Employment
The contributions of refugees can be measured through both economic and cultural contributions. They attain rates of employment comparable to American-born citizens after a period of adjustment: 67.1% of refugees between the ages of 16 and 64 are classified as “in the labor force” (either working or seeking work), compared to 73.7% within the general US population.[i] They also have a rate of entrepreneurship exceeding that of native US citizens.[ii] This is impressive given that they face barriers which often include health problems, family caretaking responsibilities, education, and language,[iii] and demonstrates the persistence of refugees in laying roots and establishing security for their families.
Depending on the state in which one resettles, the majority of cash benefits phase out within 3-12 months. This means that despite facing a multitude of challenges - from language barriers to childcare to transportation - refugees are expected to become self-sufficient rather rapidly. Our narrators have risen to the challenges facing them - despite these hurdles, they have faced much worse before.
Depending on the state in which one resettles, the majority of cash benefits phase out within 3-12 months. This means that despite facing a multitude of challenges - from language barriers to childcare to transportation - refugees are expected to become self-sufficient rather rapidly. Our narrators have risen to the challenges facing them - despite these hurdles, they have faced much worse before.
Bahati: My job is very good. Tired, but very good. Yeah, it makes me tired. It's not easy. The job is very easy to get, but it's not easy to work because you have to stand up for eight hours. And that one too, if you are not strong you can don't do that job. You have to be sick. [You will get sick.] You can't sick. But for me, the first time when I start that job it was very difficult. Very very difficult for me! I was crying! I say “Oh my god, my leg hurts me. I can not stand up.” The job they were start to give me
was for the pallets. I was do it, pallets, and then that pallet, you know, you have to go down, up, down, up, so my back, my legs, I was so so bad! Sometime, I told my supervisor, I say “I am sick now. I'm going to dead if I stay here for two hours again. I'm going to dead!” So, he let me and give me some time to go to stay, to sit down in the chair. He say “If you are feel good, come back again the job.” I like them because it's the good person and then they understand. So, after that, now je suis habituée. I don't know how to say habituée. [I am used to it… accustomed]
Megan: You're used to it.
Bahati: What?
Megan: You're used to it.
Bahati: Mm. yeah. I'm used to it.
Megan: Good. [Both laugh]
Bahati: Alright, yes, I'm used to it now. Thank you! Thank you, that one is new English I get! Now I'm used to it, I don't have any problem again. I can stand up for twelve hours, work. Sometimes I work twelve hours, fifteen hours. I can work. I'm very good. Because I was pray too. I say, “God, give me strength. Because I don't know what I’m going to do if I sit down.” I have kid, I have to take care of her, I have to buy something for her, I have to buy something for me to pay the rent, everything like that. And then the bills, obviously, I have to pay. So now I can stand up, and then the job is good.
For sure in the future I need to do, like, community services work. Because I feel in me, like, helping different needy people. But with the work I am doing right now it cannot permit me to go, to do what I need. Because as I was saying before, you know people out there, they have a lot of problems and they need people who have knowledge of community services, like, guiding them to do that. But when you go and these things over machine when we don’t have the knowledge of community services. I think it is hard to do that work. But I need to—if I get the chance of getting the school, I think I need to study and do, like, community services related thing. Because back in Africa I did project planning and management. And I would like to do that thing. Like, make it broad so that I see if I have project I can—what should I do, what do I need, like—what do I do to help the community? What should—what do I need, or if I need—like the way I was saying you, that youth group which helped me, which it grow up to the level of the organization. Like, what me—who is in America, what did I contribute toward this group? Because it has helped me a lot, to be whom I am. It’s because of them. Now, what should I do? Like, me? What next? Or what should I tell the world? What can the world do towards this group? Because they still have a lot of challenges, they still need help, they still need support, they need financially, they need connections. Now, am I doing the right thing to connect to them? Am I doing the right thing? Am I having financially? They need a lot. Right now as I talk to you now, they are constructing a youth center which they needed to raise seven thousand US dollars. They have nice students, they have good place for learning, but they don’t have—they are raising money for toilets. They don’t have toilets, which is very important. And in life, if you don’t have the toilet, then you are having nothing. Even if you have knowledge, without where you can use yourself, then you are wasting time. So I think in the future, I don’t need to continue to do the same job. Mostly what I need is to be connected to different people, different companies, different organizations.
-Celestin
[i]Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). “American FactFinder - Results.” American FactFinder - Results, October 5, 2010.
[ii] “Immigrants as Economic Contributors: Refugees Are a Fiscal Success Story for America.” National Immigration Forum, June 14, 2018.
[iii] Office of Refugee Resettlement, Annual Report to Congress: Fiscal Year 2016.
