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The City of Portland, Oregon

Nick Fish (In Memoriam)

City of Portland Commissioner

phone: 503-823-3589

Email: nick@portlandoregon.gov

1221 S.W. 4th, Room 240, Portland, OR 97204

American Winter families on the National Stage

June 10, 2013

On June 6, three people featured in the HBO documentary American Winter testified in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs about the state of the “American Dream.”

American Winter gives viewers a glimpse into the lives of eight Portland families who struggled through the economic downturn. The film challenges the stereotypes about poverty, and restores the human face to the recession.

As Senator Jeff Merkley said about the families testifying, “they were chosen for this film not because their stories are exceptional, but precisely because the challenges and choices that they have faced in the aftermath of the recession are so typical of the challenges and choices that working families face across America.”

The heartfelt testimony from those featured in the film begins 46 minutes into the video.

Watch the hearing online.

To learn more about American Winter, visit the film’s website.

photo courtesy of American Winter