Press Release (12 August 2004)



CATHOLIC CHARITIES HELPS NEW HMONG REFUGEES


The Immigration and Refugee Department of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., supervises the settlement of approximately 100 Hmong refugees in Southern California. The first group of 21 refugees arrives on August 23 and 31, 2004, at Bradley International Terminal, Los Angeles Airport. The final destination of this group of refugees is Lompoc, where they will be reunited with their families. They arrive on charter planes, filled with about 300 Hmong refugees, accepted by the U.S. government after they spent over twenty years in refugee camps in Thailand. The refugees had worked closely with American agencies and military forces during the war in Southeast Asia and would have been persecuted had they returned home. Their long-overdue arrival in the U.S. was made possible through determined advocacy efforts by many community-based organizations, such as Catholic Charities and Mutual Assistance Associations that are comprised of former refugees.

Catholic Charities' Refugee Resettlement Program was initially established to assist in the resettlement of Hungarian refugees after World War II (specifically, after the failed Hungarian Uprising against Soviet rule in 1956). The program helps newly arrived refugees and immigrants to resettle in the Los Angeles area, adjust to their new home and achieve economic self-sufficiency. Case management services include: airport reception, orientation, financial assistance, assessments, referrals, home visits, tutoring, employment preparation and placement. Many staff members are former refugees themselves; for instance, the program director, Loc Nam Nguyen, is a former refugee from Vietnam, who was naturalized as American citizen in 1980.

Established in 1919, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, Inc., has been one of the largest social service agencies in Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, serving millions of people during the eighty-five years of its existence. In more than 50 offices and community centers, the agency provided about 1,160,000 services to over 220,000 different individuals during the past fiscal year (July 1, 2003-June 30, 2004). People in need come to Catholic Charities for emergency food and shelter, low-cost before-and-after-school childcare, immigration and refugee assistance, psychological services, computer and jobs skills training, and other supportive services. Poverty doesn't discriminate. How could Catholic Charities? All services are available to residents of the three counties, regardless of their race, ethnicity, income, gender or religious belief.


For more information about the Hmong refugees and their future plans for life in California, please contact Loc Nam Nguyen, Director of Immigration and Refugee Department of Catholic Charities, phone: (213) 251-3489.