Cultural gap: Building bridges is his job

Quincy Asian Resources director strives to help immigrants become 'part of their community'

QUINCY -- It's a bustling afternoon in the offices of Quincy Asian Resources, Inc. Staffers are making photocopies and answering phones. There is a muffled cacophony coming from a classroom where a "Survival English" course for elderly Chinese people is being taught.

All of the faces are Asians, except for the one in the corner office. There, next to a map of China that is color-coded according to regional dialects, sits John Brothers, the organization's fresh-faced executive director.

"I continue to this day to be so warmly received by the Asian community," said Brothers, who moved to Braintree in 1997 to work for the YMCA and who has directed Quincy Asian Resources since 2004. "They see that someone who they don't necessarily expect to be here is committed to helping them."

Brothers see his role as bridging the cultural gaps between the ever-growing Asian population and the city's other residents, many of whom are from families that have lived here for generations.

An estimated 25 percent of Quincy's residents are Asian, and Asians constitute 32 percent of the public-school student population. The city hosts annual August Moon and New Year's festivals.

"These newcomers are your neighbors; they're here to stay," Brothers said.  "They want their children to go to school here, they want their grandchildren to go to school here.  That is one of the things that these people bring to Quincy. These newcomers want to be part of their community."

He's pushing for Quincy residents of all stripes to become familiar with Chinese culture and its diverse textures.

"I don't expect people in Quincy to learn to speak Chinese," said Brothers, who hasn't tackled the complex dialects – primarily Cantonese and Mandarin – himself, "but you can learn about the differences between Chinese dialects, you can learn about the significance of Asian holidays and traditions.  And food!  Food brings us all together.

"Learning these things, it's obtainable, it's something you can do, and it helps us to understand each other and appreciate each other."

Aligning newly arrived Asian young people with local community values is an important part of the mission, Brothers said.

Quincy Asian Resources and the city's school system run a program that helps newly arrived students understand classroom instruction and encourages them to take part in extracurricular activities.

"They need to get involved in extracurricular activities so they can practice their English, sot that they can get involved in community service, which is something we really focus on," Brothers said.  "That does not come naturally to many immigrants: join a club, join a sport.  Don't just focus on academics."

Reach Jack Encarnacao at jencarnacao@ledger.com.