Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Rebecca A. Hartgraves
Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................3
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Limitations.......................................................................................................................................5
Literature Review............................................................................................................................6
Discussion......................................................................................................................................10
Resettlement Services................................................................................................................10
Language Barrier........................................................................................................................11
Employment...........................................................................................................................12
American Fear............................................................................................................................13
Misguided Islamophobia........................................................................................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
References......................................................................................................................................14
Becca Hartgraves 3
Abstract
This paper illustrates the problems that Syrian refugees are faced with in America. First,
refugees go through an extremely intensive application and relocation process that accepts less
than 1% of the refugee population and takes about two years. Once they are relocated to
America, they are helped by resettlement services, which have their own set of communication
and execution problems. When trying to make a living in America, there is an abundance of
strugglesmost of which start with the language barrier. Most Syrians speak Arabic and little to
no English. This makes civil responsibilities such as seeking out medical help, applying for a job,
and getting an education an obstacle. In addition to the language barrier, refugees do not receive
much help acquiring these civil responsibilities. This makes being a contributing member of
society difficult. Syrian refugees have the ability to thrive in America, Americans just need to
help create an environment where thriving is achievable. When helping create that environment
Americans cannot discriminate against Syrians, be fearful of them without valid reason, or
Introduction
Syrian Refugees endure the most intensive application, screening, and acceptance process
of any other group that comes into the United States of America (Altman, November 17, 2015).
They are subjected to a lack of guidance and opportunity, as well as untreated medical conditions
After being vetted and admitted into America, refugees come across many issues. There
are services that help with resettlement, but they are often unorganized, do not have good
communication, are underfunded, and the majority only help refugees for a set amount of time.
One of the most apparent problems is the language barrier. The vast majority of Syrians
come into America speaking Arabic, and the prominent language in America is English. Most
Refugees speak extremely limited English, if any at all. This makes everyday necessities difficult
tasks. This includes things such as education, employment, finding out information, seeking
assistance, finding medical help, and communication. In order to function in America, refugees
In addition, many Americans are weary of letting Syrians into our country. Whether that
are already taking the necessary precautions. The American public needs to help provide the
Limitations
research, those limitations were due to a lack of online resources on the topic of Syrian refugees
living in America, non-numerical evidence, my location, transportation, and time. While I was
not able to get a lot of first-hand research, the majority of my research came from online articles
In order to conduct research prior to writing this paper, I had a time limit of
approximately two months. During that time, I did as much research as I could but with those
time limits I was not able to collect as much information as I wanted. In addition to time limits,
the statistical information that I wanted such as living conditions and medical problems do not
exist. Therefore what there is is biased. A numerical value- say a percentage is much harder to be
This year, I traveled to Jordan and visited a refugee village. At the village, none of the
refugees spoke English, so all communication was done through hand motions and translators.
We were instructed not to question the refugees about their home country, or why they fled to
Jordan in order to avoid making them uncomfortable, especially the children. Because of this, I
did not get much information relative to this project at the village.
I live in Virginia Beach and to my knowledge no Syrian Refugees have been settled near
me. There is no contact information for refugees settled in America that available to the public. I
Literature Review
While finding sources for my project about the treatment of Syrian Refugees in America,
the majority of what I found were articles. I also have access to the Virginia Commonwealth
University library database. There I found a number of scholarly papers that were relevant and
helpful. In addition, I cited the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which applies to
everyone around the world. Lastly, I found a video that fully explains the admission, vetting, and
Altman, A. (2015, November 17). This Is How the Syrian Refugee Screening Process
process/
One of the first sources that I found was a Time article by Alex Altman that explained
How the Syrian Refugee Screening Process Works." This source explains the extensive
vetting process of Syrian Refugees. First, the Refugee will have to get a referral from
UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) - which includes an in-depth
interview, reference checks, and biological screenings. Among the refugees who pass
background checks, only most vulnerable cases are referred for overseas settlement. After
this, if they are referred to America, they go under the American screening process which
includes weekly meetings, review of their case file, and other precautions are taken
specifically for Syrians by the State Department, the FBIs Terrorist Screening Center, the
Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security, amongst others. This
is one of the most intensive screening processes that anyone if put through when coming
to the US- not to mention one of the longest, taking approximately 24 months. This
Becca Hartgraves 7
enter America.
http://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports/2015/10/4/a-daily-struggle-to-survive-syrian-
refugees-in-lebanon
The last article that I will mention was an account of Syrian Refugees in Lebanon. While
different countries. This article talks about the conflict in Syria and the surrounding
Lebanon. This also mentions that Syrian Refugees may not be able to return to their home
country for some time because of the devastating state of their war torn country right
now. Lebanon is trying to help out as much as it can and provide humanitarian assistance
but with one in four people in their country being a refugee, it is becoming increasingly
difficult to help.
Penny, Dylan. "Foreign Aid: A Failing System in Need of Reform." Foreign Aid: A
Failing System in Need of Reform (n.d.): n. pag. Senior Projects 2015. GSWLA, 12 Nov. 2015.
Research papers from past years are available online. I found a paper written by
Dylan Penn in 2015 titled "Foreign Aid: A Failing System in Need of Reform." This
learned a lot about the problems with foreign aid- especially humanitarian assistance and
refugees. There is a lot of money donated and put aside for humanitarian assistance, but
Becca Hartgraves 8
some of it goes to unknown places. This paper also debated whether the western idea of
that are able need to help out to the best of their ability by sending personnel help to the
United Nations. (1948, December 10). Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Retrieved
The Universal Declarations of Human Rights was created by the United Nations
and is intended to protect the rights of all people, worldwide. The articles pertaining to
my topic are article fourteen Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other
countries asylum from persecution. article thirteen " Everyone has the right to freedom
of movement and residence within the borders of each State. Everyone has the right to
leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country., and article twenty
five Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being
Klein, Morton A. (18, December 2015) Don't endanger Americans by bringing Syrian
Muslims into the United States. Retrieved November 29, 2016, from
http://search.proquest.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/docview/1756094724?rfr_id=info%3Axri
%2Fsid%3Aprimo
It is always good to have knowledge of opposing viewpoints. The next paper that I found
was on the Virginia Commonwealth University library database. It was about the
downsides of accepting Refugees into America such as how refugees are simply taking
Americas Jobs, and how they put stress on the economy. Refugees do find jobs in
America, but they also contribute to our society. Becoming employed is a small setback
Becca Hartgraves 9
for Americas economy considering that the alternative for refugees would likely be life
Guttman, Nathan.(04, December 2015). Defying the Tide on Syrian Refugees. Retrieved
http://search.proquest.com.proxy.library.vcu.edu/docview/1750035030?rfr_id=info%3Axri
%2Fsid%3Aprimo
Lastly, there is a paper on the Virginia Commonwealth University library database about
the Journey of refugees and what we can do as Americans to help. This paper discusses
how America often views refugees as others which creates unfounded stereotypes and
discriminatory practices. One way to combat these stereotypes is to help set up refugees
for success and recognize cultural differences, and even appreciate them. We, as
Americans need to not discriminate refugees and need to help them be able to have
upward mobility.
The sources that I found were varied and ranged from news articles to lengthy papers on
online databases. I read sources from different viewpoints, authors, websites, and
Discussion
Syrian Refugees endure the most intensive application, screening, and acceptance process
of any other group that comes into the United States of America (Altman, 2015). They are
subjected to a lack of guidance and opportunity, as well as untreated medical conditions and
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Some are physically unable to do
this due to their location, situation, or even physical condition. The referral includes an in-depth
interview, reference checks, and biological screenings such as iris scans and fingerprints. Among
the 50% of applicants who pass background checks, only the most vulnerable and dire cases are
referred for overseas settlement (Altman, November 17, 2015). Only one percent of refugees are
settled in a first world country, the others are resettled in developing countries (!!!!!!) (Kallic,
Dyssegaard, & Mathema, 2016). When refugees are referred to America, then they go through
the American screening process. This includes weekly meetings, reviews of their case file, and
other precautions, which are taken specifically for Syrians by the State Department, the FBIs
Terrorist Screening Center, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland
Security, and various other organizations. The American screening process for Syrian refugees
Resettlement Services
Before refugees depart from their home county to America, they attend cultural
orientation classes that educate them about American culture, society, and differences between
America and their home country. This aims to help them learn how to function in what is
Becca Hartgraves 11
essentially a new world to them. Syrians, along with all other refugees need to obtain
employment, housing, and medical care. They do not have to do this alone; core resettlement
services are mandated by the State Department to assist refugees in finding these needs
(NGO's) and Non-profit organizations. The purpose of these resettlement programs are to work
together to help refugees, but when there are large amounts of organizations managed by
different people there will be issues with communication. Problems with communication
inevitably lead to problems with coordination and information flow. Refugees need to receive
coordinated and correct information when they come to America. (!!!!!add more here) These
organizations are only mandated to help for 30-90 days (McNeely, 2015). After that the refugees
Language Barrier
Syrian Refugees come to America speaking Arabic. Very few speak English at all, and if
they do their English is fairly limited. This creates a difficult language barrier that effects every
aspect of their life. Refugees are offered opportunities to take English classes by resettlement
services but are not provided with the money to take the classes (Guttman, 2015). When they
first come to America, they are given $1,000.00 by the government to help with(!!!!!!heree) their
first three months (Welsh). Considering that the average monthly cost of living in America is
$2,300.00, $1,000.00 is barely enough to sustain an individual, not to mention enough to take
English Classes (Career Trends, n.d.). The language barrier creates many problems in refugees
lives. For example, in order to start school, child refugees are evaluated on their academics in
order to be placed in the grade level that best suits them. These children may be very intelligent
but they are often placed in lower grades because of their limited English skills. The Early
Becca Hartgraves 12
Childhood Education Center (ECEC) in Massachusetts has addressed this problem. The ECEC
has promised to "look at the institutional and systemic challenges that refugee families face in
accessing stable, high-quality ECEC options." (Gross & Ntagengwa, 2016). This process of
taking a families resources, background, knowledge, and capabilities into careful consideration
when enrolling their child into American education is essential for refugees.
Employment
On the other hand, adults often find it difficult to find jobs in America without speaking
the language of the country. Jobs are a necessity considering that many of them came to America
with nothing but the clothes they were wearing. There are very few programs or jobs that are
designed to help Arabic speakers, or even refugees in general. So when Syrian Refugees attain
employment, it is usually unskilled labor, minimum wage, and seldom within walking distance.
While there is public transportation in America, it is not widely used or maintained, with the
refugees often need to buy a car. Cars can be exceedingly expensive, especially if one does not
know how to find good prices. Refugees have to jump through many hoops to become employed
a plethora of medical problems. These problems can range from mild diabetes to (PTSD). In
order to get help, refugees need to talk to someone about their problems, which may be
Emad A. Yanni, Michael Guterbock, and seven others, 43% of refugees delayed seeking out
medical help, or did not seek out medical help at all in the past year. Because of this, the medical
Becca Hartgraves 13
community in America needs to be aware of the distinctive medical concerns of Syrians and
In addition to physical conditions, due to what Syrian refugees have experienced, many
are prone to mental conditions. In the Middle East, mental problems are not seen as prevalent or
valid medical issues. Therefore, many refugees come into America with untreated and
undiagnosed conditions such as Depression, Anxiety, Severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
American Fear
In light of the recent attacks in Paris, the stabbing at Ohio State, as well as fear
mongering in the media and by prominent political figures, many Americans have developed an
unrealistic fear of Syrian Refugees (Kallic, 2016). Americans need to take precautions when
accepting people into the country, especially when those people come from a place of war
(Klein, 2015). The majority of those precautions, are already being taken by US officials.
Americans should not isolate and single out Syrian Refugees because of their nationality or
religion. Viewing refugees as others often results in discrimination, inequality, and hurtful
Misguided Islamophobia
Islamophobia is defined as, dislike of or prejudice against Islam or Muslims, especially
as a political force (Oxford dictionaries, author, date*). Although only ____% of Syrian
Refugees are Muslim, they are categorized as Middle Eastern radicals that we should be wary of.
America cannot discriminate against Syrians based on the exaggerated images the media portrays
or the fearful agenda that prominent political figures push. While radicalization is a serious and
important issue, we cannot assume that every Muslim has radical intentions. American officials
take precautionary actions such as the vetting, interviewing, and reviewing of files when taking
Becca Hartgraves 14
in Syrian refugees. Only three out of 784,000 (0.0003%) refugees accepted since 2001 have been
Refugees can prosper in America and they have so much to offer but we need to allow
them to contribute to our society without discrimination due to their race, language, religion or
home country. For example, Steve Jobs was a son of a Syrian immigrant and Albert Einstein was
Conclusion
Syrian is a country in ruins with innocent people in it trying to survive and trying to be
relocated to a safe place. For less than 1% of those refugees, that safe place is America (Kallic,
Dyssegaard, & Mathema, 2016). While it is fortunate for refugees to be resettled in a first world
country, there is a culture shock. It takes time and help to adjust to a new culture with completely
new set of traditions, religion, mannerisms, opinions, and beliefs. More importantly, Syrian
In American society, refugees need to learn to navigate the healthcare system, education
they also are forced to be exposed to islamophobia and American fear of Muslims and Middle
Eastern people. While there are organizations that help to adjust refugees to America, they are
As a nation, Americans need to help promote equality within the refugee population and
allow for equal opportunities. We cannot discriminate against Syrians because of their
background. Furthermore, we cannot promote the islamophobic agenda that is so often portrayed
Becca Hartgraves 15
in media. Syrian refugees are not a mass of helpless and extremist people, they are a group of
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Becca Hartgraves 17
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