The immigrant experience is a topic of great discussion and debate. There are several reasons newcomers leave their homelands, including education, poverty, unemployment, natural disasters, war, famine and civil unrest.

Individuals and families choose to immigrate to the United States in hope of a “better life” for not only themselves, but for their children and grandchildren as well.  

When trying to build a home away from home, like many other ethnic minorities, many new Arab and Muslim immigrants face barriers that hinder their ability to become self-sufficient and transition to life in the United States. Within our community, we face a serious barrier, which is isolation, and that prevents a very important aspect of “settling,” which is the importance of immigrants integrating and participating in American civic culture and life.

This doesn’t mean forgetting our roots and practicing our faith and/or culture, but rather it means  having a voice and telling our own stories in this new place we call home.

In southern California, there is an ample amount of culturally-competent social service organizations assisting marginalized and underserved communities such as Hispanics, Vietnamese, Korean, etc. We should respect these communities’ accomplishments in that they were able to come together to establish institutions such as community centers that have led them to not only have a strong voice, but to influence American political arena. As a result, the needs of these communities are well-documented in comparison to the Arab and Muslim communities. The lack of documented statistics about our communities has resulted in a lack of resources and services provided to the Muslim and Arab communities in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. 

Why is there a lack of attention given to our communities?  It could be perhaps that we, as a community, put most of our energy onto the issues that our loved ones face back home rather than focus on many issues our communities are facing in the United States, including the lack of access to resources and information.

Access California Services (AccessCal) took on the role to document the needs of the Muslim and Arab communities in southern California. This intensive needs assessment became a resource to help us determine more effective ways on serving individuals and families who are facing hardship more effectively. AccessCal was able to undertake this project through the funding of the Children & Families Commission of Orange County to conduct face-to-face interviews with more than 200 families and with the community’s civic and religious leadership. 

I would like to share the results of this study:

Health Access
Free or low cost clinics: 37%
Child health services: 46%
Adult health services: 39%
Health education: 23%
Nutrition services: 67%

Social Services
Social services: 41%
Welfare: 12%
Food stamps: 11%
Job Development
Job search assistance: 50%
Job counseling: 19%
Job placement: 37%
How to keep a job: 17%
Resumes: 33%

Counseling

Children: 57%
Family: 62%
Domestic violence: 20%
Parenting classes: 20%

Education
ESL: 68%
Vocational school: 23%

Housing
Shelter: 14%
Rental assistance: 48%

Daycare
School readiness: 33%
Low-cost: 39%
After school youth programs: 37%

Immigration
Information on new laws: 51%
Citizenship classes: 57%
Referrals and services: 33%

Disability
Services: 26%
Senior services program: 15%
Vocational training: 9%
Housing: 19%

Translation
Arabic: 54%
Urdu: 20%
Other: 26%

Miscellaneous
Food banks: 23%
Available gift items: 19%
Thrift stores: 12%
Furniture: 15%
Clothing: 14%

AccessCal is structuring its programs and services in a way to meet the identified needs listed above.  However, it will take a lot of time and support in order to successfully meet the challenges our communities face. 

Most individuals within our communities shy away from asking for help, and many do not trust government agencies due to their past experiences back home or in the United States. 

There’s also the prevailing belief that one’s struggles should remain within the private realm.  AccessCal’s board of directors, its staff, and volunteers are working very hard to overcome these barriers to help individuals and families within our communities receive the help they need in order to help make their lives one of comfort in the United States. 

This column will be dedicated to discussing the many challenges our fellow brothers and sisters face while settling in southern California, but, more importantly, I will share stories of success and triumph as they overcome the many barriers that exist today.  

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