Facing persecution in Myanmar, some Rohingya people have left for the United States, where many are finding new homes—and new challenges—in the Midwest.
The Rogers Park neighborhood on Chicago's North Side is home to about 400 Rohingya families, one of the largest concentrations in the country. Ninety miles north in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, there are about 5,000 Burmese refugees, including about 600 Rohingya families (the others are Karen and Chin). Burmese people make up Wisconsin's largest refugee population; they are the second largest refugee population in Illinois.
The two cities face similar refugee resettlement issues, but members of the Rohingya communities feel they're handling them differently. Refugees in Chicago receive assistance and feel a strong sense of community, while those in Milwaukee feel left on their own. Residents in Milwaukee are trying to assist each other, but without government support like that received in Chicago, it's more difficult for the community to thrive. The Rohingya refugees in Chicago feel hopeful that they can integrate into American society, find jobs, learn English, and raise their families in a safe community with economic opportunity, while the attitude in Milwaukee is more somber.
[For more on this story by REBECCA HOLLAND, go to https://psmag.com/social-justi...ohingya-resettlement]
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