Refugees are threatening, not just to Americans, but also in many countries the world over. And it's partially because, unlike immigrants, refugees do not choose where they're going to go or why they're fleeing, and they are unwanted populations. They bring with them the stigma of disaster.
Nguyen Viet ThangRefugees, especially in their early years, are still caught up in the experience that made them refugees. And they're much more melancholic. They're much more oriented towards the past and towards the country of origin. That can make the process of becoming a part of the new country much more fraught for them.
Nguyen Viet ThangEvery new refugee to a society, whether it's the United States or some other place, is subjected to fear. They are the new outsider population, the new other.
Nguyen Viet Thang