refugees
New bill would give relief to Southeast Asian refugees facing deportation
- The Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act would allow judges to grant relief to those with prior convictions who are also facing deportation.
- About 15,000 Southeast Asians in the U.S. have final removal orders, according to the Southeast Asian Freedom Network.
- If passed, the bill would limit the Department of Homeland Security’s control over the deportation of people from Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos who came to the U.S. before 2008.
- It would give permanent authorization of employment for individuals who have a final order of removal.
- The bill would also end in-person Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency check-ins.
A new bill hoping to end the deportation of noncitizens convicted of certain crimes was introduced on Tuesday.
The Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act would allow judges to grant relief to those with prior convictions who are also facing deportation.
Vietnamese refugees reunite with sailor who saved them from lost fishing boat 44 years ago
- A group of Vietnamese refugees reunited with a sailor who rescued them from their lost fishing boat while escaping Vietnam 44 years ago.
- While escaping communism after Saigon’s fall, 33 adults and 18 children escaped on a fishing boat until they got lost in the South China Sea.
- A chief mate sailor, now 88, convinced his captain at the time to rescue all refugees and bring them onto the boat.
- After spending years trying to find the group of refugees, the 88-year-old finally found them after a neighbor tracked down one of the names on a list.
After years of searching, a chief mate sailor who saved 51 Vietnamese refugees in 1978 was reunited with a group of them 44 years later.
One of the refugees, Lisa Dam, was 19 years old when she escaped from Vietnam after the fall of Saigon. While on a fishing boat with 50 others, including 33 adults and 18 children, the group got lost in the South China Sea.
Indonesia accepts dozens of Rohingya refugees stranded at sea after initially rejecting them
Indonesia will accept a boat of Rohingya refugees – mostly women and children – after initially sending them to Malaysian waters and giving them supplies, according to local authorities.
Change of heart: Indonesia’s security ministry said the Southeast Asian country will allow nearly 120 people, including 60 women and 51 children, to take refuge after the situation gained domestic and international attention.
Vietnamese Americans are opening their doors, offering support to Afghan refugees
Across the United States, Vietnamese communities have been opening their doors to refugees from Afghanistan, seeing themselves in the new arrivals.
An unlikely bond: In cities like Philadelphia and Seattle, Vietnamese landlords, business owners, artists and neighbors have been offering support to refugees in whatever way they can, remembering their own plights when arriving from Vietnam in the late 1970s.
Rep. Pham, daughter of Vietnamese refugees, comes ‘full circle’ to welcome Afghan refugees to Oregon
An Oregon state representative wants to give a proper welcome to the Afghan refugees who will be arriving in the state early next year.
A proper welcome: Rep. Khanh Pham (House District 46), who was born to Vietnamese refugee parents, is among the leaders of the task force that will manage the resettlement of 1,200 refugees from Afghanistan to Oregon, reported Portland Tribune.
18-year-old California high school student starts foundation to aid Rohingya refugees
Aaron Lee, an 18-year-old Malaysian American high school senior, founded his own refugee aid organization for Rohingya people after meeting with a former Malaysian prime minister.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were displaced from Myanmar after the military government committed mass genocide of the ethnic minority in 2017. They sought refuge in nearby countries, and their fight for their existence continues today.
North Koreans See Their Families for the First Time After Escaping Through 3000-Mile ‘Underground Railroad’
International NGO Liberty in North Korea has released an emotional video in which North Korean refugees were given the chance to see their families again for the first time since escaping the oppressive regime.
While these refugees are escaping out of their country and fleeing into China, many are eventually caught and forcibly sent back to North Korea by Chinese authorities to face unimaginable punishments upon returning.
Columbia University Offers Full Scholarships to Refugees and Other Displaced Students
Columbia University has announced that it is set to give full scholarships to refugees and other displaced students.
Under Columbia’s “Scholarship for Displaced Students” the scholars will be able to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees across all 18 Columbia schools and affiliate institutions.
New Documentary Reveals the Struggle of a Vietnamese American Family Separated by ICE
It has long been Lan Nguyen’s mission to bring to light on one of the most overlooked facets of the United State’s crackdown on immigrants: the deportation of Southeast Asian refugees.
Nguyen, who teaches ethnic studies at the California State University of Long Beach, has been organizing with VietUnity-SoCal and seeks social change with her film.
Why So Many Nail Salons Are Run By Vietnamese People
If you’ve ever been to a nail salon before, chances are you’ve encountered a Vietnamese establishment; in fact, they seem to be running any given nail salon that you might walk into. But why? Is it a family tradition, the secret of the French manicure passed down from generation to generation? Do they have a natural ability to own and operate these types of businesses? Or is it something else?
In fact, the origin behind this phenomenon is far more interesting than a family tradition or an innate knack, and it all starts with the Vietnam war, a Hollywood actress, and 20 refugees.
Syrian Man Arrested for the High-Profile Murder of 13-year-old Marrisa Shen
A 28-year-old Syrian refugee was arrested by Canadian authorities in connection to the high-profile case of Marrisa Shen, a 13-year-old girl who was found dead in a park in British Columbia.
Ibrahim Ali, who came to Canada three months before the death of Shen on July 19, 2017, is now under police custody and awaiting his next court appearance on Sept. 14, according to the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) press release.
This New York Startup Has the Best Way to Help Refugee Chefs Everywhere
New York City is a haven of great international cuisine. With the number of specialty restaurants that offer a variety of food from different countries in the city, it is certainly not easy for a restaurant to stand out even if they are offering unique meal options.
However, there is something special about Eat Offbeat that sets it apart from other restaurants: its chefs are all refugees who were recruited from International Rescue Committee, an American refugee resettlement agency.
