May 8, 2026
Honoring Cayle Tern
Dear APANO community,
It is with profound sadness that we share that a cherished member of our APANO family passed away yesterday.
Cayle Tern served as APANO’s Civic Engagement Manager for over four years - and for those of us who worked alongside him, he was so much more – he constantly showed up with tremendous heart and love for all of his communities and it showed in every aspect of his work.
Cayle came to Portland as a young child, a lu Mien refugee from Laos, after his family spent years in a refugee camp. That story was never far from his work. He spent his career fighting to make sure other immigrant and refugee families had what his family didn’t – a voice in the decisions shaping their lives.
Cayle was a fierce leader on our immigrant justice work, in a time when our communities needed it most. Over the last year and a half as ICE escalated its targeting of Laotian and Southeast Asian community members across Oregon, Cayle immersed himself into the work of protecting his community. One of his final efforts was organizing a town hall with Congresswoman Maxine Dexter to bring visibility to what is happening around us. He wanted his community to be informed, protected and seen. That was Cayle.
His work extended beyond the walls of APANO. He served as President of the lu-Mien Association of Oregon, board chair of APICCO, and a board member of the Reynolds School District among many other community and civic commitments. His passion for kids was unmatched. He helped build a school in Laos (Phoudonthan Elementary School), and was instrumental in the creation of MINTED, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving and uplifting our Southeast Asian youth.
Through all of this work, we see that because of Cayle, there is so much more goodness in the world and that change is possible when you lead with heart. His warmth, kindness, and humor also showed through the deep relationships he formed across the community, because Cayle had a gift for bringing people together. Most of our staff considered Cayle to be our “APANO Uncle” because whether he was doing work in community, or leading fishing and nature trips for anyone who wanted to come, Cayle understood that the foundation of a strong community is built through friendship. He made people feel welcomed and valued, and reminded us that sometimes the most meaningful work we can do is to simply care and show up for one another.
The magnitude of a loss of a community leader like Cayle Tern is one that will be hard to fully express because he touched so many lives with the work he has done through the years, but his legacy lives on in each individual that carries a piece of him forward.
As our team navigates this tragic loss and takes the time to honor Cayle’s life, we will be in touch about how our partners and community members continue to receive care and support during this time.
With Love,
The APANO CUF and AF Team
Contact: Kaliko Castille, PPACE Director, kaliko@apanoactionfund.org
Dear APANO community,
It is with profound sadness that we share that a cherished member of our APANO family passed away yesterday.
Cayle Tern served as APANO’s Civic Engagement Manager for over four years - and for those of us who worked alongside him, he was so much more – he constantly showed up with tremendous heart and love for all of his communities and it showed in every aspect of his work.
Cayle came to Portland as a young child, a lu Mien refugee from Laos, after his family spent years in a refugee camp. That story was never far from his work. He spent his career fighting to make sure other immigrant and refugee families had what his family didn’t – a voice in the decisions shaping their lives.
Cayle was a fierce leader on our immigrant justice work, in a time when our communities needed it most. Over the last year and a half as ICE escalated its targeting of Laotian and Southeast Asian community members across Oregon, Cayle immersed himself into the work of protecting his community. One of his final efforts was organizing a town hall with Congresswoman Maxine Dexter to bring visibility to what is happening around us. He wanted his community to be informed, protected and seen. That was Cayle.
His work extended beyond the walls of APANO. He served as President of the lu-Mien Association of Oregon, board chair of APICCO, and a board member of the Reynolds School District among many other community and civic commitments. His passion for kids was unmatched. He helped build a school in Laos (Phoudonthan Elementary School), and was instrumental in the creation of MINTED, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving and uplifting our Southeast Asian youth.
Through all of this work, we see that because of Cayle, there is so much more goodness in the world and that change is possible when you lead with heart. His warmth, kindness, and humor also showed through the deep relationships he formed across the community, because Cayle had a gift for bringing people together. Most of our staff considered Cayle to be our “APANO Uncle” because whether he was doing work in community, or leading fishing and nature trips for anyone who wanted to come, Cayle understood that the foundation of a strong community is built through friendship. He made people feel welcomed and valued, and reminded us that sometimes the most meaningful work we can do is to simply care and show up for one another.
The magnitude of a loss of a community leader like Cayle Tern is one that will be hard to fully express because he touched so many lives with the work he has done through the years, but his legacy lives on in each individual that carries a piece of him forward.
As our team navigates this tragic loss and takes the time to honor Cayle’s life, we will be in touch about how our partners and community members continue to receive care and support during this time.
With Love,
The APANO CUF and AF Team
Contact: Kaliko Castille, PPACE Director, kaliko@apanoactionfund.org
