Finding refuge in Phoenix
Burmese family gets settled thanks to Catholic Charities

By Rebecca Bostic, The Catholic Sun
May 17, 2007

Ten years ago, the military killed several people when they burned down Tha Hgay’s village in Burma.

He, his wife and 10 children fled to Thamhin, a camp in Thailand that was home to more than 9,000 refugees. But their life hardly improved.

He lived with eight family members in an 18-by-15 barrack. Finally, after 10 years in the camp, Hgay was cleared to come to the United States as a refugee, thanks to the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement program in Phoenix.

“We were glad [to come to the United States] because every condition in the camp is bad for us,” Hgay said.

“We cannot go back to our country, to our place, so the only thing is to escape from the camp and to arrive here,” he said.

Joanne Morales, director of the local Catholic Charities refugee program, explained that refugees are a subgroup of immigrants.

“An immigrant is someone who chooses to come to this country — albeit could be under very difficult situations,” she said.

“A refugee is someone who is compelled to seek asylum in another country — someone who is forced out of their country of origin due to an extreme, viable fear of persecution,” Morales explained.

When a refugee flees to a neighboring country, they must follow a stringent process to be accepted into another country.

Usually refugees will go to a camp sponsored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Once there, officials determine whether or not the person qualifies for refugee status, according to Morales.

A helping hand

After U.S. officials accept refugees, they direct them to one of 10 organizations in the country for placement. One of those organizations is Catholic Charities.

The refugee program in Phoenix usually has a week to prepare for a family’s arrival.

Morales’ department provides the family an apartment with basic furniture and necessities with the $425 per person provided by the state.

A major goal of the program is “really teaching them how to be independent because that’s really any family’s goal — to take care of themselves,” Morales said.

One of the greatest challenges the refugees face is the language barrier.

“Some of them don’t speak any English at all,” said Petula Fernandes, who coordinates grants for the resettlement program.

“They’re entering a new country and they can’t communicate with the people around them,” she said. “One of the first steps is to enroll refugees in English Language Learner classes.”

Life changed for Hgay and his family when they entered the country. Out of his 10 children, all but three are now refugees in the United States.

Catholic Charities made the transition easier, he said, by “looking after us and helping us find a place to live.” They also provided clothing and food.

Dinner to raise funds

Catholic Charities is holding its ninth annual Refugee Appreciation Dinner June 16 to raise funds to support the Refugee Matching Grant Fund. The federal government will match the funds the dinner raises.

That money will assist refugees until they find jobs and can support themselves.

“Most of the refugees do want to start working right away,” Fernandes said. “It’s just a really good program to help support them until we can find a job for them where they can start saving money and paying their rent, paying for the necessities of life.”

The dinner will feature entertainment from refugees and tickets range from $30 to $40 at Great Wall Restaurant.

Hgay is happy to be here but is still waiting for family members to come.

“I need all of my children to be right here, but now I have three left in Thailand so I need them to come here also,” Hgay said.

“If our family lives in the same place, we can look after each other,” he said. “We can help each other.”

For more information on the dinner, call (602) 997-6105, ext. 3323. For more information on the Refugee Resettlement Program or to offer donations, visit www.catholiccharitiesaz.org/refugee.aspx.