In elementary classrooms, teaching immigration often begins and ends at Ellis Island--without discussions of racist migration policies or engagement with current issues. Although contemporary immigration is rarely discussed with elementary students, the number of young people from immigrant and/or refugee backgrounds in the U.S. continues to rise.…

The early 1980s saw an influx of Southeast Asian refugees from various demographic groups and backgrounds to Minnesota. As teachers, the author and her colleagues regularly added children from these groups to their classrooms, receiving little explanation of a student's history or language proficiency. To counteract increasing teacher resentment…

After a brief description of the origins and languages of the three major groups of Indochinese refugees in the United States--Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Laotians--and short references to subgroups, 20 observations on the general cultural traits of the Indochinese are given. These observations touch on the following: the importance of harmonious…

This is a selected bibliography on child and adolescent refugees of Indochinese from the American project at Dartmouth Medical School. Very little literature exists on child or adolescent refugees of any nationality and virtually no prospective, longitudinal studies are available. No firm conclusions about the development and adaptation of these…

This document provides a State by State overview of the child count and grant awards under the Indochina Refugee Children Assistance Program for fiscal years 1978 and 1980. The Indochina Refugee Children Assistance Program provides Federal financial assistance to States for educational services to Indochinese refugee children aged 5 through 17…

Firsthand accounts by refugees from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, telling how they escaped from Indochina and how they are adjusting to life in Canada (and particularly Nova Scotia), form the greater part of this book. Most of the accounts are by Vietnamese. Information is also provided on the history of the Canadian refugee program, and on the…

This annotated bibliography provides information for use in developing culturally appropriate mental health services for South East Asian refugees in the United States. The annotations are divided into four sections by population group: Cambodian, Laotian and Hmong, Vietnamese, and Indochinese. For each annotation, the primary audience is noted,…

This paper explores the health behaviors and health beliefs of Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotians, (and the Chinese components of these populations), and the Mien and Hmong of Laos. Included is a description of the major medical systems in each country, local practitioners, and some of the uniquely recognized diseases and cures of each area.…

Discusses responses of the Catholic church to the special needs of Indochinese refugees in the United States. Reviews the influence of Catholicism in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, and describes activities of itinerant ministries to Catholic refugee communities across the U.S. The church's mission must be openness and hospitality toward newcomers.…

English-for-employment classes are being held at The College of DuPage, Illinois, for Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees. Basic vocabulary and communicating skills are taught with emphasis on terms used in the workplace. Teaching methods and employment objectives are discussed. (LH)

Reviews the symptomatic characteristics of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), compares the cultural and clinical characteristics of Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees (N=973) diagnosed with PTSD, and assesses the validity of PTSD across cultures. Outlines differences between groups and implications for effective treatment and further…

This study was conducted to determine the effects of the influx of 56,000 Indochinese refugees into Orange County, California between 1975 and 1982 and to make recommendations for integrating these people into the local labor force. In order to identify employer needs, characteristics of the refugee population, and the perceptions of both the…

Federal and State employment service systems provided local job placement services for Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees in their temporary housing centers. Placements were generally at a lower skill level than refugee qualifications. Resettlement and job placement processes are described, and agencies involved are discussed. (LH)

This paper reviews the concepts of acculturation and adaptation to provide a framework for understanding the highly variable relationship between acculturation and mental health in refugee populations. It begins with an extended definition and discussion of the concepts of acculturation and adaptation. The characteristics of acculturating groups…

This publication provides autobiographical essays by students originally from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, all of whom arrived in the United States as refugees between 1975 and 1982. Following an introduction is an initial essay, "Becoming a Refugee, Being a Refugee, Ceasing To Be a Refugee," by L. Nguyen-Hong-Nhiem. The student essays are…