The Tzu Chi Foundation of Flushing has a predominantly Taiwanese population. Within this population very few of the volunteers and members of the organization speak any English. Being that this community is situated within an American city, it was strange that hardly any of the immigrants ever learned English. However, this can be interpreted to mean that the members of the organization are so close to one another that they can get by just based on their small community. Hardly having to leave it at all. If this is so, then it explains why most of the members only speak their native language, even after years of living in America.
Another interesting fact about the Tzu Chi Foundation, specifically in Flushing is that they don’t see themselves as part of the Flushing community, but rather as part of a larger tri- state area wide community. When speaking with the few volunteers or children of volunteers who did happen to speak English, they told us that the Flushing branch of the organization is not very active. In fact, they have very few events, and that most occur in New York City. Due to the fact that the events take place in the city, they see themselves more apart of that community than they do the one they actually live in. This fact gives insight into how the people view themselves and their community. They find their volunteer work and the activities that they participate in to be more important than the community they actually live in. Because of their dedication to the foundation, they see themselves as part of a larger community rather than the smaller community in which they are from.
