Bhutanese Refugees in KC

Finding work is the greatest challenge. Most of the Bhutanese over age 35 arrive not able to speak any English. Most that are 25 or younger learned English in the education system setup in the UN refugee camps. They may speak with a heavy accent but their understanding is very good and they also have excellent math and reading skills. (Many of the teens are ahead of their American peers in math.) Many in KC have found employment in smaller manufacturing companies or with UPS. The key being that younger workers with good English get in first and prove their worth, then older workers with less English may be hired where the younger workers can interpret for them. These are minimum wage jobs and sometimes the work is part-time or temporary. Still, two or more adults from an extended family can work part-time and earn enough to meet family living expenses until more/better opportunities can be found.

Transportation to get to and from work is the next challenge. KC has a very limited public transportation system - entirely inadequate for those that may be working late shifts. Fortunately, there have been opportunities to boot-strap a solution. Initially a not-for-profit organization help locate jobs and then provided transportation. Once people are working with an income stream other volunteers provided some drivers training and/or helped the Bhutanese get into a driver's education course offered by local for-profit companies. Again the younger adults with better English skills led the way getting licenses and buying used cars. One driver with a car can take 4 non-drivers to work if they work in the same place.

The Bhutanese are very resourceful (as were previous immigrants). They quickly learn how & where to buy good food at low prices (e.g. rice in bags of 20-30 pounds that is much higher quality than they ate in the camps, tea, raw vegetables and fruits, they even buy milk and make their own yogurt.)

Perhaps the greatest challenge is the acute anxiety associated with such a radical change in culture. Its a natural human reaction. Any US city can be a confusing and difficult environment for an immigrant. I think the key to reducing this anxiety is found in community support. Their first community is the other Bhutanese refugees in the same city. Catholic Charities is helping most of the refugees and they are doing a great job of keeping the Bhutanese people reasonably close together. There is also a small community of people from Nepal that immigrated to the US some years ago and they are also helping the new arrivals -- just seeing their success gives the new immigrants real hope that they will also succeed. The greater KC community is also helping by reaching out to the new immigrants. Organizations like Mission Adelante (www.missionadelante.org) were already reaching out to Hispanic immigrants and now are expanding to support the Bhutanese. Volunteers from local churches are working to teach English, driving and offer advice and help with work, car buying and many other topics.

I have been blessed to find many new friends among the Bhutanese. One friend, Gobar, was among the first to come to US. In 1989 he was 9 when his family was forced from their home and walked three days to the Bhutan-India border. He grew up in the refugee camps, but he did not give up. He studied hard in the camp schools, earning the equivalent of a BS degree in mathematics and earning money tutoring other students. He came to the US alone eighteen months ago. He almost despaired at the loneliness, the struggle to find work and the pressure to establish himself before his parents, brothers and sisters and his fiancées family came to the US But he didn't give up. A Christian (rare among the largely Hindu Bhutanese) he visited our church. Our pastor and his wife had recently returned from working overseas for two years - they understood the anxiety of an unfamiliar city with a strange culture. Friendship and encouragement was what Gobar needed most, the rest he accomplished by his own hard work. Gobar's Fiancée, her mother and brother were relocated to Boise, ID (not by choice). Gobar saved his money until he could go to Boise and bring them back to KC. I picked them up at the airport. His future mother-in-law is completely paralyzed and I watched as Gobar lifted her into his arms and placed her in my van.

Now, Gobar and his family are working, saving, pursuing more education, and helping other Bhutanese. His sister Laxmi worked 2 jobs (70+ hrs/week) to save money for a car and tuition. She has recently been accepted at the University of Missouri in KC and her goal is to become a medical doctor -- no one doubts she will accomplish that. Yesterday I attended Gobar's wedding in our church where vows were said in Nepalese and English and we all celebrated the blessings of a growing community.

There are still Bhutanese that are fearful and struggling in KC, but they see that others who arrived before them are finding a way and there is a path for them to follow. My prayer is the Bhutanese in Portland will come to find the same joy that Gobar and his family have found in KC.Finding work is the greatest challenge. Most of the Bhutanese over age 35 arrive not able to speak any English. Most that are 25 or younger learned English in the education system setup in the UN refugee camps. They may speak with a heavy accent but their understanding is very good and they also have excellent math and reading skills. (Many of the teens are ahead of their American peers in math.) Many in KC have found employment in smaller manufacturing companies or with UPS. The key being that younger workers with good English get in first and prove their worth, then older workers with less English may be hired where the younger workers can interpret for them. These are minimum wage jobs and sometimes the work is part-time or temporary. Still, two or more adults from an extended family can work part-time and earn enough to meet family living expenses until more/better opportunities can be found.

Transportation to get to and from work is a challenge. KC has a very limited public transportation system - entirely inadequate for those that may be working late shifts. Fortunately, there have been opportunities to boot-strap a solution. Initially a not-for-profit organization help locate jobs and then provided transportation. Once people are working with an income stream other volunteers provided some drivers training and/or helped the Bhutanese get into a driver's education course offered by local for-profit companies. Again the younger adults with better English skills led the way getting licenses and buying used cars. One driver with a car can take 4 non-drivers to work if they work in the same place.

The Bhutanese are very resourceful (as were previous immigrants). They quickly learn how & where to buy good food at low prices (e.g. rice in bags of 20-30 pounds that is much higher quality than they ate in the camps, tea, raw vegetables and fruits, they even buy milk and make their own yogurt.)

Perhaps the greatest challenge is the acute anxiety associated with such a radical change in culture. Its a natural human reaction. Any US city can be a confusing and difficult environment for an immigrant. I think the key to reducing this anxiety is found in community support. Their first community is the other Bhutanese refugees in the same city. Catholic Charities is helping most of the refugees and they are doing a great job of keeping the Bhutanese people reasonably close together. There is also a small community of people from Nepal that immigrated to the US some years ago and they are also helping the new arrivals -- just seeing their success gives the new immigrants real hope that they will also succeed. The greater KC community is also helping by reaching out to the new immigrants. Organizations like Mission Adelante (www.missionadelante.org) were already reaching out to Hispanic immigrants and now are expanding to support the Bhutanese. Volunteers from local churches are working to teach English, driving and offer advice and help with work, car buying and many other topics.

I have been blessed to find many new friends among the Bhutanese. One friend, Gobar, was among the first to come to US. In 1989 he was 9 when his family was forced from their home and walked three days to the Bhutan-India border. He grew up in the refugee camps, but he did not give up. He studied hard in the camp schools, earning the equivalent of a BS degree in mathematics and earning money tutoring other students. He came to the US alone eighteen months ago. He almost despaired at the loneliness, the struggle to find work and the pressure to establish himself before his parents, brothers and sisters and his fiancées family came to the US But he didn't give up. A Christian (rare among the largely Hindu Bhutanese) he visited our church. Our pastor and his wife had recently returned from working overseas for two years - they understood the anxiety of an unfamiliar city with a strange culture. Friendship and encouragement was what Gobar needed most, the rest he accomplished by his own hard work. Gobar's Fiancée, her mother and brother were relocated to Boise, ID (not by choice). Gobar saved his money until he could go to Boise and bring them back to KC. I picked them up at the airport. His future mother-in-law is completely paralyzed and I watched as Gobar lifted her into his arms and placed her in my van.

Now, Gobar and his family are working, saving, pursuing more education, and helping other Bhutanese. His sister Laxmi worked 2 jobs (70+ hrs/week) to save money for a car and tuition. She has recently been accepted at the University of Missouri in KC and her goal is to become a medical doctor -- no one doubts she will accomplish that. Yesterday I attended Gobar's wedding in our church where vows were said in Nepalese and English and we all celebrated the blessings of a growing community.

There are still Bhutanese that are fearful and struggling in KC, but they see that others who arrived before them are finding a way and there is a path for them to follow. My prayer is the Bhutanese refugees everwhere will come to find the same joy that Gobar and his family have found in KC.