School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 8 – Week 25
The refugee questions
Perhaps it is appropriate that on this day in the United States which is celebrated as a day to honor love – Valentine’s Day – we talk about the economic impact of refugees and immigrants and whether it could be made easier for those coming from other countries to practice their profession here.
I hear the students arriving.
Me: Good morning class. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: Yes I have cookies for Valentine’s day. Tom and Will please pass them out.
They pass them out.
Me: The refugee issue is a very complicated one which elicits many passionate opinions. I am eager to hear what you and your families think. First do refugees add to or drain our economy?
Abdul: When we first came to this country it was because my parents had been recruited for work. For both of them the employers helped them obtain a green card. Right away they were making money, paying taxes and spending money. That was good for the economy. Now we are applying for citizenship.
Tom: We have neighbors who are fleeing Syria because of the war. They needed help when they first arrived but they want to work. She is a doctor and he is a lawyer but it is not easy for them to be allowed to practice in this country.
Me: That touches on the other issues we were going to discuss today.
Tom: I get very confused. My friend had to get emergency surgery when she was in another country and she thought she got good service. She is doing well, but if that doctor comes to this country they cannot get a license without a lot more training and another test.
Me: I do not understand either. They may be some laws which are different but everyone could take a short course on those. In the United States, each state has its own licensing boards for professionals. Even United States citizens licensed by one state may have a difficult time getting licensed in another state.
Paul: That sounds like a person who is an immigrant but not a refugee Uncle Jim.
Me: Great point Paul. All people who are citizens of another country who come here to live are immigrants but not all immigrants are refugees.
Susie: Who qualifies as a refugee Mr. Jim?
Me: Merriam-Webster states that a refugee is any person who is fleeing another country before danger or fear of danger of persecution whereas an immigrant is someone who comes from one country to take up permanent residence in another country for a variety of reasons.
Susie: All of our families were immigrants then Mr. Jim.
Me: Yes. Some came looking for a better life. Some to join family members. Some because their life was in danger in their birth country. Some were forced to come as slaves. Even today many arrive by force to be used in the sex traffic. Some of those being forced to live as prostitutes are as young or younger than you.
Amena: Some just come to work or go to school, don’t they?
Me: Yes, Amena. A great many people have come here to study just as many United States citizens go to other countries to study or to temporarily work.
Will: Our church sponsors missionaries who sometimes work in another country for a long time.
Me: So, it seems clear that all refugees are immigrants but not all immigrants are refugees.
Paul: That has been confusing lately Uncle Jim because of what the President says are concerns about terrorists and illegals. Sometimes it sounds as if everyone who wants to come here is bad because they are a terrorist or they are taking jobs from people who are already here.
Me: Yes, I get confused too Paul. Let’s get back to the question of refugees and whether they are a drain on the economy.
Ann: Our family were reading about the laws and rules on the web site ameriocanimmigrationcouncil.org and found that refugees are given a loan for travel costs which they have to repay and private voluntary agencies provide food, clothing and other needs for the first 90 days. It used to be that each person or family had to have a sponsor but that is not true now.
Me: Yes, after World War II people I know came as refugees and sponsors took care of them for at least a year I think.
Ann: We also talked about the process of vetting refugees which includes a lot of research. That sounds expensive.
Me: It sounds as if there may be a lot of direct and indirect costs involved in taking refugees and it may be some time before they start paying their own bills and public bills for roads and other shared services.
Tom: Is there an expense morally if we do not take refugees Mr.Jim?
Me: What do you mean Tom?
Tom: If my family members were in danger I would want someone to help them.
Ann: Our family also talked about what happens when we do not help. Are some people more likely to join terrorist groups who promise protection, food and other things? What if we then decide he have to fight that group. Isn’t that expensive morally and financially Mr. Jim? We read that the United States spends a lot of money on defense.
Me: Wow! You all have once again done a really good job and are raising some important questions. It sounds as if we are saying that short term we may spend a lot of money to take refugees but long term we may gain financially/ Many refugees or even most, eventually work and pay taxes. If they feel good about their experience in the United States, they will stay here and not support terrorist organizations.
Will: Some who are citizens of the United States do become terrorists or for other reasons become violent.
Me: That is true Will. We are almost out of time. What about the question of whether we could make it easier to practice their professions in the United States?
Susie: We could not find a lot of information on studies of this issue.
Amena: We could not either Mr. Jim.
Me: What are some of the questions that you would like to see researchers ask Amena and Susie?
Amena: Wouldn’t we want to know if people professionally trained and licensed in other countries performed better or worse?
Susie: Each profession would have to decide how to evaluate performance wouldn’t they Mr. Jim?
Tom: Have there been studies in different states to see if their licensing rules have better performance results?
Me: I do not know Tom. I briefly tried to research that question but I may not have done a good job formulating the questions.
Obviously, we have just barely identified some of the basic questions regarding the long and short term, economic, moral and political costs of taking in refugees and the long and short term economic, moral and political costs of not taking in refugees.
You all did a terrific job. Susie and Tom please pass out the last of the cookies. Next week we will talk about new approaches to reducing drug addiction.
Thanks, everyone. Have a good week.
Class: Goodbye Mr. Jim
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Written February 14, 2017
The refugee questions
Perhaps it is appropriate that on this day in the United States which is celebrated as a day to honor love – Valentine’s Day – we talk about the economic impact of refugees and immigrants and whether it could be made easier for those coming from other countries to practice their profession here.
I hear the students arriving.
Me: Good morning class. Happy Valentine’s Day.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: Yes I have cookies for Valentine’s day. Tom and Will please pass them out.
They pass them out.
Me: The refugee issue is a very complicated one which elicits many passionate opinions. I am eager to hear what you and your families think. First do refugees add to or drain our economy?
Abdul: When we first came to this country it was because my parents had been recruited for work. For both of them the employers helped them obtain a green card. Right away they were making money, paying taxes and spending money. That was good for the economy. Now we are applying for citizenship.
Tom: We have neighbors who are fleeing Syria because of the war. They needed help when they first arrived but they want to work. She is a doctor and he is a lawyer but it is not easy for them to be allowed to practice in this country.
Me: That touches on the other issues we were going to discuss today.
Tom: I get very confused. My friend had to get emergency surgery when she was in another country and she thought she got good service. She is doing well, but if that doctor comes to this country they cannot get a license without a lot more training and another test.
Me: I do not understand either. They may be some laws which are different but everyone could take a short course on those. In the United States, each state has its own licensing boards for professionals. Even United States citizens licensed by one state may have a difficult time getting licensed in another state.
Paul: That sounds like a person who is an immigrant but not a refugee Uncle Jim.
Me: Great point Paul. All people who are citizens of another country who come here to live are immigrants but not all immigrants are refugees.
Susie: Who qualifies as a refugee Mr. Jim?
Me: Merriam-Webster states that a refugee is any person who is fleeing another country before danger or fear of danger of persecution whereas an immigrant is someone who comes from one country to take up permanent residence in another country for a variety of reasons.
Susie: All of our families were immigrants then Mr. Jim.
Me: Yes. Some came looking for a better life. Some to join family members. Some because their life was in danger in their birth country. Some were forced to come as slaves. Even today many arrive by force to be used in the sex traffic. Some of those being forced to live as prostitutes are as young or younger than you.
Amena: Some just come to work or go to school, don’t they?
Me: Yes, Amena. A great many people have come here to study just as many United States citizens go to other countries to study or to temporarily work.
Will: Our church sponsors missionaries who sometimes work in another country for a long time.
Me: So, it seems clear that all refugees are immigrants but not all immigrants are refugees.
Paul: That has been confusing lately Uncle Jim because of what the President says are concerns about terrorists and illegals. Sometimes it sounds as if everyone who wants to come here is bad because they are a terrorist or they are taking jobs from people who are already here.
Me: Yes, I get confused too Paul. Let’s get back to the question of refugees and whether they are a drain on the economy.
Ann: Our family were reading about the laws and rules on the web site ameriocanimmigrationcouncil.org and found that refugees are given a loan for travel costs which they have to repay and private voluntary agencies provide food, clothing and other needs for the first 90 days. It used to be that each person or family had to have a sponsor but that is not true now.
Me: Yes, after World War II people I know came as refugees and sponsors took care of them for at least a year I think.
Ann: We also talked about the process of vetting refugees which includes a lot of research. That sounds expensive.
Me: It sounds as if there may be a lot of direct and indirect costs involved in taking refugees and it may be some time before they start paying their own bills and public bills for roads and other shared services.
Tom: Is there an expense morally if we do not take refugees Mr.Jim?
Me: What do you mean Tom?
Tom: If my family members were in danger I would want someone to help them.
Ann: Our family also talked about what happens when we do not help. Are some people more likely to join terrorist groups who promise protection, food and other things? What if we then decide he have to fight that group. Isn’t that expensive morally and financially Mr. Jim? We read that the United States spends a lot of money on defense.
Me: Wow! You all have once again done a really good job and are raising some important questions. It sounds as if we are saying that short term we may spend a lot of money to take refugees but long term we may gain financially/ Many refugees or even most, eventually work and pay taxes. If they feel good about their experience in the United States, they will stay here and not support terrorist organizations.
Will: Some who are citizens of the United States do become terrorists or for other reasons become violent.
Me: That is true Will. We are almost out of time. What about the question of whether we could make it easier to practice their professions in the United States?
Susie: We could not find a lot of information on studies of this issue.
Amena: We could not either Mr. Jim.
Me: What are some of the questions that you would like to see researchers ask Amena and Susie?
Amena: Wouldn’t we want to know if people professionally trained and licensed in other countries performed better or worse?
Susie: Each profession would have to decide how to evaluate performance wouldn’t they Mr. Jim?
Tom: Have there been studies in different states to see if their licensing rules have better performance results?
Me: I do not know Tom. I briefly tried to research that question but I may not have done a good job formulating the questions.
Obviously, we have just barely identified some of the basic questions regarding the long and short term, economic, moral and political costs of taking in refugees and the long and short term economic, moral and political costs of not taking in refugees.
You all did a terrific job. Susie and Tom please pass out the last of the cookies. Next week we will talk about new approaches to reducing drug addiction.
Thanks, everyone. Have a good week.
Class: Goodbye Mr. Jim
Ring! Ring! Ring!
Written February 14, 2017
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