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US Refugee Program: Refugees in the News
The Cultural Orientation Resource Center gathers selected news items about refugees in the U.S. and posts the links on our Web site. Direct links to these articles may change as news organizations move articles to archives on their Web sites. Many of these Web sites retain archives that can be accessed by visitors, some free and some for a small fee. If you are interested in any of the articles posted on our site, please visit the appropriate news Web site for more details.
Ask her a basic question - the name of the illustrator who worked with her on her latest children's book - and she'll start setting a scene. "Everything in this story is almost unbelievable," says Deedy, who was born in Cuba but as a child, emigrated to Georgia with her family during the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution. "Tom Gonzalez and I grew up as very shy friends because he was about four years older than I was," she said of the illustrator. "When you're about 10 and 14, it's a huge difference. We both grew up as refugee children."
Making Connections: Germantown nonprofit gives voice to African community Like many people who move to the United States, African immigrants often experience a culture shock and are hesitant to seek help settling into their new lives. That's where Marie-Rose Sirikari and the African Women Council Inc. step in. Sirikari founded the nonprofit in 2002 with her two grown daughters after a trip to her home country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, hard hit by years of civil war. Upon returning, she turned her sights to those in need of assistance in her new home. The council aims to help African immigrants find jobs, learn life and civics skills and connect with social services. Women face unique challenges, Sirikari said. Many believe they should defer to their husbands and are reluctant to tell others about abuse or don't understand their rights, she said. Anh "Joseph" Cao of New Orleans makes splash as the 111th Congress sworn in by Jonathan Tilove WASHINGTON -- The 111th Congress was sworn into office Tuesday, including Anh "Joseph" Cao of New Orleans, who took the oath on the House floor to become the first Vietnamese-American member of Congress. Shifting his 4-year-old daughter, Betsy, from his right arm to his left, Cao raised his right hand as he swore to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic." His other daughter, Sophia, 5, stood just behind her father on a back bench where newer members of Congress sit.
Updated January 9, 2009 |
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