American Refugees
Apr. 24th, 2025 01:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithMeet the new American refugees fleeing across state lines for safety
America is on the move. Hundreds of thousands of people are packing up boxes, loading U-Hauls, and shipping out of state in an urgent flight towards safety.
They’re being propelled by hostile political forces bearing down on them because of who they are, what they believe, or for their medical needs.
All are displaced within their own country for reasons they did not choose. They are the new generation of America’s internal refugees – and their ranks are growing by the day.
I've been pointing out current and future waves of internal displacement in America for some time now. People have been displaced by natural disasters by the tens of thousands, a situation that climate change is rapidly exacerbating. One family featured in the article fled Los Angeles due to wildfire. Now there are increasing waves of political displacement and survival needs displacement. Disturbing, but hardly a surprise.
A deeper problem is that America handles internal displacement very badly, as witness the execrable treatment of Dustbowl refugees. It's actually worse today. For most people, health care is tied to their job. Vacation, parental leave, seniority, salary, it's all tied to one job. If they leave, they lose all that, and usually they can't replace it. But if they stay, they might get fired anyway, or murdered. Some of them flee, some are forced out, some stay willingly or unwillingly. It's a nightmare.
How You Can Help
At this time, few people are thinking about refugees in America. So you do that, and you'll be filling a gap. Imagine what you'd need if you were displaced, and think what you can do to help people in that position.
* If you or your kids are in school, go to the office and ask what support they have for internally displaced persons. Get a reference for resources, clubs, etc. You can pass that to anyone who needs it. If they don't have any, cite the latest couple of mass displacements (e.g. wildfire, hurricane) and point out they better make a policy fast because this is only getting more frequent.
* If you belong to a church, civic group, or other local organization then ask how they handle internally displaced persons. Do you have a greeter or someone who does outreach to new folks in the area? If not, set that up. You can gain members and help new folks establish themselves in your community. Watch for disaster news and check the locale for branches of your group; if affected, then look for ways to reach those people in particular.
* Check your place of work for policies relating to customers and employees. How is it handled if someone lost all their paperwork in a disaster or had to flee without wrapping things up? Check your own workflow to see what you would need to do make their life suck less.
* Look for facilities that help victim groups such as women, black people, and the disabled who are disproportionately targeted and often need to flee. What are their policies for refugees? If they don't have any, point out the last couple of alarming incidents for their target audience and suggest that they develop such policies promptly in response to those pressures.
* Explore your neighborhood and town for resources that new people would need. Where are the parks, schools, stores, health care, restaurants, and so on? Is there a welcoming committee? A map with key locations marked? If not, those are things you would work on setting up before you get hit with a huge wave of refugees.
* Consider your hobbies. If you garden, you could tell new folks what grows there and share plants or seeds with them. If you knit or crochet, you could work up a stash of scarves, blankets, etc. to donate as needed. If you cook, you could start a supper club or potluck group to help with both food insecurity and social connections. And so on. Whatever you do, there are things you can do to help.
Further Resources
5 Ways to Help Refugees & Immigrants in 2025 -- Global Refuge
10 ways you can help refugees
12 Ways to Promote Integration in Your Community
ADDRESSING DISASTER DISPLACEMENT IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION POLICY AND PRACTICE: A CHECKLIST
Disaster Displacement: How to Reduce Risk, Address Impacts and Strengthen Resilience
Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced People
Supporting Children and Youth Displaced by Disasters
America is on the move. Hundreds of thousands of people are packing up boxes, loading U-Hauls, and shipping out of state in an urgent flight towards safety.
They’re being propelled by hostile political forces bearing down on them because of who they are, what they believe, or for their medical needs.
All are displaced within their own country for reasons they did not choose. They are the new generation of America’s internal refugees – and their ranks are growing by the day.
I've been pointing out current and future waves of internal displacement in America for some time now. People have been displaced by natural disasters by the tens of thousands, a situation that climate change is rapidly exacerbating. One family featured in the article fled Los Angeles due to wildfire. Now there are increasing waves of political displacement and survival needs displacement. Disturbing, but hardly a surprise.
A deeper problem is that America handles internal displacement very badly, as witness the execrable treatment of Dustbowl refugees. It's actually worse today. For most people, health care is tied to their job. Vacation, parental leave, seniority, salary, it's all tied to one job. If they leave, they lose all that, and usually they can't replace it. But if they stay, they might get fired anyway, or murdered. Some of them flee, some are forced out, some stay willingly or unwillingly. It's a nightmare.
How You Can Help
At this time, few people are thinking about refugees in America. So you do that, and you'll be filling a gap. Imagine what you'd need if you were displaced, and think what you can do to help people in that position.
* If you or your kids are in school, go to the office and ask what support they have for internally displaced persons. Get a reference for resources, clubs, etc. You can pass that to anyone who needs it. If they don't have any, cite the latest couple of mass displacements (e.g. wildfire, hurricane) and point out they better make a policy fast because this is only getting more frequent.
* If you belong to a church, civic group, or other local organization then ask how they handle internally displaced persons. Do you have a greeter or someone who does outreach to new folks in the area? If not, set that up. You can gain members and help new folks establish themselves in your community. Watch for disaster news and check the locale for branches of your group; if affected, then look for ways to reach those people in particular.
* Check your place of work for policies relating to customers and employees. How is it handled if someone lost all their paperwork in a disaster or had to flee without wrapping things up? Check your own workflow to see what you would need to do make their life suck less.
* Look for facilities that help victim groups such as women, black people, and the disabled who are disproportionately targeted and often need to flee. What are their policies for refugees? If they don't have any, point out the last couple of alarming incidents for their target audience and suggest that they develop such policies promptly in response to those pressures.
* Explore your neighborhood and town for resources that new people would need. Where are the parks, schools, stores, health care, restaurants, and so on? Is there a welcoming committee? A map with key locations marked? If not, those are things you would work on setting up before you get hit with a huge wave of refugees.
* Consider your hobbies. If you garden, you could tell new folks what grows there and share plants or seeds with them. If you knit or crochet, you could work up a stash of scarves, blankets, etc. to donate as needed. If you cook, you could start a supper club or potluck group to help with both food insecurity and social connections. And so on. Whatever you do, there are things you can do to help.
Further Resources
5 Ways to Help Refugees & Immigrants in 2025 -- Global Refuge
10 ways you can help refugees
12 Ways to Promote Integration in Your Community
ADDRESSING DISASTER DISPLACEMENT IN DISASTER RISK REDUCTION POLICY AND PRACTICE: A CHECKLIST
Disaster Displacement: How to Reduce Risk, Address Impacts and Strengthen Resilience
Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced People
Supporting Children and Youth Displaced by Disasters
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2025-04-25 08:30 am (UTC)Its current interpretation seems to be that as long as you accept Jesus into your heart as your lord and saviour, you can actively work against everything He stood for and still go to heaven.
It's a theology the goats seems to find particularly attractive.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2025-04-25 09:09 am (UTC)I'm particularly fond of the church that put its creche display inside a chain-link cage. Jesus was a refugee.