Twin Falls, Idaho is a small agricultural town of around 50,000 inhabitants located in south-central Idaho. It has been home to a large number of different ethnic groups over the past twenty-six years, many of whom have stayed and contributed to the flavor of the Twin Falls community. The Idaho Refugee Office is dedicated to helping refugees who have fled their home countries due to persecution of their religious beliefs, political opinions, or ethnic heritage. The Twin Falls Refugee Center, which is affiliated with the College of Southern Idaho, has been helping resettle thousands of refugees since 1980.
Currently, 200 people are expected to come from countries such as Eritrea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan. This is far more than the 60 or so refugees that Twin Falls resettled in each of the past four years. As a result, the program has practically recovered its maximum capacity to accommodate 300 people a year. The goal of the Refugee Center is to help ease the transition for refugees who are resettling in Idaho and help them become financially self-sufficient within eight months.
Claude and his family were accepted to Twin Falls and soon realized that their fears were unfounded. In fact, they started donating to the Twin Falls Refugee Center. This photo report is a portrait of an American agricultural town from the perspective of the daily lives of African refugees who live and work in the dairy industry around Twin Falls. Despite the changing political climate in the United States, Claude has started to feel at home in Twin Falls.
The Idaho Dairy Association reports that between 85 and 90 percent of dairy workers are foreign-born and since 1993, farmers have flocked to the University of Southern Idaho Refugee Center in search of labor. A small town like Twin Falls offers surprising advantages for refugees as it makes it easier to get to know your neighbors quickly, while the many dairies and food manufacturers surrounding Twin Falls offer ample employment opportunities. In response to rising xenophobia in many parts of the United States, the Twin Falls Refugee Center has started an outreach campaign to inform people about what the Resettlement Program actually does. The Idaho refugee community and local nonprofit organizations will celebrate World Refugee Day this weekend in Boise and Twin Falls with food, music and cultural performances.
The Twin Falls Refugee Center is now stronger than ever with more private donations and potential volunteers than it can handle. It is a testament to how far refugees have come in their journey towards integration into American society. The refugee experience in Twin Falls has been one of resilience and hope. Despite facing numerous challenges along their journey, refugees have found a home in this small agricultural town.
Through hard work and dedication, they have been able to build a better life for themselves and their families. The success stories from Twin Falls serve as an example for other refugee communities around the world. The Refugee Center's outreach campaign has been successful in raising awareness about what resettlement programs actually do. It has also helped foster a sense of acceptance among local residents towards refugees.
This acceptance has allowed refugees to feel more at home in their new community and has helped them integrate into American society. With hard work and dedication, refugees can find a home in any community they choose. This acceptance has allowed refugees to feel more at home in their new community and has helped them integrate into American society.
