Have you ever taken a trip to another country–one with a very different culture from your own? No matter where you go, you are surrounded by new sights, new sounds, new smells, people speaking a different language, people acting differently, and people dressing differently than you…It can feel very overwhelming–like waking up in a fairytale…or a bad dream.
Now imagine experiencing this culture shock as a refugee: sometimes fleeing for your life, sometimes leaving family behind in danger, always arriving unprepared for life in your new country.
Refugees …
… may have been persecuted because of their religion.
… may have lived in a refugee camp for years.
… may have grown up in camps.
… may wake up in the night remembering bombings, killings, torture, starvation.
Refugees come to the United States with nothing but the clothes on their backs. (Can you imagine arriving in Michigan in December in shorts and sandals?) They arrive with no beds, no chairs, no pots and pans, no friends, and no money.
If refugees come from a village environment in some areas of the world, they may never have been in a car or shopped in a grocery store. Even if they come from an urban environment or have a college degree, they may not speak English well enough to get a comparable job in the United States.
Regardless of their educational background and previous social status, all refugees find that coming to a new country requires starting over from scratch, getting whatever jobs they can, and working incredibly hard to achieve a reasonable standard of living. We applaud their courage, self-reliance, and unique contributions to America.
Comments are closed.