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Refugees Begin Arriving in Utica
From 1973- the present, 13, 973 refugees from across the world have settled in Utica, NY. The greatet numbers have come from Bosnia (32%), Myan Mar (Burma) (18%), and The Former Soviet Union (17%) (Refugee Arrivals in Utica, New York). -
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2,081 Refugees from Vietnam Settle in Utica
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2, 398 Refugees from the Former Soviet Union Settle in Utica
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313 Refugees from Iraq Settle in Utica
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2, 485 Refugees from Burma Settle in Utica
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293 Refugees from Somalia Settle in Utica
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178 Refugees from Sudan Settle in Utica
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4, 449 Refugees from Bosnia Settle in Utica
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365 Refugees from Cambodia Settle in Utica
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Bhutan
"The kingdom of Bhutan is a small country located located on the border of Tibet (China) and India." In the 1980's Bhutan's ruling government began enacting measures against the Lhotshampas, an ethnic group of people who speak Nepali. Suppression of culture and language and then imprisonment and torture has inspired over 100, 000 people to flee the country. So far, the United States has resettled about 60, 000 refugees from Bhutan.
(www.romeobserver.com) -
Vietnam
The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees was established in 1979 and incorporated in 1981. Their first effort to help refugees resettle in Utica began in 1981 with the "resettlement of a single Vietnamese man through Catholic Charities in Syracuse" (www.mvrcr.org). Following the Vietnam War, 367, 174 Southeast Asian refugees (from Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) settled in the United States between 1983 and 1991. (migrationinformation.org) www.migrationinformation.org -
Former Soviet Union
"The third large wave of refugees began in 1988 with the arrival of the first families from the former Soviet Union. These mostly Pentecostal Russians, came to escape religious persecution." At the close of 1996, there were 1, 400 Russian refugees living in Utica" (www.mvrcr.org). During the Cold War period, large numbers of refugees fleeing communism were welcomed into the United States. www.migrationinformation.org -
Bosnia
In 1991, Slovenia and Croatia both declared their independence from Yugoslavia resulting in Civil War. Then in 1992- 1993 Serbs began "ethnic cleansing" by "freely committing genocide against Bosnian Muslims" (www.historyplace.com). "The fourth major population influx (in Utica) began in 1993 when Congress voted to include Bosnian refugees in the U.S. refugee allotment. In the first year of the program, the Resource Center for Refugees relocated 79 Bosnians." (www.mvrcr.org) -
Amerasian Children
"The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees grew out of the inspiration of Roberta Douglas whose concern for Amerasian children led her to work with refugees." (www.mvrcr.org) -
Refugees from Bosnia
Between 1993 and 1997, 2,500 refugees from Bosnia settled in Utica. -
Myan Mar (Burma)
"According to Human Rights Watch, the Karen, a Burmese hill- tribe people numbering 7 million, suffer greatly as they fight for independence. Abuses include "executions, rape, torture, the forced relocation of entire villages, and forced labor." Congress has imposed its strictest sanctions against Myan Mayanmar for abuses including violations of religious freedom and human trafficking." (www.christianitytoday.com) -
Sudan
In 2003, the Sudan liberation Movement/ Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups began fighting the Sudanese government accusing them of oppressing non- Arab Sudanese. The 'War in Darfur' has resulted in the murder of hundreds of thousands and has caused nearly 200, 000 Sudanese to flee to South Sudan and Ethiopia. www.allafrica.com -
Iraq
The United State's invasion of Iraq (in March of 2003) and the resulting war and violence left millions of Iraqis homeless or searching for safer living conditions. Since 2007, 84, 435 Iraqi refugees have been approved for resettlement in the United States. (www.uscis.gov) -
Refugees from Vietnam
By 2004, 2,042 refugees from Vietnam (including Amerasians) had settled in Utica. -
Refugees from Somalia
In 2005, 72 refugees from Somalia settled in Utica. -
Somalia
Somalia is "the African continent's most impoverished country. It has existed for less than half a century, but has spent much of that time at war or struggling to retain stability. Split between warlords and Islamic militants, the East African nation faces an uncertain future" (www.findingdulcinea.com) -
Refugees from the Former Soviet Union
In 2006, 28 refugees from the Former Soviet Union settled in Utica. -
Refugees from Myan Mar (Burma)
In 2008, 547 refugees from Myan Mar (Burma) settled in Utica. -
Refugees from Sudan
In 2009, 23 refugees from Sudan settled in Utica. -
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144 Refugees from Bhutan Settle in Utica
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Refugees from Iraq
In 2010, 93 refugees from Iraq settled in Utica. -
Refugees from Bhutan
In 2011, 100 refugees from Bhutan settled in Utica.
