When Chhabi Koirala finally arrived in the U.S. from Bhutan by way of a refugee camp in Nepal, he was overwhelmed.
In 2008, Koirala, his wife, and their three children arrived in Portland, Oregon, sponsored by Catholic Charities. He'd left Bhutan in 1991, at age 24, following a campaign of ethnic cleansing by the Bhutanese government against the country's ethnic Nepali population. Then, he spent the next 17 years in a refugee camp in Nepal. Life in the refugee camp was dismal — no electricity, little water supply, and no bathrooms or toilets.
"It was quite miserable," Koirala says. "It was very hard."
A Bhutanese refugee cooks dinner inside their home's kitchen in a refugee camp in 2015 in Beldangi, Nepal. Photo by Omar Havana/Getty Images.
While he was happy to arrive in Portland after nearly two decades in limbo, Koirala's new life still took a lot of getting used to.
"It took awhile," he recalls. "When I came here, I was like an orphan. I didn't know where to go, how to navigate help at the beginning."
Chhabi Koirala at work. Photo courtesy of Chhabi Koirala.
This year, about 85,000 refugees like Koirala from around the world settle in the United States.
Each refugee undergoes a rigorous screening process that can take years to complete. That experience alone is often exhausting and all-consuming.
Once they arrive, language barriers, lack of economic opportunities, and working in and around complicated systems can make settling in a new country and community very difficult.
"[Refugees] undergo already a very long and painful life," Koirala says. "They are very tired of being in the camp. And when they come here they see everything different. It's not always what they expect."
The Hornbakery, a group of graduate students from the University of Maryland, explored the confusion and uncertainty many refugees face in this powerful illustrated story, titled "Amira in America."
While getting started in a new place is challenging, as this story shows, there are many ways to support and empower new residents.
Koirala now works as a job coach with the Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization (IRCO), a Portland-based nonprofit serving over 30,000 community members each year. The organization provides more than 140 linguistically and culturally specific services and resources, including academic support, community development, parenting education, English courses and more.
A family settles in to their new home. Photo courtesy of IRCO, used with permission.
In his role, Koirala helps new residents secure employment. He assists with resumes, sets up interviews, and even provides transportation.
You can help refugees in your community too. In fact, Koirala has some tips.
Seek out local organizations and charities in your area, as many desperately need volunteers. Whether it's driving families to and from appointments or serving as a translator or English conversation partner. And as refugees and immigrants settle into their new routines, being a friendly and familiar face in a sea of uncertainty goes a long way. Unsure where or how to start? Koirala says, don't be afraid to speak up.
"Ask folks what they need and how you can help."
The Kawab family, Syrian refugees, pose in the living room where the flag of Kurdistan hangs on the wall of their apartment in San Diego. Photo by Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images.
Many thanks to Chhabi Koirala and Kaitlin Barker Davis at IRCO.
"Amira in America" was created as a class project for serving information needs in the University of Maryland's masters of library and information science program. It was written by Andrea Castillo, with illustrations by Liz Laribee, and research by Carmen Collins and Dolly Martino. The group also included lots of great resources for volunteering, books and articles to read, and more. Check it out!
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