Welcome to America. Now Get to Work
Every day, while his nephews watch television and niece chats with friends online, Prithi Rai scours the classifieds.
He and his brother, Man Bahadur Rai, started looking for jobs shortly after arriving in Twin Falls from a Nepali refugee camp onMay 5. Though they speak English fluently, they are having a hard time finding positions that don’t require prior experience, education or special certifications.
Man and Prithi have been on only two interviews each, both set up by the College of SouthernIdaho Refugee Center. They want more.
“We’re very concerned about jobs,”Man said.
The U.S. resettlement program pays living expenses for newcomers’ first months, but it’s set up to make refugees independent of public assistance within three to four months of arrival. While the refugee center says there are entry-level positions available in Magic Valley, many refugees are claiming difficulty finding those jobs.