Transcript ABE Division

ESL Program
 ABE ESL department serves refugees and immigrants from
over 40 different countries.
 Each year ABE serves over 1,200 non-native speakers
(unduplicated)
 Each quarter ABE runs up to 18 sections of ESL
 The classes are offered at five centers
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Adult Education Center - N. Monroe St. (day/evening)
Hillyard Adult Education Center – N. Market St. (day/evening)
Valley Center – 11530 E. Sprague Ave (day)
SCC (advance level)(day)
IEL/Magnuson Building (advance level)(day)
ESL Program Fall 2010
 Served 620 refugees and immigrants
 90 from Bhutan
 85 from Burma
 50 from Ukraine
 45 from Iraq
 45 from Marshal Islands
 32 from Mexico
 32 from Russia
 28 from Moldova
 28 from Vietnam
 19 from China
 19 from Kyrgyzstan
 14 from Burundi
 14 from Eritrea
 119 students from other countries (Afghanistan, Algeria, Bosnia, Brazil, Chuck
Islands, Cuba, Egypt, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Korea,
Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Lithuania, Philippines, Portuguese, Rwanda, Salvador,
Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, etc. )
Bhutanese background
 Displaced from their country due to ethnic cleansing
 In 1991 over 108,000 (40,000 children) Bhutanese refugees
fled to India and eventually in Nepal
 7 camps were formed in Eastern Nepal where they been
living ever since
 Nepali government denies the refugees right to work and
freedom of movement
 US government offered resettlement to 60,000 Bhutanese
 350 resettled in Spokane community
Burmese Background
 In 1988 democratic uprising (8888 Uprising) was brutally
crushed by military government which led to many people
fleeing Burma (these conflicts have been ongoing for over
five decades)
 As a result over 100,000 refugees from Burma are living
in eight camps along Thai border (Karen and Karenni
tribes);
 Burmese refugees Chin ethnicity mostly migrated to
Malaysia
 In 2006 1,612 refugees arrived to the USA
 Since then this number increased to 60,000
 630 resettled in Spokane community
Burmese Background (cont.)
 Burmese 68%
 Shan 9%
 Karen 7%
 Rakhine 4%
 Mon 2%
 Chin 2%
 Other 5%
Life in Burmese Refugee camp
Challenges in America for Bhutanese and
Burmese
 Low educational background (none or few years of
schooling in their native country)
 Resettlement is frustrating for those without English skills
(ORR is looking in possibility of not resettling these
individuals)
 Difficulties/frustration in finding employment (especially
older refugees)
 Poor health conditions (malaria, respiratory, TB,
malnutrition, oral health, infectious diseases, mental
health disorders, depression, etc.)
 In 2010 there were 8 reported cases of suicide among
Bhutanese refugees resettled in the US
Challenges in America for Bhutanese and
Burmese
 Concerns about health care
 Concerns about elderly
 Age/look older than they are
 High expectations/low realization of work/education
 Adapting to this new culture
 No background knowledge of living in cold climate
 Generally satisfied about opportunities in the US
Challenges in America for Bhutanese and
Burmese (cont.)
 Learning our laws and reality of documentation