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Yoke Sim Guanarantee
When Yok Sim immigrated seventeen years ago, she says
she was very fortunate because she could speak English and could communicate.
From Yok Sim's perspective as an immigrant, as a Refugee Resettlement
Manger for Lutheran Social Services and currently as Executive Director
of Community Diversity Resources, language is the greatest barrier to
adjustment. "Without English you don't know the rules and roles.
You don't know how to be a good citizen because you don't know what you're
supposed to do. Very often you're stuck with low, menial jobs if you don't
have good English skills."
Q: Tell me about how your program came to be?
Yoke-Sim: I think it came about in 1993 where you have several
community leaders coming together at several town meetings to identify
some of the community issues, and out of that came cultural diversity
because they felt that with increased diversity in the population there
were no programs or systems in place to kind of you know deal with the
increased ethnic diversity, and so as a result I think they applied for
a grant to the Pugh Foundation to start a three-year project called cultural
diversity project in 1994. That's how we started as the cultural diversity
project in 1994 as a result of the fact that they needed to have some
kind of a system and programs and services in place to address the changing
or increased demographics in the Fargo-Moorhead area so.
Q: Why do you need something like that? Why is it important for us
to have cultural diversity training? Why do we need something like that?
Yoke-Sim: You know the existence of cultural diversity project,
the whole mission and goal was to be proactive in dealing with some of
the challenges, both the challenges and the opportunities of growing ethnic
diversity in the Fargo-Moorhead area or even Cass and Clay counties. And
as part of the proactiveness is the fact that we know that the Censuses
have shown or have indicated that every 10 years there have been an increase
in the ethnic diversity, and we should prepare our residents in this region
for those changes rather than being surprised by it and resulting with
racial tension and conflicts, and in some cases you know in bigger cities
that racial tension and conflicts has escalated to more severe racial
riots and problems, and I think the community leaders in this area have
the foresight to say that we don't want that to happen. We know the numbers
are small, and we want to be proactive. Let's look at what we can do about
you know the increased diversity in our ethnic population. So I think
that it speaks well for the region that we have you know community leaders
who have the foresight and vision to do something like that.
Q: What sort of things do you teach people in your cultural diversity
classes?
Yoke-Sim: You know, I think now the diversity training and community
education is only one of our programs and obviously is targeted to everybody
who wants to learn. People generally would like some basic information
and awareness about the demographics. They like to know some specific
ideas about the different ethnic cultures. Then they like to know well
what can we do as an individual. Are there certain skills that I could
use in my day-to-day kind of interactions with my clients or customers
or my co-workers who might be from other cultures. So those are some of
the things that we address generally in our training, but we customize
our training to meet the needs of the different agencies.
Q: So if there were people from a particular culture just coming into
the area that would be something, you know, say when the Bosnian people
came in, you could talk about that?
Yoke-Sim: Yeah we have made, we have even workshops on cultural
competency, and then we bring panels, panelists that include representatives
of people from those different cultures to talk about you know the cultures
and address some of the issues -- what to do and what not to do and some
other information too.
Q: I suppose it's natural that we, as an area, try to white blanket
all of our culture onto other people and then expect people to act the
way that we do?
Yoke-Sim: No, I think our project... now of course it's called
cultural diversity resources when we became incorporated in 1998. We also
have other cultural events like cultural diversity week during Columbus
weekday. We have cultivated our cultures where we ask you know people
from all cultures to showcase their talents in singing, to singing to
the art exhibitions to the food as a means to have a dialog and interaction
of all cultures so that we can learn from one another. So that's another
way that we can enjoy learning other cultures. I think new immigrants
and refugees to the area has to learn about the kind of old veterans here
that have been here for awhile. Just as the new ones the old veterans
would want to learn, you know all the residents would want to learn from
the new immigrants and Americans into this area. So there is an exchange,
a mutual exchange of information that we hope that will happen so I don't
think it's a one-way street.
Q: So by educating them about these other cultures then that helps
them to understand them and be more accepting?
Yoke-Sim: I think it's a first step. I don't think that you can
say through education that you can eliminate all forms of discrimination
or racism, and there's always going to be people who no matter what you
do in training or education have very strong views based on you know their
background and upbringing. But in most cases we hope that through education
there will be an increase at least in awareness and understanding because
sometimes that helps to eliminate some of the misunderstanding and miscommunication
about you know different cultures. So we hope to kind of diminish it,
but there are other things you have to look at. I mean obviously you know
when you look at the human equation that includes people from other diverse
cultures, they're going to say we have talents too. We have skills to
offer, and so let's look at not just understanding it but also doing something
about it, and that has to translate into you know jobs for people, you
know affordable housing, and accessible social services. You know all
those things I think are very important and also a meaningful representation
in you know community votes and committees and hopefully on the local
or even state level representations in those areas. So I think it translate
more than just you know training. I think hopefully that will translate
into you know more meaningful things which most people are looking for.
Q: Also you're talking about celebrating that we have this wonderful
cultural diversity here. What does it offer to us having all these different
cultures?
Yoke-Sim: You know I think if you look at even the immigrants
that came from years back, and this area is more German-Russian and Scandinavian
background, there is diversity itself in there when you look at the different
types of food, the different ideas, the different values and traditions.
So I think it is no different from what we have now. It just happens that
now the immigration trend reflects the new Americans and refugees from
other war-torn areas so it happens to come from some of the African countries
like Sudan or Somali or for Bosnia in the Eastern European and then of
course some of the you know later years Asian countries like Vietnam and
Laos and Cambodia. And they have the same. They bring a rich variety of
values, traditions, cultures, ideas, different perspectives, and I think
while we know that there are challenges, there are also opportunities
to maximize some of those different perspectives and different values
which enrich our lives.
Q: Tell me about your programs here.
Yoke-Sim: Cultural Diversity Resources is acting very much like
a clearinghouse on cultural diversity issues. We have right now several
programs. It includes community interpreter services. We provide interpreters
to the major clinics and hospitals and social services and schools. Actually
there's about 4 to 500 monthly scheduling for interpreters. We also have
diversity training. I mentioned before that we do our training for-profit
nonprofit organizations, government institutions, quite a lot of agencies
here. Then we also have housing and employment. We do a referral. We assess
their needs, and then we either refer or help them whereever we can. We
have a multi-ethnic leadership program, and the whole idea is to provide
both training opportunities that will benefit them personally or professionally.
We ask that the graduates volunteer so that they can you know contribute
something back to the community. And if they want to have mentors, they
can also request for a mentor so that's the multi-ethnic leadership program.
We have the cultural diversity awareness week, and we put also a quarterly
newsletter every year. On top of that would collaborate and do a lot of
different things. Right now I'm on the Fargo Human Relations Commission,
and part of that will be obviously educating the community about you know
human relations, what the Human Relations Commission can do, and it could
be very well educating people is they have some grievances about discrimination
in housing or employment or public accommodation. They have a commission
to go to to look at those issues so we play a role in Fargo, both Fargo-Moorhead
in educating some of them and making sure people know how to access those
services.
Q: In your own experience as an immigrant, where do you see the need
for some cultural diversity training or awareness?
Yoke-Sim: You know actually if people... I think one needs to
look at the background of the refugees or the immigrant because all of
us come with a rich variety of you know qualifications and education and
social economic status and you know a variety of different experiences.
And based on those experiences it really determines in some ways how you
acculturate or assimilate into the American society. In my case I was
very fortunate. I really knew English when I went to an English medium
school before I came here, and I've been here you know 16, 17 years so
my experiences have been more fortunate because I have the language, and
I could communicate. For some people with limited English proficiency,
I think that is harder. So for my experience I have very little obstacles
other than the fact that if people don't know you and still have the prejudice
and stereotypes, you can encounter some of those. But I've also worked
as a case manager and a refugee resettlement manager for Lutheran Social
Services for about four years before I was the Executive Director of this
organization, and there I have to work with refugees from a lot of different
countries ranging from Vietnam to Kurdish refugees, Bosnian, Somalia,
Sudanese, Russian, Armenians, so that direct encounter has indicated to
me there are challenges, obviously if you have language barriers. There
are also challenges whenever you come from a different culture because
people are familiar with the more usual cultures here, and so whenever
you have new cultures coming in, there needs to be education and awareness
and information about that. So I think that's why you know education is
a component of it, but we also know that if you have language barriers,
then you obviously can't assess the public facilities and social services,
then the interpreters... that's where the interpreters and translators
are very helpful in bridging some of the gaps. We also know that people
do need skills in terms whether it's personal or professional skills,
and they need to go to workshops and enhance some of those skills, and
the skills could be through our leadership training so that they can be
more active residents and volunteers but also through our housing and
employment kind of referral assistance program, we can you know help people
upgrade themselves and do better and adjust you know into the community.
So those are things that I think from my personal experience and from
working as a case manager has helped.
Q: Language is a big problem?
Yoke-Sim: Yes. I think language is a big barrier. I would say
that most refugees if given time should really spend more time, anyone
where there's an immigrant for a refugee should really focus on learning
English because without English there's a lot of barriers because you
don't understand. You don't know the rules and roles. You don't how to
be a good citizen because if you don't know what you're supposed to do.
So I think language is really a big obstacle, and I think people should
really you know try their very best to learn that.
Q: And it's a barrier to employment often times?
Yoke-Sim: Yeah that's right, that's right. Very often you're stuck
with low menial jobs if you don't have you know good English skills.
Q: Is there one thing that you would say people who are born here,
you know gosh I wish people would do this or I wish they wouldn't do this
when they come in contact with someone from another ethnic group.
Yoke-Sim: You know I would say that look back at your own ancestors,
your great grandparents and how they came here, and if you talk to your
relatives and try to understand what are some of the barriers and obstacles,
you will find very similar obstacles and challenges for both immigrants
who came here way before us and the new immigrants here. There are really
very similar obstacles and challenges and opportunities. They're no different.
The only difference might be different cultural groups that they're coming
from, and obviously with different cultural groups there are different
language barriers and different cultural barriers but very similar kind
of obstacles and challenges in all cultures. I think for the community
is to be patient and to be proactive and to take the opportunity to learn.
We have a choice that do we want to accept them as liabilities or do we
want to think of them as assets and opportunities that we can make the
best, and I would rather take the positive route and say yes I know if
they're here, they will be good for me to be a citizen you know, to prepare
myself and make this a better place to live, and I think the fact that
the Fargo-Moorhead metro area has won the 1999 All American Community
Award and that we were the All-American city, it speaks very well of some
of the community leaders here. I think it's very important for anything
to be successful that we have community leaders that openly and publicly
saying that this is what we won, and we want to welcome everybody and
do everything that we can you know to make them you know well adjusted
residents and welcoming them as you know residents here. That sends a
real important message to the community and to the rest of us who are
living here. This community is for everybody. It is not just for refugees
and new immigrants. It is for the older immigrants who have been here
for a long time, and so there should be kind of a mutual respect and interaction
between all groups because that's the only way we can work and we can
live. I think I like to apply not only in the workplace or in our home
the team, we work as a team -- united we stand, divided we fall applies
very well to a community, and a community who works as a team and embrace
and welcome everybody is a community that has a lot of very prosperous
and healthy kind of outlook into the future. And that becomes more and
more important you know as we go along and then the technology. We don't
even need physical presence of people. We're becoming so much more globalized
now that you know through Internet and through technology that our world
is becoming smaller and smaller. And then you see in the Census too a
lot of... you know we talk about putting people, identifying by cultures,
becoming more and more mixed. You know I remember talking to law enforcement
saying why don't you hire more minority groups. But then when you look
at the law enforcement, there are also people who are married you know
people who are from other cultures too so I don't think it is... and we
adopt, right? We have very mixed families. Interracial marriage is becoming
more and more... it's on the increase so we're seeing some of that in
the new kind of century so that speaks for itself.
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