New initiative 'Community Quest' aims to encourage exploration of Utah's diverse communities

SALT LAKE CITY — In his role with the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, Dustin Khong is on a mission to foster unity among the varied communities, cultures and people that populate the state.

"It's about connecting all these communities to one another," he said.

Magnify Utah, a Division of Multicultural Affairs initiative that Khong helps manage, focuses on "finding commonality" among the people of Utah, he said.

Now, a new Magnify Utah program called Community Quest takes things a step further — prodding the public to venture to new neighborhoods and businesses to attend the many cultural celebrations regularly held around Utah.

One of the aims of Community Quest, unveiled over the summer, is to show that all corners of Utah — not just the Salt Lake City area or the Wasatch Front — have multicultural communities. A red Community Quest booklet, or "passport," is the focal point of the initiative, containing sketches of Utah's Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American, European and Black communities, as well as the state's pioneer heritage and rural corners.

It also suggests restaurants and other points of interest to visit that are representative of the varied groups.

"Some people might assume that multicultural means the Latino community or the Asian community. But the thing that we try to highlight is that everybody has culture and everybody has traditions and things that they want to share," Khong said. "Whether ... you're part of the rural community or you resonate with pioneer heritage in Utah, those are all facets of multiculturalism that we also try to celebrate."

Around 10,000 copies of the red booklet have been printed and are available for free at multiple locations, notably at many libraries around the state. Apart from recommending places to visit, the booklets offer suggestions on food to try and contain games focused on the state's varied cultural and ethnic groups.

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"I think it's for everybody. We include activities in there that are just as kid-friendly as they are adult-friendly," Khong said. He said the booklet could serve as a guide to new places to visit for those traveling around the state.

Fifty-five restaurants, museums and other places are highlighted in the booklet, but info on 670 more potential places of interest can be accessed by QR codes within its pages.

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