In a post on July 13th (Somalis here, Somalis there, Somalis everywhere) I mentioned that a new Refugee Resettlement Office had opened for the Greeley and Ft. Morgan areas of Colorado. The Denver Post today carries the usual puff piece about the Somalis who are arriving to the “Mayberry-like Mainstreet” of Ft. Morgan. The article is entitled “For refugees its a good place”
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_6440317?source=rss
As you read down past the endearing comments about the first snow for the new arrivals, the article gets more interesting. The Somalis are employed in the meat packing industry. Its just my guess, but as illegal immigration is increasingly a problem for employers, they are now turning to refugee resettlement as a source of cheap labor. I’m even guessing these big employers are hiring human resources experts to scour the world’s refugee camps for the brightest prospects. The federal government (the taxpayer) picks up the tab for all the other expenses to get the employees to middle American cities and set them up in housing and take care of the family’s other needs.
But there are a few flys in the ointment:
They learn quickly, for instance, about keeping their lawns neat and understanding the rules for driving, Anderson said.
More sticky are cultural and religious canons that conflict with the American lifestyle. At times, the refugees will leave their assembly line work to tend to family or friends outside the plant, Waters said.
“Many come from an agricultural-based background, and they are not used to functioning in a more structured environment,” she said. “They have to learn they just can’t walk away.”
Another issue is that many of the refugees are Muslim and adhere to praying at least five times a day. That, too, can cause slowdowns that irk some employers, Waters said.
“This will be, as in the past, an issue that has to be negotiated with their company,” she said.
So the accomodation begins, bit by bit….. more on how we are asked to accomodate the religious requirements of Islam later. Gotta go feed some old horses.