Brussels

Executive Director, Alaric Bien, is in Belgium for the week participating in the Belgium-US Cultural Crossing Program, looking at immigrant integration in the two countries. He was one of 12 applicants from the US selected for the program.

Brussels is a city of contrasts, with old coexisting side by side with the new. But this is not limited to the architecture.

Brussels, capital of Belgium, the European Union, NATO and other international organizations is 50% immigrants! One of the issues they are dealing with is how to help new arrivals coexist with the old.

Chinese are a small, but visible community here, with a tiny Chinatown comprised of markets, restaurants and souvenir shops. The majority of Chinese come from Wenzhou 温州 in Zhejiang Province.

One of the most popular restaurants in town is this noodle place with hand pulled noodles. Run by immigrants from Wenzhou, it is interestingly named Au Bon Bol (with the good bowl) in this Flemish speaking part of the country...