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How To Better Welcome Refugees and Secondary Migrants
Laila Rahbari — Sep 7, 2022
This report examines assets, challenges, and potential recommendations for supports for refugees and migrants in Buffalo.
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Bangladeshi Immigrants in Buffalo
Jun 1, 2016
Bangladeshi immigrants have relocated to Buffalo, New York, at a pace that has surprised many. The size of Buffalo’s Bangladeshi population is unknown. The U.S. Census estimates that 316 Bangladeshis live in Buffalo, but Liberty Yellow Taxi alone employs about 367. Most Bangladeshi praise Buffalo, but some worry that social and religious intolerance is growing. A number of men in the mosque have expressed concern about anti-Muslim rhetoric on local talk …
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Immigrants, Refugees, and Languages Spoken in Buffalo
Deandra Fike, Subin Chung, Emily Riordan — Jul 14, 2015
According to 2000 Census Data, Buffalo ranked last of 48 major metro areas in gaining immigrants, and the percentage of Buffalo residents born in foreign countries remains relatively low. However, from 2000 to 2010, the Buffalo-Niagara Metro Area saw a 33% rise in foreign-born population, growing from 4.4% of the total population in 2000 to 6.0% in 2010. The main reason for this increase is the number of refugees being resettled in Buffalo. Refugees are people fleeing war, …
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Eritrean Refugees in Buffalo
Jul 8, 2015
Eritrea was once part of Ethiopia, but began a struggle for independence in the 1960s and finally became established as a separate country in 1993. The civil war that preceded the separation lasted for approximately 30 years, beginning while Eritrea was still considered part of Ethiopia and continued until 2000, even after independence was granted. Three waves of migration from Eritrea to the US occurred in the 1980s and 1990s, as refugees escaped the violent civil war, finding …
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From Central Africa to Buffalo: Refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Rwanda, and Burundi
Jul 8, 2015
For the past several decades Central Africa has been wrought with conflict, including both civil wars and international conflicts. Many different ethnic groups are involved in various capacities, creating tensions within and between countries. Do not assume that individuals from the same country are of the same ethnic group or religious affiliation. There are important differences among the ethnic and tribal groups, and because of the longstanding tensions among some of the …
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Nepali Bhutanese Refugees in Buffalo
Jul 8, 2015
Bhutanese refugees have a complicated history. In the late 19th and early 20th century, an influx of undocumented Nepali immigrants into Bhutan occurred. These individuals were settled in the southern region of Bhutan and referred to as Lhotshampas, meaning “southerners”. The Bhutanese government enforced the Bhutanese Citizenship Act of 1958 as an effort to more closely control the immigration. The government wished to promote cultural and national unity …
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Refugees from Iraq in Buffalo
Jul 8, 2015
The country of Iraq suffers from war and terrorism on a daily basis. Currently the population of Iraq is approximately 28 million, of whom about 75% are Arab, 17% are Kurds and the remainder mostly Armenians, Assyrians and Turks. The turmoil in Iraq includes violent disputes among Sunni Muslim and Shi’ite Muslim; persecution due to political allegiance; and targeting of vulnerable populations, such as women, by militias and insurgents. Over two million Iraqis have …
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Refugees from Somalia in Buffalo
Jul 8, 2015
Somalia is a country that has been divided by civil war since the 1980s. It began due to resistance to the regime of Siad Barre. Once he was overthrown in the 1980s, the resulting power vacuum led to violence. Peace efforts from multi-national groups, neighboring countries, and the United Nations have been attempted, but violence continues and has forced many to flee the country for safety. Somalia is one of the most homogenous countries in Africa. Approximately …
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Refugees from Sudan in Buffalo
Jul 8, 2015
Sudan is ethnically diverse and physically vast. It has endured many years of violent civil war between the Arab/Muslim North and the Black/Christian South. In 2011, South Sudan gained its independence from the North so that two governments now rule; however, the conflict has continued. There are at least 10 different ethnic groups among the refugees from Sudan that have resettled in the United States. Since 2003, New York State has resettled 897 Sudanese refugees, with …
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Yemeni Immigrants in Western New York
Jul 8, 2015
The country of Yemen came into being in May of 1990 when North Yemen merged with South Yemen. Sanaa, the former capital of the North, became the political capital, and Aden, the former capital of the South, became the economic center. Because of the less-developed economy in Yemen, many Yemenites (predominantly males) have emigrated out of the country seeking employment, often to send money back home. In addition, a brutal police force and government have led to violence and …
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Afghan Refugees in Buffalo
Jul 7, 2015
Afghanistan is a diverse country with many different ethnicities, often differentiated by language or religious beliefs. Many of the groups can also be found in the nations that border Afghanistan: Pakistan, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and China. Since 2003, New York State has resettled 395 Afghan refugees, including 63 in 2013. Many of these have settled in Erie County. Many recently resettled individuals from Afghanistan have come with “SIV” …
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Burman, Karen, and Chin Refugees: From Burma to Buffalo
Jul 7, 2015
Burma, officially known as the Republic of Myanmar, is a small nation in Asia, bordering Bangladesh, India, China, Laos and Thailand. For many years, the nation has suffered military dictatorship, inflicting violence and torture on various ethnic groups. Burma is one of the most diverse countries in the world. The largest ethnic groups, making up approximately 68% of the nation’s population, are the Burmans, also called Bamar. Other ethnic groups include the Chin, …
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Best Practices in Language Access and Cultural Competency
International Institute of Buffalo, Jewish Family Services — Jul 1, 2015
Checklist outlining an agency/company's best practices and cultural environment for language access and competency.
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Language Access
Aug 1, 2014
Failing to provide appropriate language assistance can put your practice at the risk of violating laws related to medical malpractice, informed consent, breach of the legal duty to warn, and breach of the patient’s privacy rights. In addition, federal civil rights laws require meaningful language access from all recipients of federal dollars. The level of access required depends on four factors: (1) The number or proportion of LEP persons eligible to be served or likely to be …
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Serving Limited English Proficient Clients
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc. — Jan 1, 2014
When serving walk-ins, the goal is to provide the same services, information and referrals as we would provide to the English-speaking public. This is true whether the walk-in ultimately turns out to be eligible for our services or not. When in doubt, ask yourself what services, information or referrals you would provide to an English speaking person in the same situation. Then make sure the Limited English Proficient person gets that same service, information or referrals.
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Refugees, Food Insecurity, and Community Gardens
Dorian Rolston — Aug 10, 2011
Nearly nine in ten resettled refugee households endure food insecurity, meaning that they are without “access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.” Because western New York resettles hundreds of refugees per year, many of them on Buffalo’s west side, we have a unique opportunity to combat refugee food insecurity.
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Limited English Proficiency Access in Buffalo and Erie County
Amanda Schieber — May 2, 2009
An individual with a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English may be termed limited English proficient, or LEP. In 2001, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that 33% of Spanish speakers and 22.4% of Asian speakers between the ages of 18 and 64 reported that they spoke English either “not well” or “not at all.” The percentages are based on the 2000 census, which reported 26 million individuals speaking Spanish as their primary language, and 7 …
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Immigrants and Refugees in Buffalo
Louise Calixte — Nov 20, 2008
Many of the refugees were living in refugee camps until migrating to Buffalo. In these camps, time was not regulated. In working for an employer, many immigrants find the time-orientation very challenging. A similar problem involves calling employers in situations where the worker is going to be late or will not be able to make it in that day. In many of the foreign countries that the immigrants come from, a worker needs only come in late or the next day and explain what had …