relations, Advertising, Marketing and Promotions. She has been active and served on boards and in officer positions with the University of Washington Mortar Board Alumni Tolo Foundation, Giant Magnet, Jade Guild, Boeing Asian Professional Association, and Toastmasters International. She holds a B.A. in both Communications and Speech Communications from the University of Washington. 
 
Rosanne Gostovich Royer will focus on outreach and fundraising. She is a founding member of the Ethnic Heritage Council in 1980 and served on the board or as a volunteer until 1989. In 1990 the Ethnic Heritage Council awarded her EHC’s Aspasia Phoutrides Pulakis Memorial Award for service related to her own heritage and to the community at large. She has a B.A. in Education and M. A. in East European Studies from the University of Washington. She established the Russian Language programs in three Bellevue High Schools in the late 1960s and has taught Social Studies on the middle school level. She is a past president of the Washington Association for Language teachers, served 12 hears as president of the Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association, and is a former executive director of the Oregon Peace Institute. Royer’s greatest passion is the documentation of the local experiences of Puget Sound’s ethnic communities and their families. She helped establish EHC’s “We Are History Keepers” workshop program in 2016, a collaboration with the archivists and historians in Northwest Collections, University of Washington Libraries. She believes that researching the past is the best grounding for an equitable and peaceful future for all.
 
The following officers were also elected by the Board:
  
Vice President for Strategic Planning: David Serra 
Vice President for Outreach and Membership: Jason Appelgate 
Vice President for Marketing: Emilia Dominguez 
Treasurer: Leif Christensen 
Secretary: Linda Lee 
 
Board Members at Large:
 
June Cutler
Gail Engler
Larry Laffrey
Erik Lidzbarski
Bettie Luke
Cynthia Mejia-Giudici
Rosanne Royer
 
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