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6 Refugee Reports 1 (1985)

handle is hein.immigration/refgrpt0006 and id is 1 raw text is: Report A Project of the American Council for Nationalities Service 815 Fifteenth Street NW, Suite 610 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 667-0782 Volume VI, Number 1 January 25, 1985 PRE-ENTRY TRAINING FOUND TO AID INDOCHINESE REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT Pre-entry training in English as a second language (ESL) and cultural orientation (CO) has given South- east Asian refugees a measurable advantage over their untrained counterparts, according to a tracking study of their first six months in the U.S. The study, com- missioned by the Bureau for Refugee Programs of the U.S. State Department, tracked trained and untrained refugees in Boston, Houston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Trained refugees scored significantly higher than untrained refugees in English language skills; the gap in English proficiency between trained and untrained as especially great among preliterate refugees. Ref- gees who underwent cultural orientation training at any of the three Asian Refugee Processing Centers prior to their arrival in the U.S. made better adjustments to American life than those who came directly from Southeast Asia. The overwhelming consensus of both trained and untrained refugees was that they would recommend ESL and CO training to their friends and relatives awaiting arrival in the U.S. The study was based on a variety of information- gathering techniques. The first step was on-site ob- servation of training programs. The core section of the Basic English Skills Test was administered to 259 trained and 103 untrained refugees. Questionnaires focusing on adjustment patterns were circulated to caseworkers, teachers, employers, and refugee spon- sors. In-depth case studies were conducted on 25 incoming refugees. No Impact on Economic Self-Sufficiency Determined The study detected no differences in the impact of training on employment or welfare dependency. This was attri- buted to refugee eligibility for attractive public as- sistance benefits, rather than any failure of the Refugee Processing Centers to engender a desire for self-sufficiency. Although it falls outside the six- Imonth scope of the BRP study, its authors maintain that other studies have linked English proficiency to employability, suggesting that trained refugees will have an advantage once their eligibility for special public assistance expires. IN THIS ISSUE: A BRP study traced the progress of Southeast Asian refugees in the U.S. The study, which found that pre-entry training helps Southeast Asian refugees in their resettlement, is featured in this issue.....1 * Recent Developments Chicago voluntary agencies begin resettlement demon- strastration project; Vietnamese boat people continue to suffer piracy attacks; Canada announces increased refugee admission levels for 1985 ............ 2 * Update ................ 5 # Projects and Programs National project to protect rights of refugees in U.S.; New York project teaches urban skills to refugees...6 @ Reader Exchange ..... 10 * Resources ............. 14 * Statistics Refugee Arrivals by State of Resettlement and Country of Origin as of November 1984 ...................... 16

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