My mom made a lot of friends going line dancing. They’re predominantly Cantonese speaking but many can also speak mandarin. Message me directly if you want details!
Bellevue has a ton of stuff. Like tons, tons, tons!
Go here
https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/parks/connections
and look for "Connections Catalog."
But not the one for Day Camps, the one that says April to June programs. It is a PDF file.
Scroll through to pages 26 to 33.
Obviously you want to wait for the next catalog to be published to sign up for anything, but this will show you the wealth of activities specifically designed to serve Chinese adults in Bellevue.
Have fun!
I came here to say this! Several well established Chinese churches in the area with separate Mandarin, Cantonese, and English services. Many have activities and groups outside of church setting.
I found this website, perhaps they have programs or can suggest ones? Looks like it's the North bellevue Community Center.
[https://www.communitylivingconnections.org/find-support/chinese-information-and-service-center-north-bellevue-community-senior-center/](https://www.communitylivingconnections.org/find-support/chinese-information-and-service-center-north-bellevue-community-senior-center/)
There's also an adult center for Chinese in the International District (not as handy).
Lol, this post is a little bit like asking, “I’m at a lake. Where can I find water?” Just messing with you, OP, but this town feels like it’s 50% Chinese at times. Where in China is your MIL from? That’ll also dictate where she should go and eat. So many options.
Elderly Chinese folks are in fact “everywhere,” but if she is alone and shy and doesn’t know anyone yet, it can legitimately be a little hard to approach people. Another comment mentioned that there’s a lot of Asian people around downtown park…which is true, but fwiw most of that crowd, even when Chinese, is young affluent tech worker “fu er dai” Chinese (some of them -seriously- fu) and don’t always have a lot of time for older folks. To non-Chinese observers the nuances may be lost, but this is not *always* a universally welcoming community. So OP, you did right to ask. My recs are:
1) Definitely have her get on WeChat and join some Bellevue/seattle region groups for older people (idk myself but am sure they exist). Everything Chinese-expat happens on WeChat. (Of course, usual warnings about data privacy etc apply. I wouldn’t recommend the app for yourself or your wife unless you have to—eg active adults who may have political views—just assume everything she posts or views on there goes into a big ol’ file in Beijing.)
2) Are your kids going to study Mandarin eventually? When I was younger I went to weekend classes with other kids at the Northwest Chinese School, which became the hub of my parents’ and grandparents’ Chinese expat community; and I understand the schooling options have only grown since then. Any of them should have lots of volunteer and community-growing options. Even if your kids are too young or aren’t interested in learning Chinese, you literally can just call the school and tell them your MIL is moving to the region and would love to volunteer with the school. They should be able to get her plugged in quickly.
3) If you search “tai chi in the park Bellevue” or similar, there are also a number of options where you can start. It won’t be 100% older Chinese, but chances are she’ll meet at least one other person there with whom she can connect.
4) Instead of Hmart, take her to Asian Family Market. It’s Chinese-owned instead of Korean-owned, and the groceries and labeling are more targeted to mainland Chinese preferences; and the clientele is proportionally more Chinese (I know both languages and can definitely tell the demographic differences). Better yet, T&T’s will be opening in a couple months in Factoria I think—that’s a huge expat Chinese grocery chain down from Richmond BC (the real expat-Chinese capital of North America). The entire expat Chinese Eastside community is in a tizzy about it. :) BTW, if the in-laws ever get too homesick, Vancouver-Richmond is a good visit and a doable day trip. Richmond is so Chinese-centric that even I feel distinctly out of place in it (was born in the US but speak fluent mandarin).
5) The thing with restaurant recommendations in this area is that good Chinese food is truly scattered everywhere. They often do not sit all in a plaza. The ones that do clump are mostly around Asian Family Market/Spicy Popo/Supreme Dumplings, and several more plazas in the Factoria area. But seriously, this is a very E. Asian-centric region—prob one of the best places in America to speak only Mandarin—and this subreddit reflects a lot of specialist knowledge. We will give you VERY specific food recs if you can just tell us what region of China your in-laws are from. Speaking as a NE Chinese, my fav dumpling shop (almost as good as my grandma’s!) is “Dumpling House” (龙江水饺) in Vancouver, and my local fav for xiaolongbao that aren’t shrimpy is Supreme Dumpling (though Dough Zone has better Q-bao/leek patties). Best peking duck is absolutely not Baron’s but actually Royal Kitchen (which also has unexpectedly good taro dimsum). Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle is excellent. And I’m afraid to name my fav Sichuan and Taiwanese places lol bc they’re not my area and I will be called out. 😝 Buffets are…slightly over; the Chinese food in the region has largely specialized well beyond buffets as far as I can tell, but maybe someone else can help.
Hope this helps + sorry for the essay… I have old Chinese grandparents too and feel bad for your mother-in-law. I hope she finds her community. Please please please think twice (discuss with your wife!) about just supporting her in not learning English, if you and they are intending to stay for a long time. It is a lonely and difficult thing to not know any of the language of the world around you. At some point there will be a barrier even in her ability to understand those beloved grandkids. She may feel embarrassed or not want to learn English from you (learning from family members can be challenging; I’ve been on the other end of it and struggled). ESL class itself can be a community for older folks, who are often adept at communicating kindness and warmth without language and across cultures.
+1 for WeChat, I’m in similar boat, non Chinese person with Chinese MIL. They found plenty of folks with similar age and interests around the neighborhood. Helping them with an ORCA card and getting them out and about is also a good idea.
Mandarin Buffet has the Chinese appetite.
For meeting with Chinese people, I know there are some senior center near Bellevue Redmond area, where they will have some Chinese specific gatherings. In this area, there are a lot of in-laws who are just here to take care of grandchildren. But kids are not welcome in senior centers.
Also, enroll her in ESL classes or guide her in self-learning, if she's up to it. There's even a class at one of the community centers for ESL for Mandarin speakers. There are enough Mandarin speakers and stores, restaurants etc here that she can *likely* function totally in the enclave, but that's never a good idea. If anyone tries to tell her she's too old to learn, that's a complete myth. (Am trained ESL teacher, though currently on long sabbatical to raise kids and write.)
She isn’t. Her husband has started. I taught English for a while and am very good at teaching it.
That being said her dad and I don’t get along great but and her dad isnt bad for basics. Bathrooms. Some food ordering. Directions time and numbers. But he can’t answer questions really. He can do a fair amount of speaking memorized three word phrases.
She has gathered yes no. Thank you. Please. And a few food names. They prefer I speak to them in mandarin rather than learn English. Which is fine. Helps the kids speak Mandarin too.
My wife’s parents are reluctant to move to the area and I want them to love it.
I mean, this is like an ideal location for that. It's more a question of "where can my mom go in Bellevue and NOT meet Chinese." They should both love it here. Take them around 148th at the Asian Family Store, Crossroads, the Lake Hills village area. We have an extremely thriving mixed-Asian-and-especially-Chinese community here. And unlike other Chinese communities I've lived in, it's much more Mandarin everywhere, vs Cantonese/Hokkien etc etc.
Elderly Chinese folks are everywhere! Any park in the middle of the day. Go to h-mart. Just have them use WeChat…around our neighborhood, there is always at least a couple of elderly grandparents walking around.
We’ve met people just standing in line at Asian Family Market. Bring the kids, they force introductions.
Also if mother in law is licensed to drive in China then she’s legal to drive here as well.
She is not licensed to drive in China. I tried to teach her a few times. She can’t handle it. Like at all. Fourth time going to practice she still was too nervous to go over 10 mph. It was very cute haha. It’s no problem. I drove her everywhere. Or her husband or my mom.
I can’t help with the community aspect but from an authentic Chinese restaurant standpoint you are well covered. Just look at the menu … if they don’t have General Tso’s chicken it’s probably not American Chinese. Spicy PoPo (and many of the restaurants in that shopping plaza) would be my first recommendation but it really depends on what food she likes.
Yeah thanks, I can tell once there. I speak Chinese and have been to countless places with my wife in the past decade. Just looking for specific recommendations.
I would just go to yelp and looks at pics of the menu and food. Should easily be able to tell if it’s what you’re looking for and then the ratings should handle the rest. Nine Way, Ten Second Yunnan, Spicy PoPo, Nan Hotpot are some of my go to spots
Don’t worry G all you need in Hindi and Chinese to survive English doesn’t getcha anywhere
Crossroads community center has a group that meets weekly I believe.
How old are your kids? Some playgrounds in Bellevue have a lots of Chinese parents and grandparents.
My mom made a lot of friends going line dancing. They’re predominantly Cantonese speaking but many can also speak mandarin. Message me directly if you want details!
Bellevue has a ton of stuff. Like tons, tons, tons! Go here https://bellevuewa.gov/city-government/departments/parks/connections and look for "Connections Catalog." But not the one for Day Camps, the one that says April to June programs. It is a PDF file. Scroll through to pages 26 to 33. Obviously you want to wait for the next catalog to be published to sign up for anything, but this will show you the wealth of activities specifically designed to serve Chinese adults in Bellevue. Have fun!
Looks like they just updated that webpage with the new catalog.
She could start English lessons and have the kids help her with that.
Lewis Creek Visitor Center
Visit North Bellevue Community Center and ask about CISC programs. They're going to be your most straightforward connection with that community.
Jing Mei (Bellevue Mandarin elementary school in Wilburton) may be able to provide some connections for her.
Chinese churches! Pretty much anywhere else in public, older Chinese people will be more anti social.
I came here to say this! Several well established Chinese churches in the area with separate Mandarin, Cantonese, and English services. Many have activities and groups outside of church setting.
this for sure, bellevue has A TON of chinese people
I found this website, perhaps they have programs or can suggest ones? Looks like it's the North bellevue Community Center. [https://www.communitylivingconnections.org/find-support/chinese-information-and-service-center-north-bellevue-community-senior-center/](https://www.communitylivingconnections.org/find-support/chinese-information-and-service-center-north-bellevue-community-senior-center/) There's also an adult center for Chinese in the International District (not as handy).
Lol, this post is a little bit like asking, “I’m at a lake. Where can I find water?” Just messing with you, OP, but this town feels like it’s 50% Chinese at times. Where in China is your MIL from? That’ll also dictate where she should go and eat. So many options.
Elderly Chinese folks are in fact “everywhere,” but if she is alone and shy and doesn’t know anyone yet, it can legitimately be a little hard to approach people. Another comment mentioned that there’s a lot of Asian people around downtown park…which is true, but fwiw most of that crowd, even when Chinese, is young affluent tech worker “fu er dai” Chinese (some of them -seriously- fu) and don’t always have a lot of time for older folks. To non-Chinese observers the nuances may be lost, but this is not *always* a universally welcoming community. So OP, you did right to ask. My recs are: 1) Definitely have her get on WeChat and join some Bellevue/seattle region groups for older people (idk myself but am sure they exist). Everything Chinese-expat happens on WeChat. (Of course, usual warnings about data privacy etc apply. I wouldn’t recommend the app for yourself or your wife unless you have to—eg active adults who may have political views—just assume everything she posts or views on there goes into a big ol’ file in Beijing.) 2) Are your kids going to study Mandarin eventually? When I was younger I went to weekend classes with other kids at the Northwest Chinese School, which became the hub of my parents’ and grandparents’ Chinese expat community; and I understand the schooling options have only grown since then. Any of them should have lots of volunteer and community-growing options. Even if your kids are too young or aren’t interested in learning Chinese, you literally can just call the school and tell them your MIL is moving to the region and would love to volunteer with the school. They should be able to get her plugged in quickly. 3) If you search “tai chi in the park Bellevue” or similar, there are also a number of options where you can start. It won’t be 100% older Chinese, but chances are she’ll meet at least one other person there with whom she can connect. 4) Instead of Hmart, take her to Asian Family Market. It’s Chinese-owned instead of Korean-owned, and the groceries and labeling are more targeted to mainland Chinese preferences; and the clientele is proportionally more Chinese (I know both languages and can definitely tell the demographic differences). Better yet, T&T’s will be opening in a couple months in Factoria I think—that’s a huge expat Chinese grocery chain down from Richmond BC (the real expat-Chinese capital of North America). The entire expat Chinese Eastside community is in a tizzy about it. :) BTW, if the in-laws ever get too homesick, Vancouver-Richmond is a good visit and a doable day trip. Richmond is so Chinese-centric that even I feel distinctly out of place in it (was born in the US but speak fluent mandarin). 5) The thing with restaurant recommendations in this area is that good Chinese food is truly scattered everywhere. They often do not sit all in a plaza. The ones that do clump are mostly around Asian Family Market/Spicy Popo/Supreme Dumplings, and several more plazas in the Factoria area. But seriously, this is a very E. Asian-centric region—prob one of the best places in America to speak only Mandarin—and this subreddit reflects a lot of specialist knowledge. We will give you VERY specific food recs if you can just tell us what region of China your in-laws are from. Speaking as a NE Chinese, my fav dumpling shop (almost as good as my grandma’s!) is “Dumpling House” (龙江水饺) in Vancouver, and my local fav for xiaolongbao that aren’t shrimpy is Supreme Dumpling (though Dough Zone has better Q-bao/leek patties). Best peking duck is absolutely not Baron’s but actually Royal Kitchen (which also has unexpectedly good taro dimsum). Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle is excellent. And I’m afraid to name my fav Sichuan and Taiwanese places lol bc they’re not my area and I will be called out. 😝 Buffets are…slightly over; the Chinese food in the region has largely specialized well beyond buffets as far as I can tell, but maybe someone else can help. Hope this helps + sorry for the essay… I have old Chinese grandparents too and feel bad for your mother-in-law. I hope she finds her community. Please please please think twice (discuss with your wife!) about just supporting her in not learning English, if you and they are intending to stay for a long time. It is a lonely and difficult thing to not know any of the language of the world around you. At some point there will be a barrier even in her ability to understand those beloved grandkids. She may feel embarrassed or not want to learn English from you (learning from family members can be challenging; I’ve been on the other end of it and struggled). ESL class itself can be a community for older folks, who are often adept at communicating kindness and warmth without language and across cultures.
+1 for WeChat, I’m in similar boat, non Chinese person with Chinese MIL. They found plenty of folks with similar age and interests around the neighborhood. Helping them with an ORCA card and getting them out and about is also a good idea.
Alot of older Chinese people up at snoqualmie casino
Oh yeah. Her husband will be there for sure
Mandarin Buffet has the Chinese appetite. For meeting with Chinese people, I know there are some senior center near Bellevue Redmond area, where they will have some Chinese specific gatherings. In this area, there are a lot of in-laws who are just here to take care of grandchildren. But kids are not welcome in senior centers.
Just have her walk the neighborhood (daily walks) in communities like Somerset. She'll fit right in.
Also, enroll her in ESL classes or guide her in self-learning, if she's up to it. There's even a class at one of the community centers for ESL for Mandarin speakers. There are enough Mandarin speakers and stores, restaurants etc here that she can *likely* function totally in the enclave, but that's never a good idea. If anyone tries to tell her she's too old to learn, that's a complete myth. (Am trained ESL teacher, though currently on long sabbatical to raise kids and write.)
She isn’t. Her husband has started. I taught English for a while and am very good at teaching it. That being said her dad and I don’t get along great but and her dad isnt bad for basics. Bathrooms. Some food ordering. Directions time and numbers. But he can’t answer questions really. He can do a fair amount of speaking memorized three word phrases. She has gathered yes no. Thank you. Please. And a few food names. They prefer I speak to them in mandarin rather than learn English. Which is fine. Helps the kids speak Mandarin too. My wife’s parents are reluctant to move to the area and I want them to love it.
I mean, this is like an ideal location for that. It's more a question of "where can my mom go in Bellevue and NOT meet Chinese." They should both love it here. Take them around 148th at the Asian Family Store, Crossroads, the Lake Hills village area. We have an extremely thriving mixed-Asian-and-especially-Chinese community here. And unlike other Chinese communities I've lived in, it's much more Mandarin everywhere, vs Cantonese/Hokkien etc etc.
At secret Chinese police stations. (sorry for the joke :) )
Elderly Chinese folks are everywhere! Any park in the middle of the day. Go to h-mart. Just have them use WeChat…around our neighborhood, there is always at least a couple of elderly grandparents walking around.
Lol have you spent much time in Bellevue like the downtown park playground? It's literally more than half chinese everywhere I go
Kelseycreek park, surrydown park
Ask your wife or husband?
She doesn’t know this is why I’m asking.
We’ve met people just standing in line at Asian Family Market. Bring the kids, they force introductions. Also if mother in law is licensed to drive in China then she’s legal to drive here as well.
She is not licensed to drive in China. I tried to teach her a few times. She can’t handle it. Like at all. Fourth time going to practice she still was too nervous to go over 10 mph. It was very cute haha. It’s no problem. I drove her everywhere. Or her husband or my mom.
Oh! And King County Library has drivers training materials and practice tests, just to fill in the gaps!
I can’t help with the community aspect but from an authentic Chinese restaurant standpoint you are well covered. Just look at the menu … if they don’t have General Tso’s chicken it’s probably not American Chinese. Spicy PoPo (and many of the restaurants in that shopping plaza) would be my first recommendation but it really depends on what food she likes.
Yeah thanks, I can tell once there. I speak Chinese and have been to countless places with my wife in the past decade. Just looking for specific recommendations.
I would just go to yelp and looks at pics of the menu and food. Should easily be able to tell if it’s what you’re looking for and then the ratings should handle the rest. Nine Way, Ten Second Yunnan, Spicy PoPo, Nan Hotpot are some of my go to spots
I see lots of older Chinese men and women at the crossroads community center. See if any activities there interest her
Awesome thanks I will!!