Collaborating with Community: the Vietnamese Portland: Memory, History, Community project
- Conference Year
- Online Northwest 2026
- Session
- 4
- Type
- Breakout Session
- Presenters
- Zoe Maughan, Lewis & Clark College
- Abstract
This presentation will showcase the work of the Vietnamese Portland: Memory, History, Community project, based out of Watzek Library Special Collections and Archives at Lewis & Clark College. The project aims to contribute to a more thorough, representative history of the city of Portland by collaborating with the Vietnamese community to preserve oral histories, documents, and photographs that capture the significant contributions of the community to our city.
In line with Re: Community – Reimagining Connections, Reframing Communications, and Redefining Collaboration, the Vietnamese Portland project emphasizes advocacy for community-driven collaborative archiving. While the project is housed in a traditional archival setting, the project team works to embody community archives values as much as possible. By working closely with community members and organizations, the project aims to take a collaborative approach to documenting history, amplifying the voices of communities often marginalized in traditional archival spaces.
The presentation will highlight key initiatives within the project, including building community relationships, the collection of oral histories and other documents, and the creation of outreach programs including a traveling exhibit and a teacher advisory board. Additionally, the presentation will discuss how the project considers Reimagining Connections, Reframing Communications, and Redefining Collaboration, showing how traditional archives can take on community archives values to contribute to more representative histories. The Vietnamese Portland: Memory, History, Community project is an example of the importance of preserving diverse narratives in traditional archives and can serve as a model for future community-focused archival projects.