Glossary

Acculturation:

Acculturation is the process by which refugee children and families try to navigate between their new culture and their culture of origin. Some of the challenges refugee children may face are conflicts between children and parents over new and old cultural values, conflicts with peers related to cultural misunderstandings, the necessity to translate for family members who are not fluent in English, problems trying to fit in at school, and/or the struggle to form an integrated identity including elements of their new culture and their culture of origin.

Asylum Seeker:

According to the UN an “asylum seeker is a person who has left their country of origin, has applied for recognition as a refugee in another country, and is awaiting a decision on their application.”

Cultural Brokers:

Cultural brokers are individuals who are fluent in the language and cultural practices of both the refugee and the medical/service provider community. This individuals are more than just interpreters as they translate the language and the cultural norms and practices between the refugee families and the service providers. For more information about cultural brokers visit the National Center for Cultural Competence.

Economic Migrant:

According to the UN “Migrants make a conscious choice to leave their country of origin and can return there without a problem. If things do not work out as they had hoped or if they get homesick, it is safe for them to return home.”

Emergency Mental Health Agencies:

Agencies that help providers to provide care and assessment for children and adolescents who are an immediate threat to themselves or others.

Employment and Training Agencies:

Agencies that focus on all aspects of helping refugees find jobs in the US. This may include job training, English language classes, help locating jobs and help in the application process.

ESL:

Refers to “English as a Second Language” classes provided for refugee children and adults.

Illegal Immigrant:

According to the UN “illegal immigrants are people who enter a country without meeting legal requirements for entry, or residence. On the other hand, refugees often arrive with ‘barest necessities’ and without personal documents. Often governments refuse to issue passports to known political dissidents or imprison them if they apply. Refugees may not be able to obtain the necessary documents when trying to escape and may have no choice but to resort to illegal means of escape. Therefore although the only means of escape for some may be illegal entry and/or the use of false documentation, if the person has a well-founded fear of persecution they should be viewed as a refugee and not labeled an 'illegal immigrant'. The Refugee Convention says that states should not impose penalties on individuals coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom is threatened on account of their illegal entry. (Article 31) Furthermore, under Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum.”

Isolation:

In this toolkit isolation refers to the experience of refugee children and families as cultural and sometimes racial minorities in a new country. This process may cause difficulties for the refugee child and family such as feelings of loneliness and the loss of a social support network, discrimination, experiences of harassment from peers, adults, or law enforcement, experiences with others who do not trust the refugee child and family, experiences of being treated as unintelligent because they do not speak English, feelings of not “fitting in” with others, and/or a loss of social status.

Legal Services Agencies:

Agencies that help refugees with their immigration documents and other legal questions and problems.

Mental Health Treatment Centers:

Centers that focus on treating refugees suffering from problems linked to their experiences of trauma.

Mutual Assistance Associations:

Organizations that form within refugee groups in the US in order to address social needs that are not met elsewhere. In Boston 11 of these have joined together to form the MAA coalition in order to better address the needs of the various populations they serve.

Online resources:

Websites that provide information about local area social services resources and/or refugee specific information.

Refugee:

According to the UN the official definition of a refugee is a person who "owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country…"(Article 1, The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees)

Resettlement:

Resettlement is the process by which refugee children and families establish a new life for themselves here in the United States. Some of the challenges that refugee families may encounter in this process include financial stressors, difficulties finding adequate housing, difficulties finding employment, loss of community support, lack of access to resources, and/or transportation difficulties. The role of resettlement agencies is to help refugees navigate these challenges when they first arrive in the US.

Resettlement Agencies:

(Also called Voluntary Agencies or VOLAGs) National agencies and their local partners that help to resettle refugees throughout the US in accordance with government standards and laws. These agencies are required by law to help refugees for at least 90 days after their arrival. After that the services will vary according to the needs of the refugee and the regulations of the various agencies.

State Agencies:

State run agencies that provide specific services for refugees. At this time we only have information for Massachusetts but in the future we will add resources for many states.

Social Services Agencies:

Agencies that focus on the social service (health care, legal advice, help with communication, education, etc.) needs of refugees.

Trauma:

Trauma is an intense event that threatens or causes harm to an individual’s emotional and physical well-being. Refugees can experience traumatic stress related to: war and persecution, displacement from their home, flight and migration, poverty, and/or family and community Violence. Please visit the NCTSN for more information about trauma.

Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC):

(Referred to as unaccompanied children in the toolkit) According to the US Department of Justice UACs “are children, under the age of 18, who have no lawful immigration status in the United States and have no parent or legal guardian in the United States to care for them. There are many reasons why unaccompanied alien children are found in the United States: they may be orphans; their relatives may have sent them here to work; they may be fleeing poverty or war; they may be running away from abuse; or they may be victims of trafficking.” Please see this fact sheet for more information about UACs in the United States.