Panethnic Pourovers: 'We Are Truly Here to Help People'

Part library, part cultural center and part hangout, group says it is for all

After feeling burnt out from her job as a software engineer a few years ago, Emily Goroza decided that she needed a change. At the same time, she realized how privileged she was to work in the corporate world. Then it struck her: She wanted to find a way to work that also allowed her to give back to the community. So, in 2023, Goroza, alongside a close friend and her now fiancé, started Panethnic Pourovers, a non-profit organization focused on making education, art, and resources more accessible for members of marginalized communities, especially Asian and Pacific Islander American communities.

Standing out with its bright yellow door, Panethnic Pourovers on West Squantum St. in Quincy started out as a cafe-library. Goroza’s fiancée, Liam Hobbs, who had owned a café in Hingham, came up with the idea. The two also tapped into Hobbs’ education in ethnic and Asian Studies, brewing up the educational theme for the coffee spot.

Panethnic Pourovers has since spawned several clubs, such as the Boston Cantonese Club, Show Up and Write Night for writers, and a book club.

A Hangout, and More

The space has also proven to be valuable to kids who need somewhere to stay during the summer while their parents are working. The cafe also holds events such as quarterly tea tastings, where people can gather with friends and neighbors for free tea. Then there’s Radical Reflections, which is a political education group focused on discussing and educating people on progressive politics, and Panethnic Pourovers’ latest addition, a spotlight market. The market debuted in May and featured vendors from lesser-known local minority-owned businesses with a goal putting them in the local “spotlight.” The idea took off, said Goroza, and the attendance was double what they expect. It could now become a marquee event for Panethnic Pourovers moving forward, she added.

“We are truly here to help people and see what the community needs,” Goroza said.

But the food service business is tough. Goroza originally funded most of the workers' wages out of pocket from money she earned as a software engineer. The investment paid off, however, helping Panethnic Pourovers gain initial traction. But earlier this year, Goroza was laid off from her day job, so Goroza shifted Panethnic Pourovers’ focus away from the cafe and toward becoming a community center. The original plan was to serve community needs, after all, so she felt the change made sense.

Goroza also felt that Panethnic Pourovers should not be viewed as a business to keep it true to its mission. Panethnic Pourovers does not make decisions to please donors, she noted, but rather, prioritizes addressing the needs of the communities they serve.

“I think for a lot of people (not running Panethnic Pourovers like a business) seems transparently stupid, but I don’t think it’s stupid. It’s actually what has made us a very strong community that has formed very quickly,” Goroza said. “As long as people understand that we’re not like a business, we’re just people who have similar values and interests and want to share that with other people.”

Panethnic Pourovers accomplishes this goal by staying focused on core values. Workers don’t wear uniforms, for example; they appear as just any other person because that’s what they are, said Goroza. Also, Panethnic Pourovers’ team is made up of people in the communities the group serves. Back when the cafe was still a focus, board members were volunteering to work there.

“We have a lot of folks who are truly being human and want the community … to exist and to continue existing. I think that’s part of what has made us thrive because we’re not really a monetarily focused organization. We’re very much an experience organization.” Goroza said.

Goroza, however, says some sacrifices of convenience are necessary at Panethnic Pourovers. She said that sometimes they won’t be able to open on certain days because they don’t have a volunteer, as everyone has day jobs and their own schedule, and she does not want to go against Panethnic Pourovers’ values and change how their volunteer system works.

“If we did that, then it wouldn’t necessarily be about community anymore, it’d be about convenience,” Goroza said. “As long as people understand that we’re not like a business, we’re just people who have similar values and interests and want to share that with other people, I think the more people understand that, the more they’ll get out of the space.”

Panethnic's Philosophy

Panethnic Pourovers’ philosophy also holds that when addressing community needs, you don’t always have to go through formalities. Goroza talked about the time Panethnic Pourovers put together a pilot for a housing program in 2024. Goroza met a homeless person who came to Panethnic Pourovers. The board members gathered money out of their pockets to help the person find a place to stay and cover expenses, which eventually resulted in that person getting back on their feet with a full-time job and a place to live. Taking care of this person wasn’t done through any complicated process. Panethnic Pourovers simply saw a community member in need and used their resources to help however they could.

“I feel there’s always this focus on it being such a formal process where you have an idea, get it approved by all these people, get the funding approved…. We make sure to use our money appropriately, obviously, but it’s not always about just trying to get funding for something; it’s about how we can help right now, as well,” Goroza said. “If there is a need in our community, we’ll find a way to get it met.”

With the space’s location in Quincy, and Goroza being a Filipina-American, it was only natural to have an Asian and Pacific Islander focus, she said. Around 30% of Quincy’s population is of Asian descent, according to census data. Goroza told of when, last December, Panethnic Pourovers put together a Christmas event where people made gifts and cards for new migrant families who had recently been housed in Quincy, delivering them on Christmas Eve. They also make an effort to accommodate for whatever needs immigrant families may have when possible. This includes helping people cross language barriers, as they have bilingual staff members.

Panethnic Pourovers has built its brand on authenticity. From the front door, you’ll see an “Immigrants Welcome” sign, and inside, there’s plenty of decor and books that point toward their progressive beliefs and stances. Goroza has said that although their authenticity has scared some people, it has also made people trust them as they are unapologetic about what they stand for.

“Thankfully, it’s made the right people trust us,” Goroza said.

Goroza says that one of the best books available in their library that has helped shape the perspectives at Panethnic Pourovers is “A People’s History of the United States” by Howard Zinn. Zinn’s book is a retelling of United States history but from the perspective of oppressed groups such as Native Americans and African Americans. Goroza refers to this book as a great introduction to radical politics, theory, and understanding the underlying systems built into the United States. As education is a key part of Panethnic Pourovers, Goroza sees the book as a more accurate alternative to whitewashed American history taught in many public schools, something she experienced personally growing up in an American education system.

“I think it’s not really a secret that the public education system in America and a lot of other places, places especially where a lot of our immigrants come from, are driven by propaganda and not necessarily correct information,” Goroza said.

Goroza stresses the importance of understanding history, especially in the current era of the United States under Pres. Donald Trump. She believes understanding history is key when it comes to shaping people’s worldview and that the lack of urgency from some people surrounding the current administration’s actions comes from a lack of a proper historical understanding.

“If you talk to a lot of folks who don’t understand what’s happening right now (under the Trump administration) or are not scared, it’s because they don’t understand the history behind it, and as cliché as it is, history does repeat itself, especially for those who are unaware of it,” Goroza said.

Goroza and Panethnic Pourovers have dedicated themselves to being a resource that will do whatever is in their power to address community needs brought to their attention. Goroza emphasized that they are open to ideas for community events.

“You don’t need to be a board member, community clerk, or existing volunteer to start something here. You can just come in or email one of us and be like ‘I want to start this initiative’ and then we’ll be like ‘OK, what do you need from us?’” Goroza said. “But, in terms of what’s happening next, it depends on what the community wants or needs.”