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A28 u.s. news
Diaranson 29 December 2021

Immigrants welcome Afghan refugees, inspired by own journeys

ing China, Myanmar, Sierra ing. During a routine visit, a
Leone and Mexico, said Myl- patient mentioned he needed
ene Madrid, who coordinates car repairs for work. Within
the refugee health assessment weeks, the clinic had raised
program. But staff can help $2,000 to give him.
even without speaking the
same language. “Your heart is different,” says
Jaspinder Mann, an assistant
An Afghan woman was tense nurse manager originally
and nervous when she ar- from India, of immigrants’
rived the other day for her desire to help.
first medical exam. By the
end of the hourslong visit, Afshar says she can’t imag-
however, she was cracking ine what refugees are going
jokes and sharing photos through. The former apparel
with public health assistant designer and her husband
Nikie Phung, who had fled were not fleeing strife and
Vietnam decades earlier with shootings when they chose
her family. to leave Iran. And yet, she too
struggled at first.
Another new arrival from
Afghanistan dropped by the “And this is one of the things
clinic complaining of chest that I always share,” she said.
pains but was so anxious she “That even though it’s going
couldn’t elaborate on her to be hard, later you’re going
(AP) — Tram Pham tears communities, the U.S. De- the more than 800 people ex- symptoms. Pham, the nurse, to be happy because ... you’re
up recalling how tough partment of State said in an pected in the county through asked if she could hold her going to learn so much and
life was at first in the email, including more than September. Not only is the hand. They sat as the woman you’re going to grow so
U.S. But she also remem- 4,000 in California. number a large increase from sobbed, then finally spoke of much.”
bers the joy she felt as a the 100 people the clinic as- the stress of having her entire
22-year-old refugee from The operation has been ham- sessed in all of the last fiscal family living in a cramped At the clinic, she hops on the
Vietnam when a nurse pered by the need to scale up year, it is uncertain when hotel room. phone to arrange an eye exam
spoke to her in her native quickly after steep cutbacks they will arrive, said health for Mohammad Attaie, 50, a
language and guided her to refugee programs under center manager Nelda David. By then, her pains had re- radio technician who fled the
through a medical screen- President Donald Trump. ceded. Pham noticed that the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul,
ing required of new arriv- But the community response But David said that won’t woman’s daughter and son- this summer with his wife,
als. has been overwhelming stop the staff of roughly three in-law were upbeat and more Deena, a journalist, and their
and enthusiastic, said Krish dozen from rolling out the comfortable speaking Eng- daughter. Sana, 10, adores
Nearly three decades lat- O’Mara Vignarajah, presi- welcome mat at the clinic, lish. She pulled the daughter her new school in San Jose
er, Pham hopes to pay that dent of Lutheran Immigra- founded four decades ago aside. but the couple worry about
comfort forward as a regis- tion and Refugee Service, specifically to assist Southeast finding work when they can’t
tered nurse at the same San one of nine national resettle- Asians after the Vietnam War. “Would you please spend speak the language.
Jose, California, clinic that ment agencies. Most of the nurses, assis- time with your mom?” she
treated her family. The TB tants and other staff are im- asked her. “Talk to her more.” Still, seeing people like Af-
and Refugee Clinic at Santa “We know that resettle- migrants or former refugees shar and Pham gives them
Clara Valley Medical Center ment isn’t a weekslong or themselves, and understand Staff members have gone out confidence.
is screening people from Af- monthslong process. Success the shock of starting over in of their way to connect pa-
ghanistan who began seek- requires years of effort. And a new country. tients to jobs, furnish empty “They are successful. They’re
ing asylum in the U.S. after so that’s where it’s really im- apartments and tap the broad- working here. Their language
American troops withdrew portant to have strong com- Medical interpreter Jahan- er community for rent and skills are good. I am hoping
from the country in August. munity ties,” Vignarajah said. naz Afshar welcomes Farsi other relief. They’ve stocked that in less than a year I can
speakers at the front door diapers for babies and handed stand on my feet,” Deena At-
Pham can’t speak Farsi or The nonprofit, which op- even before they check in for out gift baskets at Thanksgiv- taie said, speaking in Farsi.a
Pashto. But she can soothe erates in at least two dozen their first visit. In a window-
patients stressed out over the states, has resettled roughly less office, she explains what
job they can’t find or the rent 6,000 newly arrived Afghans to expect over at least four
that’s due. The other day, she since summer, including visits as part of a comprehen-
held the hand of an older Af- 1,400 in northern Virginia, sive health assessment, which
ghan woman as she cried out 350 in Texas, 275 in Wash- includes updating immuni-
her fears. ington and Oregon and 25 in zations and checking for in-
Fargo, North Dakota. fectious diseases. A medical
“I can see patients from all exam is required of all refu-
over the world come in. I The state of Oklahoma has gees.
see, you know, Vietnamese received about half of the
patients. I see a lot of refugee 1,800 people it was told to But Afshar, who moved from
patients,” she said. “I see my- expect, said Carly Akard, Iran in 2004, also explains
self.” spokeswoman for Catholic cultural differences, such as
Charities of Oklahoma City. the American preference for
The TB and Refugee Clinic Akard said that in their rush personal space and chitchat.
joins a vast network of chari- to escape, many of the refu- She’ll tell newcomers how to
ties and government organi- gees arrived without identifi- take the bus or use the pub-
zations tasked with carrying cation. lic library, and reassure them
out President Joe Biden’s that in the U.S., people help
plan to relocate nearly “They fled and didn’t have without expectation of get-
100,000 people from Afghan- anything,” she said. ting anything in return.
istan by September 2022.
Nearly 48,000 Afghans have In San Jose, the clinic is Most staff members are bi-
already moved off U.S. mili- scrambling to hire more lingual, and come from a
tary bases and settled in new people and reallocate staff for number of countries, includ-