This is an informative report at the Contra Costa Times on how refugees—they are called Bhutanese, but are really of Nepali origin—are arriving by the tens of thousands in the US and how they are being prepared for life in America in camps in Nepal.
I had a laugh over this paragraph:
In the past two years, more than 30,000 Bhutanese refugees have migrated to the United States, Canada, Australia and five other countries. The refugees, members of a Nepali-speaking ethnic minority, left Bhutan 18 years ago under pressure from the government. [The Bhutan government wanted Bhutan for Bhutanese not for Nepali people.]
I laughed because although they say 30,000 have gone to the US, Canada and Australia, we have officially taken 29,371 of those according to statistics available at the Cultural Resources Orientation Center here. The numbers breakdown as follows: FY 2008—5,320, FY 2009 —13,452, and FY 2010 as of July 31st (the fiscal year ends Sept. 3oth)—10,599.
This exodus to the US was launched in 2007 by former (Bush Administration) Asst. Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Ellen Sauerbrey’s promise that the US would take 60,000 Bhutanese over 5 years. So they have about 30,000 to go over the next two years to reach her promised goal.
The article goes on to discuss how the elderly (who will btw be eligible for SSI in the US) have a more challenging time with the training to enter the US. And, there is a very interesting discussion about how the refugee camps are experiencing a decline in the educational system as teachers are being resettled.
The elderly need to learn some English and how to flush a toilet!
Refugees say better preparation for life abroad is more important now than ever. Elder refugees, most of them former farmers in Bhutan, are enrolling in English classes for the first time, hoping it will ease their transition, and the migration agency is teaching life skills to adults on topics ranging from child-rearing to the workings of American-style flush toilets.
However, it appears their biggest worry is about crime and the poor economy.
The teachers have also been tasked to talk a lot more about the refugees’ big concerns: the tough economy and crime.
Two Bhutanese refugees who had recently arrived in America were killed after robbery attempts in Florida and Texas. Many more have been mugged, including several young Bhutanese men in Oakland. The refugees are placed in cities where they can find affordable apartments and easy access to public transit. Many of these places also suffer from poverty and crime.
Mugging stories spread like wildfire back in the camps, where they are often tinged with racial stereotypes, fears and jokes.
Agency workers said they have tried to tailor their cultural orientation sessions to respond to fears and misconceptions about life in the United States.
We have written many many posts on the Bhutanese resettlement to the US, including reports of those murders mentioned in this article. I encourage readers wishing to learn more to please use our search function and search for ‘Bhutanese.’