First, I want to say thank you to those that have tirelessly worked for the betterment of refugee resettlement! I am amazed every day at the volumes of volunteers, donations, and support that the agencies around the USA get! I feel privileged to work with so many organizations whose prime target is to better systematize, and fine tune resources for refugees that come to our state of Utah. Yet, still with all this progress there are some things that still eerk me, and quite frankly make me very upset and angry.
Today I want to bring awareness, and have the ability to step on my soap box for the next minute and a half. I am doing this because I spend 8+ hours a day, 5-6 days a week standing side by side with my clients and witnessing hills, mountains, barriers and struggles that they have to go through just to find a decent job, which quite frankly if we took the time to educate our community could make this feat a lot more simpler for them. So lucky you...here is MY gripe, and YOUR education!
- I am angry that professional refugees ( Engineers, Doctors, Teachers, Social workers) have to work entry level jobs
- I am angry having to worry about how the "name" of a person will effect their job application , and if they will get a call back for an interview
- I am angry that when I call to ask about a job opening I am helped right away , but when I ( listening on speaker phone) have one of my clients call that same person, because of their accent, they are treated as second class citizens.
- I am angry that somehow an accent is seen as a hinder to intelligence.
- I am angry that just because someone is from a foreign country that they are considered un-schooled, un-intelligent, and are only able to handle entry level work.
- I am angry that people can not work in their field of choice because the USA does not recognize their university degree
- I am angry that these same university graduates have a hard time being re-certified or admitted to certain universities because although they have YEARS of experience in their fields since they cannot produce a piece of paper that says they gradated from college--usually because their school was bombed, or contacting the school will put their family still residing in the country in physical danger-- their opportunity is crushed by red tape.
- I am angry having to constantly rally for clients to get simple documents --such as finger prints required for jobs-- because although they have almost every NATIONAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT KNOWN TO MAN-- I-94, SS, Utah ID, EAD, etc.-- they are still scrutinized and questioned about their legality far more then any other person in the state
- I am exhausted reiterating that YES REFUGEES ARE GIVEN PERMISSION THE MOMENT THEY LAND HERE TO WORK IN THE USA ( I-94, EAD, SS)
- I am angry that people think that although refugees have walked thousands of miles, survived persecution, hunger, laying in streets, separation from family, torture, decades in prison..that they "somehow" cant handle a job, or are seen as living off benefits
- I am angry that although it is a fact refugees are INVITED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ( and have so for decades) to come here...they are STILL seen as illegal by the mass population
I know most people are innocently unaware of these things. If you are take this knowledge and inform others. If not --have some empathy. Refugees are NOT helpless they have overcome trials that would have killed most of us in a matter of days. This takes some type of virtue that is very unique. They deserve respect. Remember the golden rule: Do unto others what you want to be done unto you!
