Just the other day I posted on a cultural orientation program being taught to refugees in Thailand—refugees on their way to America. At least their training was several days long. Now Brenda Walker over at VDARE sends me this Los Angeles Daily News article about a group of Iranians who didn’t get their lessons until they were here and then only for an hour or so.
You can’t smoke in most places. Bribes are a no-no. Car seats and kids’ bicycle helmets are the law.
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And beating your wife will land you in jail – not to mention get you deported.
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Several times a year, immigrants – primarily from the Middle East and Africa – who have won refuge in the United States undergo orientations just days after stepping off planes at Los Angeles International Airport.
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The brief orientation lecture, typically three days after refugees arrive, also explains day-to-day life in the United States. These new residents learn their adopted nation’s dress, how to get health care, how to pay bills and get credit, and when to call 911.
Read the whole article here with more on not beating your wife or bribing a police officer. The article is a stark reminder of the huge cultural gap that exists between America and the Middle East.
It reminded me that I’ve seen these rules before. When our refugee issue reared its head in Hagerstown, MD, the Maryland Office for New Americans passed out a booklet that was intended for refugees (but in English!) with all these same rules.
I don’t know if I can find it now, but I remember very clearly it also said something to the effect, “men and women both wear shorts in America.” I suspect that is to forewarn strict Muslims that in America you might see more than a wrist or ankle.
See Brenda Walker’s take on this at the VDARE blog here.