Economic Downturn Impacting Utah’s Refugees
11.09.2009 by Elizabeth Ziegler
(KCPW News) As many as 45,000 refugees have settled in Utah since the 1970s. But the latest wave seeking refuge from Iraq, Myanmar, Bhutan and Somalia are arriving amidst a historic economic crisis. Utah Refugee Services Director Gerald Brown says many are taken by surprise at how difficult it is to find work, homes and acceptance as they start their new life here.
“When they were in refugee camps overseas, they believed that when they got to the U.S., their journey would be over,” Brown says. “But the reality is when they get to the U.S., their journey begins. Or at least a second, long journey begins.”
Job opportunities were one of the many topics discussed at the 2009 Refugee Conference held at the Salt Palace over the weekend.
Brown says U.S. refugee policy is generous in that it allows more of them to resettle here than any other country in the world, and that Utah is a welcoming place for them. But he says once they get here, there’s no social safety net. Brown says the refugee community needs volunteers and friends to help them integrate. He adds that integration is a two-way street, helping refugees adjust to their new life and making local communities stronger.
“Unless you welcome diversity and you use it, then you will always have, you know, a tunnel vision about the way the world works,” Brown says. “So, the only way that you can avoid the tunnel vision is you get to know people and befriend people from other cultures that see things in other ways.”
The annual Utah Refugee Conference brings together refugees, volunteers and social service organizations to discuss current issues and build a sense of community.
(KCPW News) As many as 45,000 refugees have settled in Utah since the 1970s. But the latest wave seeking refuge from Iraq, Myanmar, Bhutan and Somalia are arriving amidst a historic economic crisis. Utah Refugee Services Director Gerald Brown says many are taken by surprise at how difficult it is to find work, homes and acceptance as they start their new life here.
“When they were in refugee camps overseas, they believed that when they got to the U.S., their journey would be over,” Brown says. “But the reality is when they get to the U.S., their journey begins. Or at least a second, long journey begins.”
Job opportunities were one of the many topics discussed at the 2009 Refugee Conference held at the Salt Palace over the weekend.
Brown says U.S. refugee policy is generous in that it allows more of them to resettle here than any other country in the world, and that Utah is a welcoming place for them. But he says once they get here, there’s no social safety net. Brown says the refugee community needs volunteers and friends to help them integrate. He adds that integration is a two-way street, helping refugees adjust to their new life and making local communities stronger.
“Unless you welcome diversity and you use it, then you will always have, you know, a tunnel vision about the way the world works,” Brown says. “So, the only way that you can avoid the tunnel vision is you get to know people and befriend people from other cultures that see things in other ways.”
The annual Utah Refugee Conference brings together refugees, volunteers and social service organizations to discuss current issues and build a sense of community.
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