P11

These documents were very insightful in describing the plight of refugees. I personally find it extremely interesting that refugees must put in hundreds of hours during the ACC's pre-employment program before being eligible for a job. I had absolutely no idea that refugees must go through these programs before going out into the workforce. Again, these documents remind me of the amount of work and hardships refugees must go through while in America. If these documents have impacted me after I have spent weeks talking about refugees, I strongly believe that they would also positively impact future employers and volunteers.

Overall, I think that these documents do an amazing job advertising the positives of refugees (and, not surprisingly, I found no faults in both the Backgrounder and the Guide). As an employer, I would obviously be very impressed with the work the ACC does in preparing this group for the workforce. From the pre-employment training to the efforts the employment center puts forth in matching refugees for job openings, I trust employers would be very excited to hire these men and women. The very fact that the ACC highlights the tax breaks employers receive by hiring refugees puts the icing on the cake.

I also love that the Backgrounder highlights the problems refugees have while they are resettling in America. Though common sense would tell you that this would paint a negative picture of refugees, I think that it makes the Backgrounder more realistic. Moreover, it is the fact that the Backgrounder emphasizes the strategies refugees can use to overcome these problems that the reader gets a sense that these problems are only temporary. Hence, this communicates that employers should be more than willing to take a chance on employing a refugee.

However, I noticed that these readings were not targeted very well to volunteers. One suggestion I have is to add the fact that refugees come to America not only to evade persecution, but to also give their families a better education and life. This has been obvious to me since volunteering at the ACC and going to the Voice of Refugees event. To do this, I would incorporate personal stories into the Backgrounder and the Guide. By doing so, not only will volunteers be more excited to help out a group that they can personally relate to, but employers will also be more inclined to hire this group.

Finally, for our final project, I would definitely have a section where we can stress all of the tangible benefits employers receive by hiring refugees. In addition, I would talk about the strong characteristics refugees come to America with. This is critical to convince employers that refugees are great options for employment. Further, it is integral that we give examples of true refugee stories, thereby connecting with the employers personally. This is guaranteed to make employers  more inclined to hire refugees. Finally, we must mention that the reason refugees are here in America is not necessarily for their own personal growth, but to better the lives of relatives. This will tell employers that by hiring one person, they are affecting several lives.