International Migration Review, Volume 18, Issue 1 (1984-04). pp. 50-64.
Language:
English
Abstract:
The influx of Indochinese refugees into the US since 1975 has forced policy development in various resettlement areas, with considerable emphasis placed on employment & employment barriers. Here, an investigation of refugee employment is reported, part of a larger San Diego, Calif, interview study (N = 800 household heads) of Indochinese refugees' resettlement experiences. A multivariate model was used to distinguish the effects of 16 predictor variables, categorized as: (1) facilitating/program variables (eg, utilization of job training & placement programs), (2) enabling variables (eg, health, language skills, length of US residence, transportation), (3) predisposing variables (eg, age, education in home country, gender), & (4) ethnicity (Vietnamese, Laotian, Hmong, & Cambodian). The results indicate that English language communication skill is the major factor in refugee employment. Health & transportation are also important, but vary in impact by ethnic group. However, prearrival education, gender, & age do not predict employment status. The results are encouraging because they reveal little effect of background variables (eg, culture, education, job experience) on ability to achieve self-sufficiency, while the influential variables of language facility, health, & transportation are quite amenable to policy influence. 6 Tables, 4 References. Modified HA.