Portland

The Portland Division honors Ms. Chanpone Sinlapasai-Okamura for her work supporting crime victims’ rights, providing support to survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, and helping refugees resettle in the United States.

Originally from Laos, Ms. Sinlapasai-Okamura has dedicated herself to developing partnerships that ensure immigrants assimilate to American culture, understand their civil rights, and become productive members of society. While in law school studying civil rights and international law, Ms. Sinlapasai-Okamura worked with the Immigrant Refugee Community Organization and Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services. There, she helped at-risk youth, survivors of domestic violence, violent crimes, and human trafficking, understand their legal options. She also assisted in the creation of the first anti-trafficking program in Oregon.

Ms. Sinlapasai-Okamura serves on the Oregon Attorney General’s Task Force for Crime Victims’ Rights Enforcement and is the chairperson of the Oregon Department of Justice’s Immigrant Crime Victims Enforcement Sub-committee. She also serves as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement liaison for the Oregon American Immigration Lawyers Association.