Sunday, May 12, 2013

Jaser, Aileen, and Taylor's Congolese Backgrounder


CONGOLESE BACKGROUNDER – LEAKE CLASS VERSION (P12)

Aileen: Ethnic Struggle (Congo Background)
The Congo wars are known to be one of the bloodiest wars, but also the least understood. This misunderstanding of the war can be related to the confusion of how the war started, and who is involved. Closely intertwined with the Rwandan genocide, the origin of the Congo wars can be traced to the 1996 Rwandan invasion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which replaced the dictator Mobuto Sese Seko by Rwandan leader, Laurent-Desire Kabila. Only 2 years later, Rwanda made the decision to overthrow the leader, but this time the conflict lasted for 4 years where millions of Congolese perished. Although a cease-fire was signed in 2002, war continued in the Congo. The Congolese wars can be clearly traced to Rwandan involvement.
           The wars in 1996 and 1998 were accepted by most Congolese people as a civil war against their dictators; However, the United Nations emphasized the foreign involvement, questioning the civil war label. These wars can also be seen as a continuation of the Tutsi-Hutu conflict in Rwanda, only occurring in Congo. To others, it is also called a resource war. To others, the conflict was a result of self-defense from Rwanda and Uganda, their neighbors. Conflicting ideas as to what started the Congo wars greatly contributed to peoples’ lack of understanding of it, and also peoples’ lack of care from their lack of understanding.
           No matter the cause of these conflicts were, the death toll is immense. The International Rescue Committee presented a report in 2000 stating that 1.7 million people died in the previous 2 years due to the war in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2002, “…the IRC estimated that at least 3.3 million Congolese died between August 1998, when the war began and November 2002.” Yet another study in 2004 said that the total deaths amounted to 3.8 million people.  

Taylor: Personal Cultural Development

When beginning work with refugees, it is imperative to remember that they are coming from unique cultural backgrounds, and that their culture deeply affects who they are and how they will acclimate into the American lifestyle. One cultural obstacle refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo will strive to overcome is their traditional family values and roles. Typically in Congo, the family is primarily composed of the “extended family including uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, nieces, and even those not related by blood” (Ranard 5). This can pose problems throughout the process of resettlement because of confusion surrounding who is actually related. The family network is extremely strong and important in Congolese culture. Oftentimes, it is the men who primarily provide for the family, while the women tend to the housework and meeting the basic needs of the family. Although, in recent years, the roles of many women within the family has moved to working and even playing the role of primary breadwinners (Ranard 5).
           Language barriers pose the potential to inhibit the ability to do certain jobs or interact effectively with various people. Those working with refugees should be aware that many refugees from DRC know as many as five different languages. Many refugees will know the language Kinyarwanda or Kinyamulenge, depending on his or her native tribe. Furthermore, many refugees consider Kiswahili to be a second native language. French is the language used within schooling, and many have been exposed to English to some degree (Ranard 4). Ranard explains further that most refugees will begin English language classes before or after their exodus to the United States, and with their broad language backgrounds, refugees tend to be extremely successful within these courses (4).
           According to research conducted within the “Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo” article published by the Cultural Orientation Resource Center, “the Congolese refugee caseload is 95% Christian” (Ranard 5). Religion is largely considered to be a source of refuge and “a solution to personal problems” in the eyes of DRC refugees (Ranard 5). It should be noted that occasionally, especially within times of illness, traditional Congolese beliefs are incorporated with Christian beliefs to form a sort of hybrid belief system. Religion plays a major role within the daily life of Congolese refugees.

Jaser: Occupational Background
Congolese refugees are a part of a greater social and political agenda in the United States. While many of these souls have been pushed to the margins of society, their educational and  experiential background contributes to their marketability and applicable skills in the U.S.  The U.S. Government has continually struggled with “refugee problem” in the economy, questioning the role of the refugee in the ebb and flow of commerce. With that being said, there has been overwhelming support of refugees and their complete integration into the American education system, and ultimately, the U.S. workforce: “In rubbing shoulders intellectually and physically, so to speak, with Americans [Congolese refugees] have a better appreciation of American ideals, they have a better appreciation of the American character, they have a better respect and regard for what American education and American citizenship really amounts to” (Committee on the Judiciary House of Representatives). In this overtly patriotic quotation, the House of Representatives and Senate recognize refugees as a class which can productively and concretely contribute to the American workforce.
While there are many diverse qualities and skills which the refugees offer when coming to foreign countries, English proficiency remain an eminent portion to the full acculturation of an individual. The massive influx of Congolese refugees in Great Britain in the 1990s saw a high attrition rate in terms of language proficiency: “On arrival....53 per cent  of Congolese [spoke no English]” (Bloch 103). And of those who actually did speak English, only “2 per cent of Congolese spoke fluently” (103). Thus, Congolese refugees may face many struggles while assimilating to the brute workforce of America; however, their personal and technical personages can adapt to surroundings and learn language in the process.
This notion is then solidified by the Congolese personal traits which are conducive to positive work environments. As Alice Bloch elaborates, “Refugees bring with them diverse sets of skills and experiences though...as they tended to be among the more educated and literate in their countries of origin” (120).  For the Congolese refugees who are 18 and older in the United States, most all have had some formal education, “with about one-third reporting some primary schooling and little more than half reporting intermediate, secondary, or technical school education” (“Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo”). On arrival in Great Britain in the 1990s, Congolese refugees were the most highly educated in comparison to all other refugees coming from Africa (Bloch 111). In consideration to correlation between qualifications and education, refugees are, on the whole, very well qualified from their country of origin (111).  Moreover, “labor market participation [for refugees] is a strong indicator of acculturation...it is second to the acquisition of the language of the host society” (Bloch 120). Naturally, because refugees are forced to leave from their homeland, their ability to work hard and work independently has been refined and embedded into their day-to-day routine. When an individual has experienced some sort of traumatic suffering, their ability to perform the “day-to-day” becomes simplified and normalized. Tasks which make the everyday laborer cringe are mere grains of sand from a beach of arduousness and ubiquitous challenges.

Works Cited
Bloch, Alice. The Migration and Settlement of Refugees in Britain. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002. Print.
Committee on the Judiciary House of Representatives. Subcommittee No. 1; Committee on the Judiciary. House. Migration and Refugee Assistance. Washington, DC.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1961. Web. <http://0-congressional.proquest.com.bianca.penlib.du.edu/congressional/docview/t29.d30.hrg-1961-hjh-0011?accountid=14608>.
Ranard, Donald. "Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” Cultural Orientation Resource Center 1 (2013): 1-12. Print.
“Refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” Blackboard. The Cultural Orientation Resource Center, n.d. Web. 12 May 2013. <https://blackboard.du.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=/webapps/blackboard/execute/launcher?type=Course&id=_208109_1&url=>.

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