The second is learning English. And lastly, everyone fretted over documentation and resident status. Today, the office mainly helps immigrants access city services and refers them to community groups and English classes and offers support as they transition into a new life. But these issues must also be addressed in reverse, Poufong has learned. One of the things a city like Philadelphia would need to do is public education to convince residents that immigrants are not a threat.
Immigrants commit the least amount of crime in Boston.
For this reason, Poufong and his colleagues sponsored a voter registration campaign this past summer. We wanted to show that immigrants care about issues and can be politically active. Walking just one block north of the Vietnamese strip mall on Washington Ave., a neon sign shaped like a tooth advertises a dentist's office. Chinese characters glow from inside the tooth. Down the street, the Vietnamese owners at Sunshine Jewelry will gladly sell you watches, pearls and diamonds, according to a sign in the store's window.