SACRAMENTO HMONG REFUGEE FORUM
By
Dr. Karen Kurasaki
May Ying Ly
Ia Moua
2450 Florin Road, Sacramento, California
Table of Contents
Background Information............................................................................................ 2
Resources for Successful Intervention......................................................................... 3
Four Steps to Action................................................................................................. 4
Survey Findings......................................................................................................... 4
Resettlement Destination................................................................................ 5
Number of Years in Wat Tham Krabok......................................................... 5
Family/Household Size................................................................................... 5
Ages of Family/Household Members.............................................................. 5
Hopes, Expectations, and Concerns about the Future..................................... 6
Table 1. Concerns and Reservations about Coming to the U.S........................ 6
Table 2. Educational Hopes and Expectations................................................ 6
Table 3. Employment Hopes and Expectations............................................... 7
Table 4. Hopes and Expectations about Health............................................... 7
Table 5. Hopes and Expectations Regarding Personal Goals........................... 7
Table 6. Hopes and Expectations for Support Services................................... 7
Table 7. Hopes and Expectations for Quality of Life....................................... 8
Conclusions and Recommendations............................................................................ 8
Background
Information
According to the U.S. State Department, approximately 130,000 Hmong were resettled in the United States between 1976 and the late 1990s. In 1996, when the last refugee camp in Thailand officially closed, several thousand Hmong chose not be resettled in the U.S. or other western countries. Many feared persecution if they were to repatriated back to Laos, and feared the unknown and unfamiliar if they were to come to the U.S. and other western countries. For the past ten years, these Hmong have lived in a compound next to a Buddhist Temple called Wat Tham Krabok. Lacking Thai citizenship or any kind of recognized legal status, these Hmong have not been able to obtain legal employment, access regular healthcare, or enroll in schools. They live in thatched roof, bamboo huts, and have no running water or sewage system. Although the living conditions are far from adequate, they have lived in relative safety from Thai government intervention all these years due to the compassion and influence of a high-ranking and well-respected Buddhist Abbott.
Upon the death of the Buddhist Abbott two years ago, these protections ceased. Since then, the Thai military has fenced off the compound with barbed wires and restricted movement in and out of the compound. Only 200 people per day are permitted in and out of the Wat for employment purposes and a curfew is strictly enforced. In an effort to move the Hmong out of Wat, the Thai government approached the U.S. government for assistance. In December of 2003, the U.S. State Department announced that it will offer resettlement for the 15,000 Hmong living in Wat who are registered with the Thai military. The resettlement process has already begun. The U.S. State Department plans to begin bringing Hmong refugees to the U.S. as early as June 2004 and to complete the process by September 2004.
Unlike previous refugee groups, this group will be able to choose where they would like to go. Approximately 3,000 individuals have been registered to date. Roughly one-fifth of those currently registered have identified Sacramento, California as their destination.
The original Hmong resettlement, which largely occurred during the late 1980s through the 1990s, significantly impacted Sacramento County. While contributing wonderfully to the rich diversity of the region, the original resettlement also challenged our welfare, healthcare, and educational systems, which were unprepared and ill equipped to handle the language and cultural differences of the Hmong people. As we now know, the consequences of a challenged system include missed opportunities to provide timely and needed assistance, and inadequate or incompetent service provision. These consequences are extremely costly to the health and well-being of Hmong individuals and families, and directly affect their potential for achieving optimal life outcomes. Although smaller in numbers compared to the original resettlement, it is likely that this new wave of Hmong refugees will still be at risk for not getting the help that they need because the government agencies providing those services are financially strained. Government agencies today are operating under hefty staffing and service reductions due to the State’s fiscal crisis. Therefore, community planning and preparation is strongly indicated at this time to devise effective strategies and an implementation plan for those strategies that will facilitate access to needed services, and optimize utilization of available community resources and supports.
Fortunately today, Sacramento County has resources that did not exist when the first refugees arrived. There are Hmong-run MAAs, Hmong community based agencies with Hmong staff and programs designed to serve Hmong individuals and families, government agencies with bilingual and bicultural Hmong staff, and agencies that provide interpretation and translation services to government agencies and healthcare providers. There is also a fairly organized network of Hmong professionals and community leaders, as well as a new generation of college students and college graduates. What is needed now is to further examine what other community assets exist, and how to effectively mobilize these resources in a coordinated and effective way.
The process for identifying and mobilizing available resources is summarized here in four steps:
· Gather information about the individuals and families to be resettled to inform planning.
· Convene Hmong community leaders and professionals to mobilize a call to action.
· Establish a working task force that will develop a timeline and plan for action.
· Community advocacy to public officials to gain their cooperation and support.
The first of these steps has already occurred. In March 2004, May Ying Ly, Director of Hmong Women’s Heritage Association, visited Thailand and the Wat compound. She met with many of the Wat residents and collected survey data. The purpose of today’s convening is to report the findings from that survey and to mobilize Hmong community leaders and professionals to take action.
A total of 228 individuals participated in the survey that was conducted by Ms. Ly in March of this year. The participants were self-selected, Wat residents who could read and write in Hmong, Thai, or English, or knew someone with these language capabilities who was willing to assist them in completing the written survey. The survey consisted of five questions that covered the areas of: 1) resettlement destination; 2) years of residence in Wat; 3) family/household size; 4) ages of family/household members; and 5) hopes and expectations of life in the U.S. Open-ended responses to question number five were translated into English and then consolidated into thematic categories that are presented in this report.
Of the 228 respondents, 48% or 110 persons reported destinations outside of California, including mid-Western states (Minnesota n=75, Wisconsin n=15, Michigan n=6, and Ohio n=1), Central states (Nebraska n=4, Colorado n=2), Eastern states (Rhode Island n=1, North Carolina n=1), and Alaska n=5. Another 30% or 67 of the survey respondents reported California as their destination, including Sacramento County (n=7), other Central Valley counties (n=32, Butte, Fresno, Merced, San Joaquin), and other unspecified locations within California (n=28). The remaining 22% of respondents did not report their destinations.
The number of years spent in Wat ranged from 4 to 15 years. Of the 219 individuals who responded to this question, 91% or 200 persons reported having lived in Wat for ten years or longer.
Family/Household size ranged from 1 to 21. Of those surveyed, the average number of persons in a family/household was 7.57.
The number of adults in each household ranged from 1 to 10. The number of school aged children (ages 5 to 18) in each household ranged from 1 to 12. The number of children under the age of 5 in each household ranged from 1 to 8. The average number of all children (ages 0 to 18) in the household was 4.59.
Hopes,
Expectations and Concerns about the Future in U.S.
Several of the survey participants reported that simply the chance to “Come to America” was in and of itself a “dream come true” and a chance to “start life anew.” At the same time, other participants revealed their worries, concerns, and reservations about coming to the U.S. Table 1 summarizes the concerns and reservations that participants expressed about coming to the U.S.
Table 1. Concerns and Reservations about Coming to the U.S.
· Do not know English
· Do not have money
· Not familiar with U.S. laws
· Do not have survival skills
· Unsure what the future holds
· Was left behind by family and needs to establish a new life alone
· Prefer to return to a Hmong country
Participants also shared their hopes and expectations about their future life in the U.S. Their open-ended responses were consolidated into the following broad categories: education, employment, health, personal goals, support services, and quality of life. The themes that emerged related to each of these categories are presented in Tables 2 through 7.
Table 2. Educational Hopes and Expectations.
· Want educational opportunities for oneself, children, or siblings
· Have high educational aspirations for oneself or children (e.g., doctor)
· Have practical educational aspirations for oneself (e.g., learning English or acquiring job skills)
Table 3. Employment Hopes and
Expectations.
· Want employment opportunities for oneself or children
· Want a job to support family
· Hope that children will find employment to support the family
· Have career or business aspirations (e.g., doctor, farmer, restaurateur)
· Want assistance for seeking employment
· Want financial assistance from government
Table 4. Hopes and Expectations
about Health.
· Want to receive healthcare, treatment for illnesses
· Hope to have good health
Table 5. Hopes and Expectations
Regarding Personal Goals.
· Hope to get married and have a family
· Want to be a good citizen
Table 6. Hopes and Expectations
for Support Services.
· Want to receive health care or treatment for illnesses
· Want assistance for seeking employment
· Want financial assistance from the government
· Want government support for education and housing
· Want help from Hmong organizations
· Want support from the community and community-based agencies
Table 7. Hopes and Expectations
for Quality of Life.
· Desire a better life for oneself or children
· Want to provide a life of prosperity for children
· Hope to provide a life without poverty for children
· Wish for freedom and safety
· Desire happiness
· Wish everyone will love and support one another
· Desire money, wealth
· Wish for home ownership
· Dream of land ownership
· Want to own a car
· Want to have enough food to eat
· Hope that older Hmong will be able to farm
The survey findings serve to enhance our understanding of the potential needs of the Hmong individuals and families soon to arrive in Sacramento County. Today’s forum is the next critical step in the Four Step Action Plan. The recommendations that emerge from the discussion today will be incorporated into a future report that will be presented to local public officials in an effort to garner their support and cooperation. The report will also serve as the guiding document for carrying out the plan of action and in accordance with the established timeline. It is our hope that today will be the beginning of an ongoing and open community dialogue that will result in a coordinated network of support for those expected to begin arriving in just two short months.