The Refugees

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Research Paper: Refugee/Diasporic Communities in the US”

In this activity, students will research one diasporic community in the US and write a paper discussing both the causes of migration as well as life in the US for this group.

Nguyen’s collection of stories highlights the challenges facing the Vietnamese refugee community in the US through a variety of different perspectives. For this Activity, you will research another refugee/diasporic community living in the US and write a paper regarding the causes of both their journey and experiences living in the US. Use the following questions to guide both your research and your drafting process:

• Which country/region does this community come from?
• When did this community begin to come to the US? What was the reason for their mass exodus?
• Which part of the US did this group settle in? Why (if applicable)?
• What have been some challenges for this community living in the US?
• Have there been any laws and/or programs to support integration and adaptation for this community? If so, what? Are they effective? Why or why not?

Share your findings with the class, and reflect on the similarities and differences shared by your classmates regarding the different challenges that these communities experience.