Immigrants learning the American way of volunteer work
Naum Chigirinskiy started "volunteering" when he was 12, harvesting fruits and vegetables to bring to injured fighters in Russian hospitals during World War II. In Sevastopol, the Ukrainian city where he lived, most children did the same.
"Everyone helped during the war because the government said it was good for the country," the 71-year-old man said.
Back then, he had no choice. Now, he opts to volunteer his time at a Bellevue food bank to help people in need.
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"The idea that people elect to spend personal and free time serving others without remuneration is astounding to many immigrants," said Marci Williams, English as a Second Language (ESL) coordinator for Eastside Literacy. "It is an activity that isn't done as much in other countries."
That's because in most countries, there are few nonprofit groups, said Win Hogben, director of emergency services at Hopelink and a native of Switzerland. "All agencies are run by the government, and there are not many social services."
The volunteering spirit among immigrants is growing slowly but surely, said Anita Raddatz, an extension educator with Washington State University who manages a volunteer program in Spokane County.
"The last year or so we have been trying to relate the concept of volunteering to our steadily growing Russian population," she said. "We find the longer they have been here, the more likely they are to understand the concept. But in the former Soviet Union, there was really no need for it."
A citation brought Chigirinskiy to Hopelink, an Eastside human-services agency, nearly five years ago. The then non-English-speaking fisherman got a ticket because he couldn't read a sign and attempted to take home too much of his catch.
Instead of paying a fine, he did community service, volunteering at the agency's food bank. He's been there ever since.
"It is different here because no one tells you to do it," Chigirinskiy says. "You do it because you want to. It has to be your nature."
It's not that immigrants are unwilling but that they are unaccustomed to the idea of helping strangers.
Immigrants tend to help each other and their multigenerational families, said Nataliya Burleigh, who works as a Russian interpreter. Many choose to spend their free time at home with their relatives or with friends of the same culture.
"Here, your family is your mom, dad and brothers and sisters," Burleigh said. "In Russia, your cousins are like brothers and your aunts and uncles are like parents. We all take care of each other, kind of like volunteering in our own families."
When immigrants decide to get involved, the volunteer experience is often fulfilling. "When they see the difference they can make, they are all for it," Hogben said.
Compassion led Ha Nguyen, who moved to the Eastside eight years ago from Bungtau, Vietnam, to volunteer at a Vietnamese orphanage when she was a teen. She continued throughout her life in Vietnam and didn't want to stop when she came to the U.S.
"I love to help the people; that's why I came here," said the single mother of three who is a year away from getting her bachelor's degree in social work at the University of Washington. "In Vietnam, people take care of their families. Here, people take care of somebody who suffers. It is beautiful to think of others."
A group of East Indian women, who volunteer at Hopelink doing everything from data entry to budget counseling, illustrates the range of reasons that can lead immigrants to volunteer.
The women are Microsoft wives and although they are well-educated, they can't work. They call themselves the H-4 club, named after the visa restrictions that prohibit them from getting jobs.
Anshu Shah, who ran a dot-com that gave advice to new college students when she lived in Calcutta, said she learned the concept of volunteering from Mother Teresa, who formed several organizations in her hometown. She sought out an organization where she could volunteer when she moved to Redmond.
Deepika Bhatia started because she got tired of shopping and watching TV.
Swasti Ganguly hopes to gain experience for a future job. She has always volunteered and plans to work at a nonprofit organization when she is able to.
"It also helps us meet people and learn the American way of life," Shah said. "Otherwise, we just stay with our Indian friends."
Volunteering can be a great tool for immigrants with a hunger to be part of their new society, said Williams, who is always looking for ESL students to volunteer. "It allows them to fine-tune their English and gain job skills."
Nikki Kuo, moved to Redmond from Taiwan in August 2000. She spent most of her time at home, until she started taking ESL classes. After becoming more comfortable with her English, she began volunteering for Eastside Literacy in May.
In Taipei, she says, volunteering is rapidly growing in popularity. Recently, on the international news, she watched the president of her country bathe a disabled person in the hospital and then encourage others to do similar acts of kindness.
"I know it was just a show," said the former flight attendant. "But it will help more people to be volunteers."
Since beginning her job, Kuo said, she has learned office skills and improved her English.
"Once I am fluent, I will get a part-time job," she said, "and maybe still do some volunteering."
Leslie Fulbright can be reached at 206-515-5637 or lfulbright@seattletimes.com.