In 1979 my wife. Kathryn. and 1 sponsored a Laotian family who had worked for the CIA during the Vietnam war and fled from almost certain death when the Communists overran their country. They lived for almost a year in a Thailand refugee camp before they were admitted to the United States. They stepped off the plane to our welcome and for them this country. its language. customs. history. government. and systems were a complete mystery and we. their hosts. the only source of learning. Such a lack of direction and help for new arrivals strikes me as close to cruelty and even with all we attempted to do could only lead to "K.K." and his family seeking others in a similar situation. Within 6 months they became a part of the Laotian ghetto where English was not spoken and integration with our society was less likely soon to occurwithout public education for the children. I would say. unlikely ever to occur. So. the gentlemans amendment asking simply for some proficiency in our language or a commitment to learn it. together with some study of our countrys Government and history. is a very modest effort to address the best interests of the immigrant and the Nation. I. personally. would go a great deal farther and adopt a system similar to that used in Israel. Actually we are proceeding to explore this approach in working with the INS and other agencies.
Keywords matched
immigrant refugee