Transcript Slide 1

AMERICAN BAPTIST HOME
MISSION SOCIETIES
Highlights
of our Refugee Resettlement
History
1919-1947
The Beginning
The “foreign born” arriving in the U.S.
were aided in their transition to life in a
new country by the Woman’s American
Baptist Home Mission Society’s
Department of Christian
Americanization.
1946
An Ecumenical Movement
The Northern Baptist Convention (predecessor of
American Baptist Churches USA) joins other
denominations in establishing the Church World
Service (CWS) Immigration and Refugee Program as a
means to respond ecumenically to the needs of millions
of displaced persons in Europe following
World War II.
1948
Congresses passes the Displaced Persons
Act, the first important refugee legislation
in U.S. history, providing the framework
for resettling a number of displaced
persons in the United States.
The first family resettled in 1948 was from
Latvia.
1948-1952
4,000 displaced persons (mainly from
Baltic countries) are resettled under the
auspices of Northern Baptists.
1956-1958
Hungarian Refugees
• 1956–Hungarian “freedom fighters”
attempt to oust the pro-Soviet
government. The effort is crushed by
Soviet troops and tanks, causing 187,000
Hungarians to flee to Austria.
• 1959–1958 American Baptists resettle
469 Hungarians in addition to hundreds
of refugees from other countries.
1958 – 1973
Castro and Cuban Refugees
• 1958–Castro comes into power in Cuba.
• By 1960–Cubans flee to the United States
at a rate of 1,000 per week.
• 1965–1973 American Baptists are
responsible for resettling 13,323
Cuban refugees.
1975
American Baptists at the Forefront
• Collapse of South Vietnamese government brings
135,000 refugees into the United States. Atrocities under
the Pathet Lao in Laos and the Khmer Rouge in
Cambodia create additional refugees
• American Baptist Churches USA becomes the first
denomination cooperating with CWS Immigration and
Refugee Program to resettle an Indochinese family and
takes responsibility for finding sponsors (including 340
churches) for 2,390 Indochinese refugees during this one
year alone.
1976
• Resettlement of 1,892 refugees, the
largest group being Iraqui Assyrians.
• The first Kurdish family from Iraq is
resettled.
1982
ABCUSA Adopts Refugee Policy
The American Baptist Churches USA
General Board adopts Immigration and
Refugee Policy Statement declaring its
commitment to wholistic ministry to
migrants, refugees and overstayed and
undocumented persons—advocating
their human rights and resettling
refugees and immigrants.
1983
American Baptist churches resettle the
first Amerasian children fathered by
U. S. servicemen. Accompanied by
their mothers and siblings, 17 children
are welcomed by American Baptists.
1984
ABCUSA – Church Sanctuary
The General Board of American Baptist
Churches USA adopts a resolution on
Church Sanctuary for Central
American Refugees, which affirms its
“full support for the persons and
churches participating in the
movement to provide Christian
sustenance and care to refugees from
Central America.”
1988
Refugees from the Soviet Union
Soviet Union President Mikhail
Gorbachev eases restrictions on
immigration. Refugees from the
Soviet Union sponsored by the
denomination increase significantly.
1991
Historical Perspective of Haitian Refugees
• First democratically elected president
of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide,
ousted by Haiti’s military.
• Some 8,000 Haitians flee to the
United States in small boats. Most are
interdicted by the U.S. Coast Guard
and held in camps at the U.S. Naval
Base at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
1997
1,592 refugees from 25 countries are
sponsored through American
Baptist Churches USA. The
denomination once again leads all
denominations working with
Church World Service with refugee
arrivals totaling 1,332.
1999 - 2005
A total of 8,867 refugees are resettled
during this period including 2,762
Cubans, 198 Somalians and 111
Iranians.
2006 - 2008
• Due to the militant junta in Myanmar (former
Burma), tens of thousands of ethnic groups are
forced to flee their homeland. Many become
refugees in Thailand, Malaysia and India.
• A total of 807 Karen and 287 Chin refugees
from Burma are resettled via American Baptist
Home Mission Societies partnership with CWS.
Thousands more are resettled by government
and nonprofit agencies.
• Refugees from Bhutan, Cuba, Iran and Iraq
continue to arrive.
1948 - 2009
From 1948 – 2009, American
Baptist Churches USA, in
conjunction with CWS, is
credited with settling more than
100,000 refugees from 53
countries.
You Can Help
•Sponsor a family
•Pray for all refugees
•Contribute to America for Christ Offering and
One Great Hour of Sharing to support the
Immigration and Refugee
Resettlement
Program of American Baptist Home Mission
Societies.
Contact Information
Rev. Aundreia Alexander, Esq.
National Coordinator for Refugee Resettlement
And Immigration Services
[email protected]
800-22-3872, x2430
Ms. Diane Giova, Assistant
Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services
[email protected]
800-222-3872, x2450