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LUTHERAN SOCIAL SERVICES OF SOUTH DAKOTA


What is a refugee? Refugees have fled their countries of origin to escape persecution—usually religious, political or racial.


To learn more, visit: • Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota’s Center for New Americans (www.lssd. org/family_services/refugee).


• Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service (www.lirs.org).


Recent arrivals (photos at far left and above) get English as a second language and citizenship classes thanks to Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota.


Dahal’s parents and younger siblings came to Sioux


Falls one year before he did. Tey wrote to him about the help they received from LSS caseworkers. Employment was Dahal’s biggest worry when he


arrived in Sioux Falls, he said. Although his English language skills were strong, he didn’t have much work history. LSS “did a great job in connecting me with resources


to help me,” he said. “Tey offered job-training classes to help teach me about different types of work here in Sioux Falls. When I wanted to switch jobs, the case- workers and job developers were great in showing me different job opportunities and helping me apply.” For the first few years, Dahal worked in a factory and


then in environmental services at a hospital. Now he is a case manager for the Center for New Americans. He and Bishnu have two daughters. Tis past January they opened a Bhutanese clothing business.


Celebrating hard-earned skills Learning a language may be the most important task for new Americans. Everything hinges on one’s ability to communicate. “From my experiences abroad, I know that acquir-


ing a new language and adapting to a new country is a daunting task,” said Laura Hill-Smith, an ESL teacher at the center. “Teaching is something I can do to support them as they strive to reach their goals.” Most of Hill-Smith’s students never went to school


before coming to the U.S. Take Pray Meh (name changed for security) from Burma, for instance. In the beginning she lacked the confidence to say even a few words during class. Yet recently, “when I asked for a volunteer to come to the whiteboard to spell one of our new words— people—from memory, Pray Meh ... came to the board and wrote her word perfectly,” Hill- Smith said.


Whenever “a student shows self-confidence and


the skill to independently apply their hard-earned English skills, that success is the highlight of my day,” Hill-Smith said.


Newcomers’ contributions LSS’ work in resettling refugees has changed Sioux Falls, a city of nearly 165,000 people and 137 languages. “Te new Americans … contribute a lot to the communities they are resettled in, and Sioux Falls is no different,” Worth said. Dahal agrees: “I think [a diverse population] does


make for a better America .... It can build cities up. Hav- ing different cultures and ethnicities helps accent the cultural backgrounds of everyone.” In South Dakota, Worth said, newcomers “contribute


to the community by entering the job force within eight months of arrival. Tey also pay taxes [and] rent [and] buy food, cars and other items from local vendors. Tey bring their life experiences [from] the other side of world and share their language, culture and foods with their neighbors, co-workers and worshiping communities.” For Tim Jurgens, LSS program director and state


refugee coordinator, there’s no better feel- ing than seeing “an individual becoming empowered and real- izing that anything is possible in America with hard work and dedication.” 


Author bio: Dollard is a free- lance writer living in Chicago.


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