The Struggles Of Being A Refugee

Refugees are struggling before they even leave their homes—that’s why they leave in the first place. However, going through an arduous journey and eventually arriving in the land of the free doesn’t mean the struggle is over. Immigrants and refugees face many barriers when they arrive on the shores of a new country.

A group of Somali men

Here are some struggles that you should know about:

Difficulties in learning and speaking the language

Countries like the United States aren’t known for being multilingual, so arriving here and being unable to understand or speak English makes it virtually impossible to get a job, make friends, or complete basic tasks such as filling forms or buying food.

Many immigrants and refugees take ESL classes to combat this, but finding enough time between caring for kids and work can get difficult, especially if they aren’t literate in their own native tongue.

Raising kids

One of the biggest obstacles faced by immigrant parents is the challenge of raising their kids in an unfamiliar culture. Immigrant parents in the US find their children “Americanized” too fast for their own liking, which may often go against their culture.

Kids also pick up the language faster, throwing off the parent and child dynamic, which children, and especially teens, often use to their advantage. When it comes to school, many parents feel disappointed in their children’s struggle during classes and often report discrimination and bullying that results from cultural differences. Unfortunately, many parents don’t have the language skills required to discuss these issues with the faculty.

Securing work

Most immigrants and refugees are usually happy to take any available job, but finding one and moving up the ladder can be extremely challenging. Apart from undocumented immigrants facing additional challenges when attempting to secure work, being unable to speak English adds to the list of problems.

Educated immigrants and refugees who had good jobs in their homeland also find it rather frustrating when they can’t get the same job here—employers usually prefer US certifications and work experience. They also face exploitation and discrimination in their workplace, with employers taking advantage of their desperation and sense of urgency.

Group of people around a sign for a solar school project


Support Somali community resettlement services in Columbus

The Somali Community Link is a generous Somali community youth initiative in Columbus that provides health funding, finance funding, and education funding for the Somali community in Ohio. If you want to help your local refugees live better lives and provide them with a way out of their struggles, you can make a contribution towards their cause. No amount is too little!

Learn more about their services here.

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