Overview

This volume introduces the reader to an important set of newcomers to America. Two overview chapters introduce the U.S. refugee program and the general patterns in resettlement and adaptation. The chapters cover the origins of the program, its development through successive waves of refugees and layers of legislation, the life experiences that refugees bring with them, the problems they must confront, and the ways they rebuild their lives. The heart of the book, however, is Part II, which provides chapters on the largest groups of refugees who have resettled since World War II. Each chapter examines the cultural and social context from which the refugees came, traces their initial and long-term encounters with American society, and assesses their future prospects. The refugee groups covered include Afghans, ethnic Chinese from Southeast Asia, Cubans, Eastern European refugees, Ethiopians and Eritreans, Haitians, Hmong, Iranians, Khmer, Lao, Soviet Jews, and Vietnamese. The final section of the book provides additional comparative documentation on the refugee experience. Separate chapters review the major federal agency statistics, examine public attitudes toward refugees, and outline the broader global refugee problem. The book concludes with a review of film documentaries on refugee adaptation and an annotated bibliography introducing the extensive information now available on refugees in the United States.

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9780313293443

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Reviews

?Updating an earlier survey, Refugees in the United States, ..this volume discusses in a timely manner one of the most controversial issues in the 1996 election campaign and in the current US Congress: the role of refugees in US life, and legislation and public opinion concerning them.... Besides discussing issues of concern to all immigrant refugees, this survey examines in detail the history, background, and individual problems and status of 14 different groups including Cubans, Haitians, Chinese, Afghans, and various other Asian, African, and Eastern European groups...a useful work for reference.?-Choice

Updating an earlier survey, Refugees in the United States, ..this volume discusses in a timely manner one of the most controversial issues in the 1996 election campaign and in the current US Congress: the role of refugees in US life, and legislation and public opinion concerning them.... Besides discussing issues of concern to all immigrant refugees, this survey examines in detail the history, background, and individual problems and status of 14 different groups including Cubans, Haitians, Chinese, Afghans, and various other Asian, African, and Eastern European groups...a useful work for reference. -Choice This is an important source for understanding the political, social, and cultural dynamics often missing from judgments made about issues and concerns related to refugees. It is suitable for scholars and experts as well as the general reader. - MultiCultural Review Citizens and policymakers would do well to dip into this excellent reference source on refugee resettlement in the U.S. from 1960 to the present. In addition to an overview of how we as a nation have responded to people seeking political refuge, it provides an in-depth understanding of specific refugee groups and leads to an appreciation of the uniqueness of each...The general public and advanced students will gain much from this comprehensive work. It will be valuable in large public and academic libraries. -Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin ?This is an important source for understanding the political, social, and cultural dynamics often missing from judgments made about issues and concerns related to refugees. It is suitable for scholars and experts as well as the general reader.?- MultiCultural Review ?Citizens and policymakers would do well to dip into this excellent reference source on refugee resettlement in the U.S. from 1960 to the present. In addition to an overview of how we as a nation have responded to people seeking political refuge, it provides an in-depth understanding of specific refugee groups and leads to an appreciation of the uniqueness of each...The general public and advanced students will gain much from this comprehensive work. It will be valuable in large public and academic libraries.?-Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin ?Updating an earlier survey, Refugees in the United States, ..this volume discusses in a timely manner one of the most controversial issues in the 1996 election campaign and in the current US Congress: the role of refugees in US life, and legislation and public opinion concerning them.... Besides discussing issues of concern to all immigrant refugees, this survey examines in detail the history, background, and individual problems and status of 14 different groups including Cubans, Haitians, Chinese, Afghans, and various other Asian, African, and Eastern European groups...a useful work for reference.?-Choice

Author Information

DAVID W. HAINES who has a Ph.D. in social anthropology, has taught at the undergraduate and graduate level and has served as a research and policy analyst for the federal refugee program./e He is the editor of Refugees in the United States (Greenwood, 1985) and Refugees as Immigrants: Cambodians, Laotians, and Vietnamese in America (1989). He is currently a senior manager in state government and an advisory board member to the refugee and immigration services program of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond.

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