As the face of Iowa changes,
Internet helps understand cultures

April 12, 2004

By Jenna Buzzacco
Iowa's Internet

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowans aren't just farmers; Southeast Asian, Iraqi, Bosnian and Sudanese refugees are calling Iowa home, forcing the state to adjust to the changing environment.

Mark Grey, director of the New Iowan Program at the University of Northern Iowa, has been working with small communities to help community members adjust to the changing social climate. While Grey makes appearances and is more than willing to chat with community members over the phone, he said many community members get their information from the program's Web site.

"Our program guides and prepares Iowa communities and businesses to accommodate immigrant and refugee newcomers living and working in Iowa," Grey said.

Grey said the Web site serves as a resource for people in small towns to learn a little more about the new Iowans in their community. The site, Grey said, also serves as a resource for those who want to help out.

Jennifer Gibson, refugee service coordinator at Lutheran Services in Iowa, said she usually hears that the Web site gives Des Moines community members a chance to learn about a group before getting involved.

"People don't just get involved with refugees because they are curious," Gibson said. "Most people have had a refugee influence, I just got a call from a church the other week. They had had some refugees attend a service and were so moved that they wanted to know how they could get involved."

However, once a person has had the refugee influence, Gibson said he or she usually begin to do some research about the group.

According to the Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services, a refugee is a person who has fled his or her country for fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, political opinion or social group. Most of the time refugees show up in Iowa with nothing but the clothes on their back and the few possessions they were able to bring from home. Gibson said the families adjust to the climate and are often thrown into positions where they have no family or friends in the area. While family reunification is a priority, Gibson said getting them out of a hostile environment is the highest priority.

"We work with our partners and take whatever cases we can," Gibson said. "We've been getting a lot of family reunion cases because we have such a high population of refugees."

Des Moines is currently listed as a target city for refugee resettlement. Gibson said Des Moines has been chosen because of the welcoming community.

"Des Moines is targeted because it has low housing costs and jobs are easy enough to find in the area," Gibson said. "The schools are also very receptive to English as a second language students and have come up with a few really great programs."

A refugee cooperative service also provides a plethora of services, Gibson said.

Gibson said Lutheran services help new Iowans locate an apartment, enroll children in school and find employment for adults. With the help of native speakers, refugees are able to obtain Social Security cards, food stamps and Medicaid.

LSI and the New Iowan Program offer resources and training sessions for Iowans who are interested in serving as translators or who want to volunteer. Grey said it's important for community members to get involved, so that the refugees feel welcome in the town.

Gibson said she tells people interested in volunteering that they should learn more about the region from which the refugees are coming. Often, refugees are from war-torn areas and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. She also said translators and volunteers need to be aware of the cultural practices of each community, since they may face problems when going to doctors or appointments.

Grey agrees that the Internet serves refugees and their new communities best as a learning tool. He said he often sends people to the RefugeeWorks Web site to answer those frequently asked questions that everyone wants to know.

RefugeeWorks was created in 1997 as a training tool for the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement. The site allows states, counties and volunteer agencies a chance to connect with each other and allows potential volunteers a chance to learn about refugee resettlement nationwide.

Aside from learning tools, Grey said the Internet allows Iowans to become refugee advocates without leaving their home. RefugeeWorks offers all of the resources needed to become an advocate, from addresses to local and national legislatures to a directory of Internet posting sites specifically designated for refugees.

Web sites also give Iowans a chance to volunteer easily. LSI, the New Iowan Program and RefugeeWorks all have links that allow visitors to become volunteers. With a simple keystroke, Iowans can either sign-up to be a volunteer or donate money to the cause.

Donations are always appreciated. Currently the largest group of refugees in Iowa comes from African countries. Places like Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria are currently in such turmoil that refugees are coming to the United States daily. Gibson said a Sudanese family of 10 arrived in the United States a month ago. Unable to find a house that would fit the whole family and unwilling to separate them, Lutheran Services had to rent out a barrack-like area in Iowa for the family.