English Skills Learning Center

We hope that you were able to attend one of the many events for Utah Refugee Month last month! The ESLC hosted an event for Utah Refugee Month featuring a documentary called "Rain in a Dry Land" about two Somali refugee families who were resettled in the United States. After watching the documentary, the viewers broke into groups and discussed what they learned from the film. Here is some feedback from our staff and a volunteer about the conversations that they participated in:

"The diverse experiences of the people in my group brought a wealth of valuable perspective to our discussion. What really resonated with me was the conclusion we reached that education, while crucial to the incoming refugees, is equally as necessary for the receiving population. As community members who are aware of the struggles refugees face, we have a responsibility to educate our friends, neighbors and coworkers about these issues. Refugee integration is a common goal we must all work towards to improve our Salt Lake community." - Sarah 

"In our discussion the term "immigrant" came up and in short, the group decided that this word is misleading.  However, what vocabulary word is the best to use when it comes to labeling refugees, immigrants and other newcomers? How are these individuals and their stories truly different?  How does the government decided who should get support and who shouldn't get support?" - Beth 

"I'm glad I got to catch the documentary last night! It was remarkable to get such an in depth look into the lives of those refugee families, and then think of my Somali friends that I have worked with in the past. The film highlighted the biggest reason I am excited about helping with ESLC- to help these people get over the language barrier so that they can transition into meaningful and productive lives." - Jeff 

"In our group we discussed the importance of understanding that each refugee has their own story and different needs.  Many of the refugees coming to the United States have experienced horrible events that they are still trying to work through and understand.  We talked about being able to accept each refugee for who they are.  We felt that it was important to set realistic goals to help them progress and to be supportive and proud of their accomplishments no matter how "big" they may seem to us." - Megan

"Everyone in my group was so impressed by the film. They really thought we take so many things for granted, while people from other countries really strugle to even do the smallest everyday activities. Some of the topics we thought are basic for immigrants and refugees are the importance of teaching parents and children about the American school system, how to evaluate housing needs (renting a large house vs. a small apartment), as well how to get job training. Everyone in my group was very interested in knowing how much and for how long refugees receive assistance from the government. We believe we can help in a significant way by being informed and by finding a way to teach more basic skills to the newcomers." - Liz 

If you're interested in learning more about the documentary shown this year by the ESL Center, visit this website: http://www.pbs.org/pov/raininadryland/