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Immigration Awareness: Refugee Resettlement

Clarkston, Georgia | Winter Break 
Avery Moore
avery.moore@uga.edu
Third Year Double Major in Psychology and Human Development & Family Science
How did I get involved with IMPACT?
I first got involved in IMPACT my freshman year when I attended the Rural Shelter and Resource Access trip to New River Valley, Virginia. After that one week, I was completely hooked! IMPACT was the first time I truly got to see what intentional and sustainable service can look like for college students and local communities, and the social justice component of the organization drew me in. Last year, I co-led the Youth Empowerment trip to Greenville, South Carolina and got to experience IMPACT as a Site Leader. My favorite part about IMPACT is the bonds that you’re able to form with your co-Site Leader and the other participants. I’ve made some of my closest friends through IMPACT, and there’s something incredibly special about being able to bond through serving others!

Why am I interested in my trip focus?
I was initially drawn to social issues concerning immigrants and refugees because I knew little about the topic and it was becoming increasingly relevant. I felt a personal responsibility to learn more about the experience of refugees and immigrants, especially because my mother is an immigrant herself. I also find this topic to be fascinating because it has so many layers to it. There’s certainly a political and economic side to refugee resettlement and immigration, but there’s also a more emotional side that focuses on identity and how people learn to adapt to a new culture while staying connected with their own. It seems as though there’s a rabbit hole when it comes questions surrounding the issue- how do we make refugees and immigrants feel welcome, be integrated successfully, and hold influence in the United States? How do we pick resettlement communities, and how feasible is it to do so? I’m hoping to gain some perspective on these questions and many more, and hopefully see the issue from multiple angles.
Fun fact!
Gordon Ramsay is my celebrity icon. I’m a pretty mediocre cook, but I always feel more inspired and driven to make decent meals when I imagine Gordon Ramsay yelling at me to make sure my food isn’t raw. 
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Tseyon Sisay
tseyonss@uga.edu
Third Year Double Major in Economics and International Affairs​

How did I get involved with IMPACT?
My first IMPACT trip was to Nashville, Tennessee during the spring break of my freshman year. I participated in the Gender Appreciation trip where we focused on gender equality, women’s rights, and issues within the LGBTQIA community. Although I thought I was very knowledgeable about the topic, I learned so much more through the different service sites and discussions my group engaged in. IMPACT created a completely different learning environment that encouraged me to think outside of my comfort zone and build a community amongst strangers. 
Why am I interested in my trip focus?
Immigration has always played a large role in my family. Both of my parents came to the U.S. as refugees from Ethiopia, and my oldest brother immigrated to the U.S. almost 15 years later. As a first-generation American, I’ve seen the way immigration has shaped my life and bringing my family together. Refugee resettlement is also currently turning the media out with its political, economic, and social aspects. There are many different refugee populations and each one has a unique experience living in the U.S. This is not just an issue in the U.S., but global one too! It's incredibly important to understand the world around us and learn how we can be more informed citizens on issues that affect others. 
Fun fact!
I’ve never been to Disney World!


Refugee Resettlement and Immigration: What is it?
The refugee resettlement process involves the relocation of individuals from their home country to another state in order to escape persecution or violence. Resettlement can also incorporate assimilation to a new community, access to important resources (education, economic opportunities, healthcare), and potentially permanent residence. Immigration is the movement of individuals from one state to another. Unlike refugees, immigrants often move by choice. However, both groups experience discrimination and face the challenges of assimilating to a new country. 

Key Terms

Immigrant​
  • A person who chooses to live in a foreign state in relation to their home state
Refugee
  • A person who has been forced to leave their home state in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster
Resettlement
  • The settlement of people to a different place
Asylum
  • The legal protection granted by a nation to someone who has left their native state as a political refugee
Asylum Seeker ​
  • A person who has left their home state as a political refugee and is seeking asylum in another
​Internally Displaced Person
  • A person that stays within their own state and remains under the protection of its government, even if that government is the reason for their displacement
Undocumented Person
  • A person who has entered to reside in another state without the proper legal authorization. An undocumented person can lack the proper visa, green card, and passport. ​
Forced Migration
  • ​The forced movement of refugees and individuals from factors outside of their control. Factors include environmental disasters, war, or famine.
Freedom of Movement
  • The human right to be able to move freely between states. This looks different from state to states to state and different regions around the world, but there it is a fundamental human right to allow individuals to move anywhere they are authorized to.
Push-pull Factors
  • Push-pull factors are conditions that drive people away from one location and drawing them into a new one. A few push factors that motivate migrants to move from their home location are political fear and religious persecution. Pull factors that draw people to a new location can be things like better educational opportunities and political stability.
Repatriation
  • Repatriation is the process of an individual returning back to their home state. Their return can be voluntary or forced.
Isolationism
  • A policy that states practice in order to remain apart of international affairs and the interests of other groups. This can look like a country failing to join a war or form allies with other countries.
​​Assimilation
  • Assimilation is the process of adapting migrants into a new society, culture, and nation. Assimilation can be economic, cultural, and social, where the main goal is to become indistinguishable from those of the dominant group. Migrants are often forced to assimilate in order to be accepted by those of the dominant group.
Xenophobia
  • Xenophobia is the irrational fear or dislike of foreigners or people that are ethnically different from themselves.
Chain Migration
  • Chain migration, also known as family migration, is the act of extending legal immigration to family members in other countries. This is the primary custom for legal immigration to the U.S., where current U.S. citizens can sponsor family members for a visa that provides them with permanent residence.
Green Card
  • A legal document that provides lawful, permanent residence to immigrants and includes permission to take employment in the U.S. ​
​UNHCR
  • The UN Refugee Agency. They work to protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities and stateless people, and assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country​​

How are refugees admitted into the U.S.?

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Clarkston, GA: The most diverse square mile in America

                      The Clarkston, GA Community
  • Most common countries of origin: ​Ethiopia, Mexico, Myanmar
  • "Ellis Island of the South"
  • Population: 161,305
  • Poverty rate: 21.7%
  • Chosen as a community for resettlement due to proximity to Atlanta, access to public transportation, and relatively affordable apartments
  • Great amount of ethnic and religious diversity 
                                Refugees: Fast Facts
  • ​​25.4 million refugees
  • 40 million internally displaced people
  • 3.1 million asylum seekers
  • 85% of the world's displaced people reside in developing countries 
  • 44,400 people are forced to flee daily
  • Top 5 countries refugees are currently fleeing from: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar, and Somalia

Refugees & Immigrants in Athens

The state of Georgia overall has been very accepting of refugees. However, Athens specifically does not have a large refugee population. In 2014, Athens-Clarke county made efforts to move 150 refugees into the area. However, Athens struggles to allocate its resources for the new population and catering to the needs of those individuals. Schools in the area also struggle to push students that are not proficient in English to succeed and perform well on state mandated tests. In Athens alone, we can see how certain communities can have a hard time catering to the needs of refugees and assisting them with the resettlement process. To read more, click here. 

Intersectionality 

Intersectionality- how our overlapping identities shape our different experiences 
How does intersectionality relate with our refugee resettlement and immigration focus? 
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  • About
    • Why IMPACT?
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  • Community Partners
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