An important and well done video
Doug Hall
Nepali New Year is coming up. Baisakh 1 is April 13. The Nepali
community here in NH had a New Years party Saturday evening at a local
American Legion hall. Saturday was a better day for school kids to stay
out late. A great time!
I am writing for a different reason.
Anyone helping Bhutanese refugees in any manner should watch the 25
minute video at:
www.refugeesyndrome,com
The video is a very honest and moving portrayal of the situation faced
by some of the Bhutanese who have been resettled in the Bronx, NYC. It
was made by 2 graduate students at the Columbia School of Journalism.
The content and the production qualities are outstanding.
One of the people interviewed in the video is TP Mishra who came from
the camps recently. He is an editor of Bhutan News Service and has his
own personal website of very high quality with some interesting videos
as well as a PDF version of his book "Becoming a Journalist in Exile."
I have been in touch with TP recently and will be advertising the Nepali
dictionary on his website and maybe Bhutan News Service's website as
well. If nothing else it will give him a little income toward what is
currently completely volunteer work on his part - journalism and
documenting the refugees' lives.
Please check out both websites. The movie is very important.
Doug Hall
Doug Hall
The video URL is www.refugeesyndrome.com
How did that comma get in there in my prior post....
Doug
Ralph
This is Ralph Parker in Atlanta. I kept your old emails. I hope you are
well. I am not sure if you have a dictionary to spare but I am working
with a wonderful parentless Bhutanese Rai family who could use one. The
oldest boy is 23 and there are siblings down to age 10. He was raising
them in the camps since he was 16. Great folks,
If you can please send him a book and indicate it was at my request
Kamal Rai
3615 Montreal Creek Circlw
Apartment 2
Clarkston, Ga 30021
Also you may want to read a book by Jeff Rasley "Bringing Promise to
Paradise" about his help in assisting a school in Basa, Nepal.
Doug Hall
Please let the Rai's know about this website: www.aksharica.com
This website contains all the issues of a semi-monthly newsletter in
Nepali that some Nepalis here in New Hampshire have begun to publish for
the benefit of the Nepali-speaking Bhutanese community around the USA.
Doug Hall
Nepali Dictionary Project
Jacoby, John
In late December, officials from the IOM in Nepal visited Newark
International Airport (EWR). EWR is still one of the primary gateways
for the arrival of Bhutani refugees and word from the IOM is that we can
expect a continued flow of refugees throughout 2011. The IOM was
pleased with the operation at EWR, but I think we all recognize that
initial entry to the US is far from the major hurdles facing the
newcomers. I had a conversation with Dimitry Mytrenko the Sr.
Operations Officer for the IOM in Nepal about the preparation the
refugees receive prior to departure from the camps. They are briefed,
but I'm not sure they are given a realistic picture of the challenges
they will be facing with their families. I suggested to Dimitry that we
could open a dialogue with the staff working in the camps to ensure that
they are aware of some of the unique challenges and successes of the
Bhutani community in the US.
I'd appreciate your thoughts on the above and if you agree, please
provide me with some examples of the obstacles, challenges, what is
working, etc and I'll organize into an e-mail to Dimitry to start the
dialogue and for him to pass on to the appropriate folks in Nepal.
John Jacoby
General Manager
Newark Liberty International Airport
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Doug Hall
I'll give you my take on this. Hopefully others will join in.
In some ways things are now easier for the new arrivals than they were a
year or two ago. That is because new arrivals are now almost all being
settled in places where they already have extended family members and
there is a Bhutanese community that has grown and can offer plenty of
advice based on its own local experience. Where can I buy Nepali food?
How do I learn how to drive? Where is a good place to look for a job?
How can I get internet access? These and so many more are now questions
that are answered by friends, neighbors, and cousins who have been in
the US for a year or two.
The first arrivals in 2008 and early 2009 did not have that kind of
Nepali-speaking support group to turn to.
A lot of this is already being conveyed by phone between the refugees
here and those still in the camps It is amazing to me how much
communication is going on by phone.
On the other hand I have seen lots of misunderstanding or lack of
knowledge that should have been cleared up in the IoM orientation. These
are the keys points that I think need much more emphasis than they are
now getting:
(1) Young adults over age 18 (21 in some US states) will not be able to
attend public schools. Some come with their parents thinking they will
be able to get a US high school diploma by attending public schools
until they complete studies while their parents work. They don't realize
that there is an age limit. As they are legally adults, they will be
required to get a job first and fill in around that with adult ELL
classes or GED studies.
(2) Families will have to fend for themselves after 4 months of rent and
other support. While some resettlement agencies will continue to offer
some non-financial support and advice, other resettlement agencies will
be less helpful. I don't blame the resettlement agencies; they must keep
their priority on the most recent arrivals. If you have been here for 12
months, you will be lucky to even have a telephone call returned by the
agency that arranged your first housing.
(3) Almost all jobs require some oral English. Few employers will hire
someone who speaks no English at all. This means that older refugees
(typically 40 and up) who may never have attended school in Bhutan, are
illiterate, and speak only Nepali, Dzongka, and maybe Hindi are going to
have a VERY difficult time getting jobs. Bhutanese in this group must
come to the US with a family plan on who in their extended family will
help support them financially after the first 4 months. If the extended
family does not have a plan about that includes those who are working
sharing resources with those who are not, there will be big problems.
(4) Health care is not free. While children will often be eligible for a
state's Medicaid program, those 18 and over may not be after an initial
8 months. Going to a hospital emergency room for a bleeding finger that
was cut while preparing food may result in a bill for $2,000 - the
equivalent of one month's pay or more. Going to the ER for a migraine
headache may cost the same. My experience is that almost all Bhutanese
have had health care provided at no cost in the camps and during their
first months in the US provided. When they are no longer eligible for
Medicaid they have little idea how much it will then cost. (Most
Americans don't really know either unless they are uninsured but that is
another issue.)
(5) Family structure can be turned upside down. Children who can speak
and understand English better than their parents will be put in the
position of taking on adult responsibilities - making calls to schedule
appointments, interpreting conversations, etc.
(6) The children will also adopt the behaviors, dress, slang language,
food, and interests of their peers in school. That means they may
abandon Bhutanese ways and adopt American ones much sooner than their
parents and grandparents will. Taken together with their adult role,
this may cause considerable friction within the family. To press this
issue, during orientation, the parents of teens and young adults should
be asked, "How will you feel when you son or daughter has a romantic
interest in a non-Nepali-speaking, non-Hindu, American?
Doug
Aaron Rome
Great insights.
A couple other bullets I will add:
1) Most of the refugees (obviously not in Doug's case!) will be located in urban areas. Often they have no choice but to live in neighborhoods where there is a high crime rate and the streets are not safe after dark. Personal safety issues should be addressed. Common sense stuff like being aware of their environment, keeping close eye on their kids, how to talk to their children about drugs and gangs and how to deal when they are facing peer pressure.
2) School issues - orientation about how the education system works for primary and secondary schools to give parents confidence to get involved with schools and not be intimidated by the idea of interacting with teachers... how to monitor their kids schooling (even if they do not understand English and the subjects, there are many things they can do to give their kids pos. reinforcement and keep track of their progress.
Thanks Doug and John!
-- Aaron
Beth Heiderich
Almost all of these are issues with the Bhutanese resettled in Utica NY. We have a very small community
here at this time 76 in total. We have The Refugee Center but no Nepali speaking teachers for the Adults.
My Church is working with the Refugee Center and a few of the Bhutanese Men who were educated in Nepal
to teach english to the adults. This will hopefully take the burden off the english speaking children. This will also put
Parent back as head of household.
The refugees are telling their parents to alter their ages so the will recieve ssi. Whether this can be done or
not I dont know.
They do not understand the consequences of driving without a license.
They very seldom use car seats for the children.
This is just a few
Thanks Beth
> Date: Wed, 5 Jan 2011 12:58:08 -0500
> From: dough...@comcast.net
> To: bhutaneser...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: IOM in Nepal
Ralph
population is over 2500. We now have a huge Mongolian population who are
Buddhist, Kirat and Christian. They are Rai, Tamu, Gurung and Magar and
maybe are half the community. The Indian Hindu community is renting a
space called the Hindu-Bhutanese Spiritual Center.Mostly Hindus attend
as there is some direction from certain so called leaders trying to keep
folks away from Brahmins. On a day to day level, there is no problem
between families along these lines. Last Sunday about 500 people attend
a Lhosa celebration for the Gurung ethnic group. I would say that about
15% of the crowd was Indian/Brahmin-Chetri. The Gurung Association had
an Indian group perform and all leaders of community organizations were
on the dais.
We now have a Nepali-Bhutanese market which is serving as a gathering
place. Clarkston Georgia where about 75% of the Bhutanese live has the
highest refugee/immigrant population in the South. Safety is a huge
concern. A Burmese man was killed in a drive by shooting and there have
been muggings in the Bhutanes community. Most or the refugees are
becoming racist against blacks. I struggle to have them keep things in
balance. It has been hard to convince them to walk in groups and to lock
doors
There seems to be a migration to Pittsburgh for more jobs and benefits
but we are also getting transplants from the cold states. Apartments are
reasonable.In a better complex a 2 bedroom townhouse can rent for $700
and a 3 bedroom for $800
Agencies are now moving people to safer suburban Roswell. Nationally
there have been 5 or 6 suicides. This is of grave concern and most are
young people. The 18-30 year olds are doing menial jobs to support their
families and many are well educated. I am concerned about this group
becoming despondent. There is some drinking in the Mongolian community.
I do not know of gang or drug issues.
Because of the size of the community things are fairly good. There are
so many organizations that they have set up. I am working with 10
families and very closely with teens. They all have great respect for
their elders and follow their wishes although several have said their
children will be different. I am encouraging all to go to college since
Georgia provided free tuition to public colleges wit a 3.0 GPA Many want
to go and work. I tell them this is an opportunity their older siblings
will never have.
Biggest concerns
1 Employment
2 Safety
3 Mental Health
4 Housing
We have not had recent cases of potential evictions as we had in 2008. I
am not hopeful for 2011 since the 18 billion supplemental refugee budget
was killed in Congress and we are opening doors to even more refugees.
The agencies are know paying 4-5 months rent in advance given their new
$900 per refugee allotment. I still believe there is significant
unemployment Georgias rate is 10.2%
Do any of you have significant Mongolian Bhutanese populations and is
there any conflict? Have you experienced any evictions? What is the
employment situation?
Ralph Parker
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Aaron Rome
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