The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) is celebrating the refugee and immigrant communities that have enriched the Portland Metropolitan area. Thai artist, Akasaka Channang, has created “We All Share the Same Sky” - a storytelling mural depicting the places and people who have come to the area as refugees and immigrants. The mural shows in a very unique way the many Faces of IRCO - the variety of people and their cultures that have come to Portland since IRCO started serving refugees and immigrants in the mid-1970s. The tradition of using visual storytelling is one found in many cultures around the world. Rich colors, engaging subjects, and entire cultures have been carried down through the centuries by weaving the spoken word into visual imagery. For years, IRCO has helped thousands of refugees and immigrants integrate into Portland society and this service is given visual documentation through Mr. Channang’s artwork. The mural shows how we are all part of the same world, and no matter where we are originally from, we all share the same sky and share the same goals for our family, community and future generation.

“Mr. Channang’s mural will be a great addition to IRCO and a wonderful way to celebrate the people we have served over the years,” explained Mr. Sokhom Tauch, Executive Director of IRCO. “It has always been important to me for IRCO to share the vitality and richness of refugee and immigrant peoples with the Portland community. Akasaka’s mural reflects the energy of our refugee and immigrant communities and shows the many faces of the variety of populations served and represented by IRCO. It visually allows all of us to learn more about the refugee and immigrant peoples of Portland.” The work by Mr. Channang also is a nod to IRCO’s popularFaces of IRCO - an on-going series of monthly cultural workshops offered by IRCO staff and volunteers that explores a different population served and represented by IRCO, allowing attendees to learn more about the many diverse peoples of Portland, understand the histories and current situations of their countries of origin, gain a broader understanding about their unique cultural traditions and even get a chance to sample some typical foods.