JVS: Creating a Cultural Bridge

Jewish Vocational Service

Cathy Anderson, Manager of JVS Language and Cultural Services

Dorothée Werner, JVS volunteer and interpreter

1608 Baltimore Ave.Kansas City, MO 64108

canders@jvskc.org2011 Copyright JVS

JVS

Jewish Vocational Service

History: established in 1949 to resettle Holocaust survivors and other refugees. JVS is the refugee resettlement organization for Kansas City, MO.

MISSION: JVS strengthens the well-being of MISSION: JVS strengthens the well-being of individuals, families and the community by individuals, families and the community by promoting successful social, cultural and promoting successful social, cultural and economic integration.economic integration.

JVS Newcomer Services

Refugee ResettlementRefugee Social IntegrationRefugee Employment ServicesImmigration CounselingLanguage and Cultural Services

Immigrants, refugees, secondary migrants, Limited-English Proficient - LEP

Latino/HispanicCuban refugeesSomaliSomali/BantuSudaneseBurundiIraqiBurmese (many

groups)

IranianAfghaniIndianVietnameseBosnianRussianEritreanBhutanese

Burmese Refugee

Burmese Culture

JVS Refugee Resettlement

FY 2010: 468 Somali 23% Iraqi 20% Burmese 33% Burundi 4% Afghan (2 people) Eritrean 1% Sudanese 2% Mauritanian 1% Congo 2% Central African Republic (2 people)

Culture Makes a Difference

Collectivism vs. Individualism Event Time vs. Agenda Time Hi-context vs. Lo-Context Direct Eye-contact vs. Limited Eye-contact Spatial proxemics: do not touch top of head

(Buddhist); avoid use of finger gestures; females do not shake hands with males (Somali/Muslim).

Refugees and Immigrants

Who is an Immigrant?

A foreign-born person admitted to reside permanently in the US is a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR). Status is achieved through:

Family-sponsored immigration.Employment-based immigration.Diversity visa lottery.

Who is a Refugee?

A refugee is a person outside the US who seeks protection on the grounds that he or she fears persecution in his or her homeland. To obtain refugee status, a person must prove that he or she has a “well-founded fear of persecution” on the basis of the person’s race, religion, membership in a social group, political opinion or national origin.

Refugee Status

US Department of State designates which countries refugees will be accepted from.

Refugee must fit into priority category.Person screened by UNHCR to determine

if qualified under international law.If qualified, screened by US embassy in

host country.

Refugee Health Check

The International Office of Migration conducts health check prior to approval by UNHCR.

Malaria, TB, HIV, other infectious diseases.Screens for physical disabilities, dental

concerns, gender-related conditions, and immunization status.

I

Refugees, con’t.

Required to repay voluntary organization loan for flight travel.

Refugees can become Lawful Permanent Residents one year after resettlement.

Provided 8 months of Refugee Cash Assistance and Refugee Medical Assistance.

Refugees and Secondary Migrants

Approximately 12,500 newcomers live in the Metropolitan Kansas City area.

JVS Interpreter Services

Over 2,000 interpreting/translating sessions.

At least 30 languages, concentration on 8 widely-spoken.

Serves hospitals, social services agencies, schools, courts, non-profits.

Training in Bridging the Gap, advanced training. Cultural competency training offered.

Special Considerations

Books to read: The Middle of Everywhere by Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia.

Pipher, a psychologist, describes the experience of refugee assimilation in her Nebraska hometown of Lincoln.

The Geography of Thought by Richard Nisbett. This book explores how Asians and Westerners think very differently.

Cultural Competency

To be culturally competent doesn’t mean you are an authority in the values and beliefs of every culture. What it means is that you hold a deep respect for cultural differences and are eager to learn, and are willing to accept, that there are many ways of viewing the world.

- Okokon O. Udo, BD, PhD, CPCC, Ordained Prebysterian Minister

--From Cross Cultural Health Care Program

Contact us!

Jewish Vocational ServiceLanguage and Cultural Services

1608 BaltimoreKansas City, MO 64108

(816) 471 - 2808www.jvskc.org