Honoring June Arima Schumann

APANO is proud to be recognizing June Arima Schumann who has completed 4 years of service as Board Co-Chair. Senator Jackie Dingfelder of Portland honored her with courtesies from the Oregon State Senate on April 15th, 2013.

June Arima Schumann holds a Master’s in Social Work and is a long time advocate for underserved and underrepresented communities. During the 1960’s racial tensions grew with the civil rights movement leaving a lifelong impression on her work. As a former board member of Portland Taiko, Executive Director of Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center (ONLC) and Board Co-Chair of APANO, her tremendous leadership has provided guidance towards the development and success of these organizations.

“No task was beneath her, she made sure that every loose end was tied,” said Thomas Le Ngo, former APANO Board Chair. Her dedication and commitment to serving the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) communities goes beyond her excellent leadership skills, but it’s about her lived experiences as a Japanese woman.

“She is a role model for up and coming youth on how we need to work together to make sure our voices are heard,” says Mari Watanabe, former Executive Director of ONLC. Not only is June passionate about social justice, her determination to get things done is inspiring. Ann Ishimaru founder of Portland Taiko adds on,“June has inspired and spurred us all on through her unwavering commitment and countless contributions towards realizing equity and social justice for our communities.”

She also is great at building and maintaining relationships across other communities. Julia Meier, Director of the Multnomah-county based Coalition of Communities of Color so eloquently stated, “June’s dedication to racial equity across communities makes her a leader who continues to inspire all who work with her.” APANO wanted to take the time to recognize her significant contributions to the API community, and this year completed 4 years as the Board Co-Chair.

Thanks to Chom Sou, Board Member for his assistance.