| The exponential growth of ethnic refugee population during the past several decades poses challenges both to refugees themselves and to various service providers in the Louisville Metropolitan Area (LMA). Despite the importance of newcomers in the economy and workforce, refugees encountered challenges in resettling and integrating into their new neighborhoods. The service providers, on the other hand, struggled to meet the needs of people from different backgrounds and cultures. The three faith-based voluntary agencies (VOLAGs) played a central role in the resettlement and integration process by providing refugees with orientation, instructions, crucial emotional support, clothing, transportation, furniture, and money. This qualitative case study explored the experiences of 30 resettled and integrated refugees to identify activities and services that met their variable needs and the barriers that hindered them. The study found that of the 30 interviewees---of five different nationalities who communicated in 21 living world languages---93 percent had some schooling and 77 percent possessed an array of skills. Dispersed families, poor English language skills, and unfamiliarity with U.S. systems continue to be major barriers to the integration process. The study calls for one-stop shop, increased support for English education, affordable public transportation, housing, higher education, and universal heath insurance. The process of resettlement and integration is a two-way street. If refugees are willing to assimilate to local ways people of Louisville must also be willing to treat them like locals. |
