Bite Point: Current Affairs

Most readers have likely never heard of Mandaeans. And yet these people come from one of the oldest cultures on the planet, and practice one of the oldest monotheistic religions. There are approximately 60,000 Mandaeans in the world. Many were uprooted from their lives in Iraq and Iran due to the wars and other challenges of the last quarter century. They have, in fact, suffered a diaspora.

http://www.mandaeanunion.org/index.htm

Three years ago, using the resources of the Internet to accomplish something that makes a difference, I was able to reach out to local, established Mandaeans in my community and offer my services as a dentist to Mandaean refugees who had recently arrived. These folks became more than patients- they became my friends. And I found out first-hand that there is a harsh reality behind that word we hear so often on the nightly news: refugee.

It was a fine coincidence that one of my patients works for the Nationalities Services Center, a non-profit organization that provides social, educational and legal services to immigrants and refugees in the Greater Philadelphia area.

There are so many refugees today, from so many cultures and backgrounds and homelands. What they have in common though is that they have fled from some great evil.

Recently, we made a much simpler donation of toothbrushes, toothpaste and other oral hygiene supplies to the NSC. I asked the folks there to write something that would bring the hard reality of the refugee experience to those of us who have enjoyed living free in the good ol' U. S. of A. for our entire lives. In the face of media and pop culture cynicism, it's a fine thing to read this and reflect on how lucky we really are.

Please read on then as Christian Przybylek at the Nationalities Services Center brings to us an understanding of the life of a refugee:

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Start Over

Imagine for a moment that you are at home. Your loved ones are asleep. The house is quiet. You slide under the sheets and begin to drift off. You are comfortable, warm and safe. Suddenly, you are jolted out of bed by an explosion. It’s followed by a series of automatic rifle shots. The sounds are off in the distance but appear to be getting closer. Your loved ones wake up startled. Your neighbor knocks on your door and tells you they are coming this way and it’s time to leave.

Every year, thousands of people find themselves in a similar precarious situation where they are forced to decide if they should stay or go. The decision to flee is often the only viable option. In the midst of chaos you switch to flight mode, you are running on adrenaline. You only have time for the essentials. With danger swiftly approaching, you might have time to gather essential items like money, medicine, food before its time to flee. What would you do?

For millions of people around the world, this was a decision that had to be made. Every year, they are displaced from their homes and countries of origin because of violence and conflict and they become refugees. In many cases, they don’t have something essential, whether identity papers or loved ones. Conditions in their country of origin are unstable and their lives are threatened if the return. The only option available is to reside in a refugee camp, where conditions are poor, and basic rights are often not afforded such as freedom of movement, education and work.

Most refugees today will not return to their country of origin and will likely spend the majority of their lives in a camp. Every year, the United States and a handful of other countries welcome a few refugees to resettle under humanitarian programs. The United States Immigration and Nationality Act of 1980 set the framework for the current United States Refugee Admissions program. Less than 1% of refugee worldwide will every have this opportunity.

Of these, a few hundred arrive in Philadelphia, every year, with a suitcase and the clothes on their back. Prior to a refugee’s arrival a local resettlement agency is contacted by the US department of State and informed of the arrival. The agency agrees to take the case and goes about securing clean, safe and affordable housing, furniture, food and clothing. A lease agreement needs to be ready before the refugee arrives, and the agency is responsible for providing basic furniture and paying rent for the first 4 months. A case manager will greet them at the airport with translation if necessary and will give them an orientation of their new home. The case manager will be faced with questions about employment and varying expectations. It is a primary concern.

In some cases refugees may arrive with high levels of education and professional job experience. This often does little to assuage their hunger for similar employment. In most cases, they have to start over, working their way up from the bottom of the career and education ladder. Although a refugee may have a particular skill set, their credentials may not match up to their expectations. In other cases, someone new to the United States may not have any professional experience, and will start at the same place, minimum wage.

Refugees are expected to become self-sufficient within 4 months. Many who come to the US want to first pursue and education and earn a high school diploma, GED or college degree, but they must first gain employment and income, and approach their goals piecemeal. In most cases, a refugee does become gainfully employed and self-sufficient, but the work is low-skilled labor and minimum wage. Imagine again for a moment, that after being forced from your home, you move to another city that is perhaps completely different from what you expect or know. You need work, but none of your credentials or experience count. Your path to remedy this is long and you plan to do it, but for now you have to take what opportunities are available to you. You’re starting over.

It may be hard to picture in the abstract, but in-kind donations of clothing, housewares, cleaning supplies and linens or cash donations to pay for these items can go far. If you would like to help welcome a refugee who is starting over in Philadelphia, consider making a difference through giving a in-kind item.

To find out more on how you can help, or to provide household items to newly arriving refugees, visit http://www.nscphila.org/support-us/

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