Greensburg support group for international women serves as cultural hub

The average passerby would likely not expect a 1900s mansion on Greensburg’s Main Street to be a cultural hub.

But for more than 30 years, nonprofit YWCA Westmoreland County has dedicated itself to welcoming women who move to the area from another country — helping with the transition to life in the United States, providing community and arranging opportunities to learn about cultures across the world.

Founded in 1991, the YWCA’s International Women’s Group meets four times a year to share food, culture and conversation. Current members are from Colombia, Chile, Switzerland, Indonesia, South Korea, Ukraine, Turkey and the U.S.

While some members may only stay in the U.S. for a year or two, others — like Patricia Daehler — settle in permanently.

Daehler came to Greensburg from Switzerland more than 20 years ago, but she keenly remembers the struggles of adapting to a new country.

“We just try to help the women feel comfortable, feel safe, be able to ask questions without thinking it’s a stupid question and just support each other,” said Daehler, 55.

A helping hand

Many of the women in the group are highly educated, she said, having worked as doctors or dentists in their former country.

But if they do not know sufficient English or hold a degree that is not recognized in the U.S., they cannot continue working in their field without further schooling — which presents financial and logistical hurdles.

The YWCA’s English as a second language classes often help new members get on their feet, Daehler said. A stronger understanding of English opens doors for them to get a driver’s license, read labels at grocery stores, communicate with their children’s teachers and apply for jobs.

“Then, they can’t come to the group very often anymore, because they’re too busy working,” Daehler said. “But for me, that’s a success story. We help them assimilate, become productive citizens and integrate into society in a new country or on a new continent.”

Connecting over culture, food

The demographic of the group has shifted since Daehler first joined. Sony opened a television plant in East Huntingdon in 1990, drawing dozens of workers from Japan to Westmoreland County.

More than 70 Japanese women joined the group at that time, Daehler said.

The new members loved exploring Southwestern Pennsylvania, said Patti Benton — who became a co-chair of the group in 1997.

“They were wonderful, because they wanted to learn,” said Benton, 79, of Greensburg. “They wanted to go to Fallingwater or Kentuck Knob or Hanna’s Town or the courthouse.”

Most of the women returned to Japan when Sony closed the plant, Daehler said. The group also saw an influx of members from Germany, Brazil and Italy when Kennametal transferred employees to its Unity offices, she said.

Nowadays, members most enjoy gathering to share meals, Daehler said.

“I think that’s a connecting factor for any of the meetings,” she said. “Food is universal. You have that in every country, and people like to eat.”

Members bring food for each meeting — including a spring picnic at Twin Lakes Park and a holiday celebration at the YWCA, where the women can bring their families.

Some women give presentations or live demonstrations of a unique element of their culture, Benton said — like the traditions of a Cambodian wedding, the inner workings of a Japanese tea ceremony, the art of bonsai trees and the Swiss recipe for chocolate mousse.

Promoting world peace

Everyone benefits from cultural sharing, said Benton — a Virginia native who moved to Greensburg with her husband 46 years ago.

“I just think that we need to welcome people and promote world peace,” Benton said. “They’re not going to know any other way than by knowing Americans, and we’re not going to know any other way than by knowing them.”

This is especially important, Daehler said, as members have reported being discriminated against while out in public in recent years.

“Some of the women do not speak their language with their children when they are out of the house,” she said. “They will only speak their language at home and try to speak English with their children while they’re out.”

Among its population of more than 354,000, nearly 325,000 Westmoreland County residents are white alone, according to the 2020 U.S. census.

Staying true to the wishes of the group’s founders — Esther Yant, Hiroko Hirano and Kathy Henry — Benton and Daehler never ask members about immigration or domestic abuse. They provide resources to help navigate these issues should members need it.

Even when members move back to their home countries, they still keep in touch — sending Christmas cards, pictures and letters across international borders.

It is unlikely Benton will achieve her dream of traveling to Japan to visit her friends from two decades ago, she said, but she is uplifted when she receives envelopes in her mailbox from thousands of miles away.

“They’ve become grandparents like I have,” she said.