Press Release (29 September 2004)



CATHOLIC CHARITIES ASSISTS NEW REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM


Photo by Marguerite Meyer. See a larger image.

Five Mnong refugees from Vietnam recently requested assistance from Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, at the agency's office of the Central Intake Unit in El Monte. These refugees (men ranging in age from twenty to forty-seven) were resettled through World Relief Society in Garden Grove, and sponsored by a local pastor. The Mnong are a nomadic, tribal people currently living in the highlands along the Cambodian and Laotian borders of Vietnam. After the end of the Vietnam war and the departure of U.S. troops, the Mnong were heavily persecuted for their Christian beliefs and their assistance to the U.S. military during the Vietnam conflict. The Mnong were recognized by Congress in 1987 and granted refugee status.

Unfortunately, the persecution of this group continues until today. Life in Mnong villages is severely regulated; the people are threatened and harassed even about activities taking place in their own homes. When accusations are made, the accused are taken in the dark of night and their family members fear for their lives. For these reasons, many Mnong have fled villages and live in isolation in the jungle mountains. There, they fear bounty hunters, who - for a fee - will kill a Mnong who has run away from Communist persecution. Many Mnong die in the jungles of Cambodia. The food is insufficient, medication non-existent, and the only medical personnel is the village shaman.


Refugees in conversation with Brenda Thomas.
Photo by Marguerite Meyer. See a larger image.

The five Mnong who made it out of the jungle and to El Monte are among the fortunate few. The staff of the Central Intake Unit is pleased to welcome this group of refugees since they are the first Mnong to arrive in the Los Angeles area. The five men have many needs and barriers to overcome. The agency's staff will work with them, providing the supportive services, employment opportunities and training needed to start a new life in the United States. The agency will also assist them in bringing their wives and children to America and freedom. The Mnong look up to Catholic Charities' staff with the hope that somehow they can receive the guidance they need to start their lives again, despite challenges such as high immigration fees, or unobtainable documentation needed for the children and wives to leave the country and rejoin the family in the U.S.

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. During fiscal year 2003-2004, the agency provided about 1,180,000 services to over 229,000 different individuals in more than 50 offices and community centers. 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.



If you wish to make donations of clothing, furniture, household items or anything else for the Mnong refugees, please contact Brenda Thomas, Director, Central Intake Unit, Catholic Charities Los Angeles, at (213) 251 3481, or e-mail: bthomas@catholiccharitiesla.org. For more information contact Marguerite Meyer, CIU Program Development Manager, at (213) 251-3519, or mmeyer@ccharities.org.