The East Bay Refugee Forum, a coalition of service providers and government agencies, Refugee Transitions and Upwardly Global, East Bay Refugee Forum member agencies, provide a glimpse of refugees’ journey to the United States and explore one community’s model to give refugees a common voice and empower them to become contributing members of the community. The presentation includes a brief overview of the distinction between refugees, asylees, and immigrants, as well as the process of resettlement – how and why refugees come to the United States. The presenter highlights the work of Refugee Transitions and Upwardly Global, local non-profit education and employment providers, and shares the story of successfully resettled refugees in the Bay Area. A conversation about ways to get involved and mobilize support for refugees in the community concludes the presentation.
From Displacement to Resettlement - transitioning refugees and immigrants in comm
1. From Displacement to Resettlement: Transitioning Refugees and Immigrants into Communities Olivia Byler, East Bay Refugee Forum Mary Voelbel, Upwardly Global
6. Department of Homeland Security Interview Approval Denial Medical Screening Sponsorship Assurance Cultural Orientation Travel to U.S. Motion to Reconsider OPE (Overseas Processing Entity - usually at refugee camp or Embassy) Resettlement Services
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11. FY 2010 Refugee Arrivals by Region (as of 8/10/10) 30,946 Near East/South Asia 61,875 Total 4,257 L. America/Caribbean 1,303 Europe 15,439 East Asia 9,930 Africa Refugee Arrivals Region of Origin
29. Global Leaders = Invisible in US TV News Anchor Mongolia Physician Afghanistan Arts Therapist Brazil Social Worker Kenya Loan Officer, SBA Advisor Belarus Engineer El Salvador Cashier Waitress Nanny Home Health Aide Barista Housecleaner
30. What Does it Feel Like? 93 BA Career Ladder 04 Production Assistant 93-97 Reporter, Editor, Producer, Journalist of Year 98-99 Director, Press Office 99-01 News Anchor 02-04 Barista
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34. Upwardly Global Volunteer Program Networking Connectors: Participate in networking events with jobseekers and help them practice their 30-second pitch and networking skills Connectors: Make introductions and set up small events where potential supporters can hear about our work and meet jobseekers and alumni. Connectors also help with special event planning. Mentors: Work one-on-one with jobseekers on job searching, networking, and interviewing skills Mock Interviewers: Conduct practice interviews and provide feedback to improve interview skills Advisors: Provide Informational Interviews for Upwardly Global jobseekers Volunteering Opportunities
38. Thank You Olivia Byler East Bay Refuge Forum Coordinator [email_address] .com Mary Voelbel Employer Partner Specialist, Upwardly Global [email_address]
Notes de l'éditeur
In their home countries, these professionals we leaders: They were engineers, financial advisors, marketing managers, and non-profit leaders In the U.S., they are housecleaners, cab drivers, cashiers, and waitresses
Mary You can begin to imagine how this feels for these individuals. They graduate from a top school in their home countries and begin to work their way up the career ladder. This former Upwardly Global jobseeker had a successful journalism career in Mongolia, working her way up from reporter to press office director to on-air news anchor. However after coming to the U.S. as a political asylee, she struggled like so many other immigrant professionals to understand how to get back into her career field. As is typical, she submitted resume after resume and waited…and waited…and waited some more. Until finally her money ran out and she was forced to take a “survival” job as a barista. And suddenly her identity changed from successful journalist well-known for on-air anchoring, to the women who makes your coffee in the morning. This jobseeker found Upwardly Global in 2004 and worked with us to revise her resume, learn interviewing skills, and begin to build a network of professionals in her field. As a result, she landed a position as a production assistant with KPIX. As you can see, she still has some work to do to get back to the position she held in Mongolia. And she has made progress since her placement back in 2004. Typically, getting the job is the hard part of this process. Once on the job, employers recognize what a gold-mine they have and take advantage of the depth of experience our jobseekers bring.
So, you have heard these jobseekers stories and about their depth and breadth of experience. It is hard to imagine why it is so difficult 1 million people like this to find jobs. We see two gaps that create this issue: How many of you have found jobs through networking or personal connections? Of course – it is a critical part of our job search process in the U.S. Well, we always say that our jobseekers can bring their skills and experience, but they can’t bring your professionals network. Without access to information and connections in their industries, access to most jobs becomes minimal Secondly, there are many cultural differences that prevent them from successfully competing in a job search (ex. Selling oneself in an interview) On the other hand, there is often a large gap of education and understanding on the employer side. In general, there is often a misperception about who immigrants are (migrant workers or legal and fully work authorized professionals).
Often you will be the first American our jobseekers meet who takes them seriously as professionals and with whom they can discuss their profession and industry. Advisors could provide informational interviews over the phone or in person to jobseekers who want to know more about the company or their specific job title. Even if you can commit to one hour a year, we would encourage you to sign up as an advisor. I find that many of our jobseekers are curious about alternative career paths for foreign-licensed attorneys and want to do info. Interviews with legal professionals. . MI interviewers - phone interviews ( talk about how foreign it it for most of our js), one-on-one interviews or at a mi workshop. Mentors also help with writing cover letters, preparing for a job int, salary, dressing for intw and also coach and encourage, helping their mentees to develop self-confidence . Depending upon the situation, a mentor may help the mentee define career goals, practice for a job interview, join a professional organization, or give advice on American-style manners and culture. Our volunteers play a critical role in helping them rebuild a career (and a life!) and in making them feel welcome in a professional community Invite Antonio to share his volunteer experiences in these different areas with UpGlo.