Interview with Dahlia

This month, Gemma, my Signature project manager, has given me a great opportunity to ask Dahlia a series of questions for my Signature project this year. Dahlia works for USCRI, short of United States Committee of Refugees and Immigrants, and has been very helpful. Thank you again Dahlia for your precious time!

What kind of work are USCRI doing for the refugees?/ Why do refugees come to the US?

USCRI is a non-profit organization that contracts with the US federal government to resettle refugees. Refugee is somebody who had to escape their country for mostly political reasons, but also a lot of other causes such as natural disasters. From the second country, often in a refugee camp, the vetting process happens, and the US brings in certain numbers of people in. It is a small amount. (Refugees come to the US after that process with many more safe guards and benefits than immigrants(undocumented) they have basically all the rights to work, go to school, and get social service benefits etc, and they end up getting green cards and citizens.) If they don’t become citizens in a certain number of years, the rights of social benefits won’t be able. In some cases refugee experience is similar to immigrants, and in others, it is a completely different experience. Reuniting families, and making sure that culturally, they make sure that they could live within the people with the same cultures.

Where are the refugees from? What does USCRI do?

In Albany, 4000-5000 refugees have been resettled. They have come from Burma, (various ethnic groups), Iraq, Afghanistan, Syrian community, Congo and more ethnic groups present in Albany. Albany school district now has 56 different languages spoken by they’re students. When they are finally vetted, agencies meet them at the airport, they already have apartments for them, and settle them in. First few weeks are very high intensity and it is often a crisis for the family. They are initially set up with social services benefits. Quickly, they get employment counseling and placed in possible work, at least for one adult in the family. The children are quickly enrolled in school. The downside is that in terms of the contract, the federal government pays for certain amounts for each individual, and also pays for the air fare. The airfare must be reimbursed by the refugee family eventually. They give about three years to pay it back. The money is for the first month’s rent, and agencies can support them for 90 days.

It is absurd that the support is only 90 days, because of Trump, the NY state provided additional funds, the legislators and the governors signed additional funds for longer support than 90 days. But this creates a problem, because when you are a newcomer, especially if you don’t know the language, this is a totally different culture. That is totally inadequate support. We have research for how long it really takes for an immigrant family, especially the adults, to integrate into the society. One of the things we tried to do is to get volunteers, and match them with families. That tends to be a longer standing relationship, and they are called mentors. They really try to help with the family. The problem with that is we don’t have enough volunteers for the number of refugees to come.

What kind of economic benefit does refugees bring?

Refugees like other immigrants are not homogenous. They bring a wide variety of skills. But learning English becomes a barrier. Depending on what you knew from your previous life (before they came to the U.S) The economic benefit is all over the board. Just like with other immigrants.

For example, there is one set of refugees called Special Immigrant Visa holders, SIVs. These are people from the countries that the United States ‘helped’ such as Afghanistan, and Iraq, who were translators and interpreters, usually men, for the American Army. They are highly educated, multi-lingual, very sophisticated, very much in danger the moment they help Americans. So they were promised that once the American troops left, they could come to the United States with their families so they could be safe and have a good life. But they also have a hard time finding jobs due to prejudice in the society.

I need to bring this up, I have been studying how systemic racism plays into this, and it is very important. But when you say, “What economic advantages do refugees bring?”They bring a tremendous amount, but so do a lot of other people. There are many citizens, particularly black citizens, in this country with that background of having been enslaved. Who came here not as immigrants, but as enslaved people, who did not get the opportunity that some immigrants had. That whole immigrant story, of going from being poor to successful, is from my point of view one of the racist systems in this country that makes sure that there is a division and fight, between the immigrant population and native born population. That tension helps racism a great deal. It serves racism.

How do refugees and immigrants help the U.S Government? (For example, refugees in the US brought in $63 billion more in government revenues than they cost over the past decade)

They are the taxpayers. I see that you made a note that refugees in the US brought in $63 billion more in government revenues than they cost over the past decade. There is a great emphasis on refugees becoming self sufficient. I also think it has something to do with the next generations. One of the wonderful things to watch young children come here, grow up and become amazing leaders. They started to become doctors, lawyers, and CEOs. I think those are the biggies.

How is Trump’s policy changing the refugee and immigrants life?

One of the obvious is fear. So refugees who came here totally legally, when Trump was elected, part of what we had to do was to calm down the refugees to tell them they are protected. Because the refugees were positive that they would be deported. We had situations in Albany, childrens went to school with tears in their eyes saying “I think this is going to be my last day here.” to the teachers. It was a very very real fear. Trump was a definite threat to so many people.

Why do you think people tend to think refugees are bad for the economy?

This is how racism works. You always blame others. This country is a county of immigrants, but every immigrant who came here was hated throughout US history after the Revolution.

Do refugees and immigrants help GDP grow stronger?

Certainly it is. I can’t wait for refugees and other immigrants to come here and they will improve the economy. They will also bring their skills. Another person said that if they don’t come here, large global companies just buy the cheap labor. Other countries will take their labor force, and pay less. For me, more the merrier.

I was wondering if the number of refugees and immigrants will increase since Biden is the US President.

Absolutely. There is a quota, a cap for the number of refugees. The way this works, I think it was 1982 when there was a law passed that said they gave a floor to the number of refugees to be brought in here. Which was 50,000. It also said that in that law, at the President's discretion, it could be increased. It was steadily increasing. Under Obama, it ended up being about 100,000 and this is a yearly for the whole of the United States. But you can look it up just to make sure the cap for refugees. When Trump came in, one of the things he did was to lower the cap under 50,000. He went under the floor. He was actually illegally forcing the number of refugees to be about 18,000. (When he left the office) Federal fiscal year is important because they work differently from the calendar year. They work from, I think, November 1st to October 30th. They play with the federal fiscal year because the reason why they have a different calendar is how the financing and budgeting works. So in this federal fiscal year, I think Biden said 60,000 could come even in this year. But starting on October 1st, there will be a 125,000 allowed.