When I first moved to Portland a year and a half ago, I was aware of its lack of diversity from visiting before. However, I wasn’t prepared for how stark the difference be living here. Moving from LA, where more than 50% of the population is Latinx, I was at first taken aback by how dispersed the Latinx communities are, and communities of color in general. However, when I first went to the Portland Mercado, I immediately felt a strong sense of community and pride around being Latinx. It was also incredibly heartwarming to see all of the amazing initiatives for housing, economic development, entrepreneurship, and so many more uplifting the Latinx community in Portland and its surrounding areas. I quickly learned that communities of color here, though small, are very tightly knit and work tirelessly to help each other out. I am now a volunteer for Latinx Tech PDX and Out in Tech PDX, and I work with various community organizations like the Q Center.