ARCHIVES: INDOCHINESE REFUGEES AND PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
By Nguyen Van Hien ’73
The massive arrival of Indochinese refugees since 1975 has brought about widespread public awareness of the refugee issues in the United Sates. Their presence and continued arrival in the US, later accompanied by the arrival of refugees from other areas, have forced the question of U.S. refugee policy, public support and programmatic concerns for the effective refugee settlement to the foreground. Increasingly, the U.S. public and government officials across different sectors are aware of the global refugee situations, their causes and nee d to build up the knowledge and experience to deal with the refugee problem more effectively. I have been involved in the refugee resettlement activities of various types since early 1975, in both voluntary and job-related capacities.
Indochinese refugees coming to the U.S. are comprised of citizens of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia who have left their countries due to their unwillingness to live with the communist governments in power, with all the political and economic hardships involved. Currently, approximately 500,000 have come to the United Sates, their presence scattered all over the country. Despite the early U.S. policy of resettling Indochinese refugees in various parts of the country, major concentrations have built up in a small number of Sates. The areas most heavily impacted by the Indochinese include California, Texas, and Washington DC. Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of Indochinese include those of Orange County, Houston, and Washington DC area. Currently, Indochinese refugees are eligible for English language training and employment assistance under available programs. However, due to the reduction by the present administration of social services budgets, level of social services for them will be significantly reduced. This poses a dilemma as recent refugees from Southeast Asia seem less prepared to obtain and retain jobs. Many did not receive formal education or skills training in Indochina and a large number are illiterate even in their own language.
Of the recent arrives, a significant portion are of school age. As Indochinese children are generally taught the high value of education by their family, many of them are expected to purse their education beyond the high school level.
From Princeton’s point of view,
attracting these youth to its undergraduate and graduate programs
will do a service to the Princeton community. Aside from academic
excellence, any of these youth are excellent athletes (such as
in table tennis and soccer); they tend to be achievers. However,
some of the brightest may not do as well in the areas of humanities
and social sciences as they are expected to do in mathematics because
of their problems with the English language. Advisory procedures
should take literacy and language problems into consideration.
