December 3, 2024 • 34 mins
Holly Triska grew up in Wilton, North Dakota and began her career as a Peace Corps volunteer working in both Nicaragua and Guatemala. After 4 years in Central America, she moved to Washington, DC where she led the Federal Programs Division at the Hispanic College Fund. Holly went on to serve as the Director of Graduate Studies in Int’l Economic Development at The Catholic University of America where she earned a Master of Arts from the Busch School of Business and Economics.
Following her mother’s diagnosis with a terminal illness, she returned to ND to focus on family. While she did not intend to stay, ND quickly reestablished itself as home. Community life was welcoming, filled with heritage, and opportunity. Holly became actively involved in welcoming and connecting newcomers to local resources and networks. She became ND’s State Refugee Coordinator in 2021.
Following her mother’s diagnosis with a terminal illness, she returned to ND to focus on family. While she did not intend to stay, ND quickly reestablished itself as home. Community life was welcoming, filled with heritage, and opportunity. Holly became actively involved in welcoming and connecting newcomers to local resources and networks. She became ND’s State Refugee Coordinator in 2021.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome to These Are Your Neighbors? A podcast hosted by
the City of Bismarck Human Relations Committee and produced by
Dakota Media Access. The purpose of the podcast is to
show the diversity of your neighbors and to encourage inclusivity
among the Bismarck community.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome to These Are Your Neighbors? A podcast hosted by
Tia Jorgensen and Sergeiana Woodski, both members of the City
of Bismarck's Human Relations Committee. Thank you for joining us
as we interview our neighbors who are subject matter experts
in diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and equality.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Our guest today is Holly Trusca Dolly. Holly grew up
in Wilton, North Dakota, and began her career as a
Peace Corps volunteer, working in both Nicarago and Guatemala. After
four years in Central America, she moved to Washington, d C.
Where she led the Federal Program's division at the Hispanic
College Fund. Holly went on to serve as the director
of Graduate Study He's in International Economic Development at the
(01:02):
Catholic University of America, where she earned a Master of
Arts from the Bush School of Business and Economics. Following
her mother's diagnosis with eternal illness, she returned to North
Dakota to focus on family. While she did not intend
to stay in North Dakota, North Dakota quickly established itself
as home. Community life was welcoming, filled with heritage and opportunity.
(01:24):
Holly became actively involved in welcoming and connecting newcomers to
local resources and networks. She became North Dakota State Refugee
Coordinator in twenty twenty one. Welcome to our show, Holly.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Thank you. I'm so excited to visit with you today.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
So with all of that, what made you call Bismarck
home after not intending to stay here?
Speaker 5 (01:44):
So there were circumstances that led us home. My first
daughter was born in July of twenty fourteen, and we
found out that my mom had stage four cancer in
January of twenty fifteen. So it wasn't in our long
term plan to come back to North Koda, but all
of the arrows seemed to be pointing us back home,
so we made a decision to return, and we thought
(02:05):
we would probably stay for three to five years in
North Dakota. But I quickly got involved with Bismark Global neighbors,
I found a great church, got involved with a mom's group,
and having little kids, I also had an opportunity to
do all the great things that exist in Bismarck for families.
There's there is Gateway to Science, the o Arts school,
(02:26):
the zoo, the why. There was just so many great
community resources that we loved living here. And I think
really once I became the state Refugee Coordinator and started
working across the state with a variety of different communities,
that's really the point where I started to become really
proud to be from North Dakota. I found I found
(02:47):
communities to be very, very welcoming, like eager even I
would say to to welcome newcomers to help them succeed.
And I also loved learning about North Dakota's rich history
of immigration. So I'm very like this is home for
me and I want to do whatever I can to
help others make it home as well.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
So can you tell us about your time in the
Peace Corps and what it was like to work in
Central America?
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Sure, So that is probably one of my favorite periods
of my life, and it's definitely the period where I
had the least material things like I made two hundred
dollars a month. I had a dirt floor, I washed
my clothes outside in the river with everybody else, had
a cold shower outside. But I loved the work that
(03:31):
I did, and I loved the people that I spent
my time with. My primary responsibility there was agribusiness. I
worked with a lot of women's groups to develop small
agriculturally based businesses. And I also taught English as a
secondary assignment. And it's a it's a very warm and
welcoming culture. It's a warm weather culture. And when I
(03:54):
first got there early on in my service, when I
would get home at the end of the day, like
I would close my door. That was really natural thing
for me to do. I'm from rural North Dakota, and
people in the community started saying, you know, what do
you think she's doing in there? Very different in that way,
community based.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So actually I'm very unaware of the Peace Corps, Like,
so you actually have a job and work. I just yah,
can briefly just tell us about that.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
It's very different now than it was back then. So
I was in the Peace Corps from two thousand and
four to two thousand and seven. So at that time
you completed an application, you met, you were interviewed, and
you based on your experiences, based on your interests, based
on your education, where would be the best potential fits
for you around the globe based on what they needed.
(04:45):
And they have different sectors. One is agriculture, environment, education, health,
so I identified sustainable agriculture in my interview. I also
had studied Spanish, so it seemed likely that a place
that we've made for me in Central or South America.
So I basically just sat back and waited for about
three months until I got an invitation to serve as
(05:07):
a sustainable agriculture and agrobusiness volunteer in Nicaragua.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
So that's how it happened. Back then.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
You go through some in country staging before you leave
that prepared but a week preparing you before you go,
and then you spend three months. The first three months
in country is preparing you for your assignment. So that's
the way it looked back then. Now today the way
it looks if someone applies to Peace Corps, you are
literally able to view like every opportunity that's available around
(05:35):
the world and apply for specific opportunities in specific sectors
in specific countries to do something that you really want
to do. So it's very very different now, but it
was hands down like world class training. I was surrounded
by amazing people. I learned a tremendous amount. I hope
to do it again at some point, like in retirement.
(05:57):
I would recommend it to anyone. It's wonderful, wonderful exit experience.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Do you have to sign on for a certain amount
of time?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
You do so.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
The service is two years, two years and three months,
So three months is the initial training and then your
service is two years and I extended mine.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
I ended up staying for three years.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Do you think your time with the Peace Corps is
kind of what led you on this career path of
focusing on different cultures and different communities.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Absolutely? So.
Speaker 5 (06:25):
It definitely concretized for me that that human potential doesn't
vary by race, it doesn't vary by geographic location, it
doesn't vary by socioeconomic status. Every human person is born
with incredible gifts and talents, but there is not equal
access in our world, right to education, to employment, opportunities
to encouragement. So I knew at that point in my
(06:47):
life that I wanted to have a career that was
focused on lifting people out of poverty and that was
building human dignity.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
To me, you have a very excuse me, you have
a very interesting background, especially someone coming from North Dakota.
Can you tell our listeners more about the Hispanic College
Fund and what your role was there.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Sure.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
So, I became the director of the Federal Program's Division
at the Hispanic College Fund, and I applied for and
won a grant in coordination with the American Indian Higher
Education Consortium and with the United Negro College Fund UNCF,
to administer a program for NASA called Motivating Undergraduates and
(07:25):
Science and Technology, and it was focused on underserved and
underrepresented populations in the STEM fields and helping them get
the tools and the resources that they needed to ultimately
be successful in a STEM career. So we coordinated tutoring,
we coordinated mentoring, It provided a scholarship, We did a
twenty first Century Leadership Symposium annually, so it students around
(07:46):
the country, and then we coordinated internships for them at
NASA one of the ten NASA Field centers around the nation.
So it was a super super exciting fund program to
work on.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Following that role, you worked as the director of Studies
in International Economic Development. For our friends out there, what's
the study of international economic.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Development? Yes?
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Okay, So you know, I was in a role at
the Hispanic College Fund that was really focusing on helping
youth to find new pathways to really unleash their potential.
And I started thinking to myself, you know, as I'm
putting all this effort into encouraging others to grow and
to do their best, like gosh, I would.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Really like to go back to school too.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
So I started researching programs and I landed on a
program at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC,
and I studied international economic development. So the study of
international economic development is it's really an interdisciplinary field, and
it seeks to understand and address problems that are being
faced by developing countries. And when I say developing countries,
(08:54):
I'm talking about a country that has a lower standard
of living and weaker human right for as in comparison
to other countries. So when you were thinking about alleviating
poverty and inequity, right, it's very complex and it involves
a lot more than just increasing gross domestic product.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
So you said in your bio that when you got
to Bismarck, you got involved in welcoming and connecting newcomers
to local resources. Can you talk about what capacity that
was in sure?
Speaker 5 (09:28):
So I got involved with Bismarck Global Neighbors and it
was a really great thing because during that time period
I was staying home. I had had one baby in Washington,
DC and found out I was pregnant with twins about
a month after we came back to North Dakota.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
So I had three kids less than two years apart.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
So like I wanted ways I could get involved with
my family, and I ended up getting matched and working
a lot with women who were also staying home with kids.
And it was hard for me. I was coming from
living in Washington, d C. Working a full time job.
You know, they were leaving behind also many things, starting
(10:07):
over a new life. But I had the benefit of
understanding knowing the local language, knowing the local culture, and
knowing how to navigate the local community, and that wasn't
necessarily something that they had, so it gave me. It
was an opportunity for me and for my kids to
learn a lot. I learned a lot about the barriers
that immigrants faced in North Dakota. But it was also
(10:28):
a chance for me to help them address issues that
they were facing with the school, sometimes with health care
and oftentimes just with getting their kids involved in extracurriculars.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So I will do a shameless plug for Bismarck Global
Neighbors because as a mentor, I too. You think you're,
you know, going out there and you are helping the people,
But at the same time, I get way more out
of it. I've learned so much more about the world
from the individuals that I've mentored.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Corps.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Where is the same I have to say that it's
the same thing. Like I gained so many valuable skills,
like language skills, cross cultural skills, project management skills like
I gained. I oftentimes wonder if I helped as much
as they helped me.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
And I think too, especially you know, when you're in
a state like North Dakota, any opportunity to learn about
other cultures, learn even part of another language, I think
is so beneficial to people.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Absolutely so.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Now this has led you to becoming North Dakota State
Refugee Coordinator. What does a typical day or typical week
look like that for you? And why is it so important?
In North Dakota.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
So my job is to coordinate services for refugee populations
across the state. So it's working a lot with government agencies.
It's also working with community stakeholders across the state of
North Dakota and setting up structures so that people can
access the services that they need. And it's also trying
to understand what are the barriers that people are facing
and how can we reduce those barriers. So we work
(12:05):
with job Service. We launched a new American employment program
with job Service that specializes in helping refuge elgible populations
to make an impact in the workforce. We work with
adult learning centers, We work with Immigrants serving nonprofits like
Bismerke Global Neighbors to provide some of those community navigation
and case management supports, and then we also work with
other nonprofits to do smaller programs like health promotion is one.
(12:30):
It's really focused on reducing isolation. Newcomers are really high
risk for just not knowing the language, being a lot
of change really quickly, to just kind of wanting to retreat,
and that's not it's not good for your mental health
to do that, right, So we want people to get
out practice the language, get to know the resources in
the community, make friends with people local people, make friends
(12:51):
within their.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Old cultural communities.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
So a lot of efforts around that.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
So there are a lot of nuances with the pro
for people who come to the US in different statuses.
Can you explain to our listeners what a refugee actually.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Is, sure, So, a refugee is a person who has
been forced to flee and they're either unable or unwilling
to return home because of a well founded fear of
persecution that could result in death.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Right.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
So when we're thinking about refugee populations globally, the United
Nations works with over thirty million refugees today, many of
them in refugee camps, and they work with them to
find what they call a durable solution. And the first
priority is always to wait until safe enough for people
to turn home, right Like, that's what people would most
(13:43):
like to do, is return back to their home. If
that is not possible to do, the second option they
pursue is to see if they can integrate into the
country where they have obtained first asylum, so the country
where they are currently located. If that is also not possible,
then they will start to look at resettlement to a
third country. Less than one percent of the world's refugees
(14:05):
are ever resettled. There are twenty five countries that have
a resettlement program. The United States has the largest resettlement program.
So when a refugee, someone who's been has refugee status
as conferred by the United Nations, when they're referred to
the US Refugee Admissions Program, they'll go through a process
that takes about eighteen months.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
It can take longer.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
It involves eight government agencies. They do five different security
and background checks. There's three in person interviews, and it takes,
like I said, about eighteen months to complete. If they
are approved, then they'll be assigned to a resettlement agency.
And in the United States we have ten ten resettlement agencies.
In North Dakota, we have two that work here. One
(14:47):
is Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services in Fargo. They recently
change their name to Global refuge And then we have
Bismark Global Neighbors and Global Friends Coalition and Ground Forks.
They are affiliates of Church World Service, who is one
of the ten national resettlement agencies. So after they're being
assigned to that organization, that's the point where they would
(15:08):
be would be resettled.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
So it's a lot, that's a lot of information, So
you did.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
I was going to ask then kind of the whole process,
which you already answered, But is there you know anything
specific about, like do refugees and remain in another country
prior to coming to the US to get that citizenship
or just if you could just emphasize and clarify that
(15:34):
portion of it.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
Sure, So oftentimes refugees wait for I would say, on average,
probably ten years by the time they determine that they
are going to be referred to a third country for resettlement.
So some of the largest refugee camps in the world
are in Turkey, Pakistan, Syria.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
So they're in waiting.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
You know, they're stuck in an environment that is not
really compatible with you when flourishing, right, So, and that's
just the reality of it.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
So what else did I want to say there?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Also?
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Okay, I don't think people realize the length of time
it takes. I would have no idea if you, if
I want to ask you this question, I have no
idea that it took this long for someone to come
to a resettlement country like the United States.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Right there and there's many people that have been in
refugee camps, specifically I would say in Sub Saharan Africa,
that have been born there and spent their entire lives there.
So there's people who never leave as well.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Do you have a question for.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Go ahead, Chris. I've got a lot of questions going
on in my brain right now.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
So what is your role in an assisting organizations like
Global Neighbors who you mentioned to be able to work
with refugees.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
So they are an affiliate of Church World Service, so
it's the resettlement that they do is through Church Service.
That's not technically under my purview. So the first ninety
days of services, like picking someone up from the airport,
helping kids get enrolled in school, setting up the home,
doing that initial community and cultural orientation. They do that
(17:14):
as part of their contract with the National Resettlement Agency.
But I coordinate with them to make sure that the
individuals who are resettled have access to the longer term
services that they need to succeed. So the services that
the state coordinates are more focused on employment support, English
language learning and then some of those community connection pieces.
And one of the things that I'm really excited about that.
(17:35):
We launched in the last year and we're actually the
first state to do this. We partnered with city governments
and we hired community integration facilitators in Bismark Grand Works,
and then we're taking steps towards doing the same and Fargo.
So now we have an individual at the city level
that's helping to foster the integration of newcomers.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
And there's really three top priorities of their role.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
The first is to promote a better understanding of refugee
populations on the part of the local community. Right, people
have to know that they're here, right, My experiences at
North Dakota's are incredibly welcoming people and they love to help,
but they have to know people are here. They have
to know, like what were the factors the migration drivers,
what do they bring here? So some of those those
(18:19):
are really important components. The second thing is to work
really closely with the organizations that are serving newcomer populations,
like the adult learning centers, like Job Service, like your
Bismarck Global Neighbors, to understand what are the barriers that
are that are hindering success, and then to develop citywide
solutions to reduce those barriers, and then the third piece
(18:40):
is really just to build up their access to our
community life, the events, the programs, all the things that
make any of us want to live and stay here.
We want newcomers to become included, to have a sense
of belonging here, we want them to stay. So I'm
really excited about that role. It's just launched in the
last couple of months in Bismarck, but already with so
many promising efforts underway, and Grand Forks is exactly the same.
(19:04):
So I think we have to be really intentional here
in North Dakota. I'm very excited about the prospect of welcoming.
Over the last three years in this role. Whenever I've
approached any organization, any community, and it's been many in many,
they all want to know how can I help. The
(19:24):
response has never been why are they here?
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I don't want to be involved in this. It's been
the opposite.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
So I think we're I think we're positioned to do
some really great, some really great work in North Dakota.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
So then do individuals choose to be placed in North
Dakota or is there a process in how were they
where they end up living?
Speaker 5 (19:46):
So once once someone is approved through the US Refugee
Missions program, if they have a family tie in the
United States, then they'll make every effort to place them
near that family tie. If they don't have a family tie,
then they would be referred to as what's called a
free case, and that would mean that they could be
(20:06):
placed really anywhere in the United States. So what they
would take a look at is more their their demographic profile,
where in the country they would find the right cultural
connections and community, the right types of employment opportunities, and
then they make they make the decisions on assurances that way.
So in North Dakota, I would say probably half are
family ties and probably half a free cases. There's also
(20:29):
a new program called Welcome Core where people can apply
to sponsor a refugee. So that's never happened before. It's
like groups of five that can create a welcome plan
and they can apply to sponsor either someone they know
or someone they don't know. And that's we're just starting
to see applications. It's it's very very new, but we
also saw programs like Uniting for Ukraine in the last
(20:52):
couple of years, and the number of North Dakota's that
sponsor at Ukrainians was very, very high. We've had at
least five hundred, somewhere between five hundred and one thousand arrivals.
And the reason I don't know the total number is
because they're sponsored by individuals, So unless they reach out
to the state requesting some type of services, we're not
(21:12):
notified at the point that they arrive unless the sponsor
notifies us or the individual. So we know the number
of applications that have been submitted from somebody with the
North Dakota zip code, but unless when that person arrives
they reach out to us, we never know if they.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Arrive, So then and I don't expect like super in
depth with this, but the uniting for Ukraine, the welcome core,
there's different than rules and regulations and policies, I guess
would be a better word for each each program that's
offered on how individuals can come to the United States.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
Correct, absolutely, So for refugee is like it's a durable solution, right,
they're on a pathway to permanency. So someone obtains that
refugee status that it's a legal status overseas. One year
later they be come a legal permanent resident. Five years
after that they can become a US citizen, right, someone
who comes through Uniting for Ukraine, that's a temporary program.
The processing is a lot quicker, but they have right
(22:11):
now they are able to work for two years in
the United States and that's pretty much yet.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Right. It's a two year temporary program.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
So it's very very different than being admitted to the
United States as a refugee.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Do you know what countries have the highest refugee populations
in North Dakota?
Speaker 5 (22:31):
So today the highest the countries with the largest populations
represented in Bismarck would be Ukraine, right, And we've got
quite a few from Eastern Europe, from Moldova, a lot
from Afghanistan, and then I would say coming through the
refugee admissions program, the highest numbers have been from Central America,
(22:54):
so we've seen a lot from Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador.
And then also we've seen some Haitians come through the
Cuban Hation parole program, which is very similar to Uniting
for Ukraine, requires a state sponsor and it's temporary.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
So what are some of the struggles that you feel
refugees faced when they come to North Dakota.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
I would say it wouldn't probably surprise you, right, But
I think a lot of the struggles, like English language
learning is a struggle at first for everybody. Transportation is
a major struggle, and that's something that we're putting a
lot of efforts towards ideating solutions for now. It's really
(23:38):
in North Dakota. I try to imagine, you know, what
it would be like to live here without a vehicle.
I have four kids, you know, like they wouldn't be
able to be involved in activities. I talk to people
all the time who ride the bus. Sometimes the bus
is understaffed, sometimes it doesn't come, sometimes it's late, sometimes
there's weather things. So transportation is just a a major
obstacle that we have to come up with better solutions around.
(24:02):
And that certainly is a struggle for newcomer populations and
getting to where they need to be. And I'm sure
that's something that you guys hear about from time to time, yeah,
as well. So those are big ones also for our
populations that speak English, have professional degrees that they obtained overseas,
(24:22):
have experience that's overseas. They really struggle to find employment
that's at the level of their skill and experience until
they get some US work experience, it seems like employers
really hesitate to hire them at the level that they've
worked in the past. So that is definitely it's lack
of professional network, right, So building those professional networks is
(24:46):
something that we're working on with the city.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
And some of the things that people have talked about
we don't even think of. We've had Jasmine Tassa Smith
on our show who now is one of the executive
directors of Global Neighbors, and when she moved from another country,
she had a story and talked about how different it
is to get medicine, like if you want to get
taile and al or something ibuprofen, you have to actually
go to a pharmacy, where in our country you can
(25:10):
just go to the grocery store and get it. So
even little things like that we don't even think of,
or foods different foods, not knowing what they're called or
what is about the same as far as what their country.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
Is too, right, there's a lot in Bismark. Global Neighbors
does a really great job in the first few months
of helping people navigate some of those like laws is
another thing too, so they work really closely with the
Police Department. They work really closely with a lot of
organizations to help people understand the our cultural norms. But
(25:40):
in those first ninety days, you know, it really is
like you're having so much information thrown at you it's
really hard to retain it. So we work with them
to repeat that information and kind of go more in depth,
like throughout the year, like once a month, kind of
focusing on health topics, focusing on transportation topics, focusing on
whatever it might be to really help people retain the
(26:05):
information that they need to know.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I know, we keep mentioning kind of the organizations that
the state supports. Is there a particular like one location
that people could go to learn more about what the
state does, Like do you guys have a website.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
Or we do?
Speaker 5 (26:23):
Okay, right there, the Office of Refugee Services has a website.
We're located within the Department of Health and Human Services,
but most of the work, much of the work that
we do.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Is with communities in the community.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
Structure is built around the integration Facilitator, the Adult Learning
Center as being the connecting place. People are going there
to study English two and three times a week, so
we're trying to bring as much services there as we can.
We know how hard it is for people to get
around the city, so our career navigators go there, our
case managers go there. So that's where we've done a
lot of education and training is through the adult learning centers.
(26:59):
We have amazing saying, amazing adult learning centers in North Dakota.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I just think there's so many nuances to the programs
and everything that it can be overwhelming.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Oh. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
And kind of on that note, what are some of
the most common misconceptions that you think North Dakotas have
about refugees.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
So there's probably a couple things.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
First one I would say is that they contribute to
scarcity of resources, right, But in reality, refugees are bringing
skills and talents from all over the world that they're contributing, right.
And the other piece is that the federal government funds
the services that we provide to support their successes. It's
not state funded, so it actually brings resources and it
(27:47):
brings people with skills and talents. So those two things
I would say on that when refugees first arrived in
those first few years, like, of course they're going to struggle, right,
They're having to adapt and learn.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
In totally new new world.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
But if you fast forward to like twenty five years
in country, if you look at US census data from
the American Community Survey, you'll see that the median household
income for refugees is actually higher than that of US
foreign citizens, around eighty thousand dollars a year. They have
incredible creativity, resilience, determination, problem solving skills, and that can
be evidence through data over time. Another thing I would
(28:26):
point out is that yes, there is that initial investment
that the federal government does make, and then getting connected
to the services and resources.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
That they need.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
According again to census data, after eight years in the
United States, the tax the federal taxes that they have
paid begin to exceed what that initial investment was.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
So those are some important.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Things that I don't think people necessarily realize. Another thing
is when we're thinking about folks who are crossing the
southern border right that may very likely be fleeing persecution
and that are seeking humanitarian protection through asylum. That is
not the same as someone who obtains refugee status overseas.
(29:08):
Asylum would be a form of humanitarian protection. It often
takes many years to obtain it's granted here in the
United States. But until someone is granted asylum, they would
not be eligible to be served as a refugee right
or as a person with a form of humanitarian protection.
So I think there's that distinction. Like you hear the
word refugee a lot and a lot of people are
(29:28):
fleeing persecution and are fleeing violence and are looking for protection.
But when you talk about who the Office of Refugee
Services serves in North Dakota, it's people who have received
a form of humanitarian protection.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Have the number of refugees gone up since you took
over in twenty twenty one.
Speaker 5 (29:45):
Oh my gosh, yes, yeah they have. So the largest
number ever settled in North Dakota was six hundred and
thirty three and I can't think maybe it was around
twenty ten. This last year settled one thousand, So yeah,
it has, it has gone up, and it's also changed geographically,
(30:05):
and part of that is uniting for Ukraine. People can
now be involved, like everyday North Dakota's can sponsor, so
that's changed things. But it used to be that ninety
percent went to Fargo, right, and now it's about fifty
percent go to Fargo, about fifteen percent go to Bismarck,
fifteen percent Grand Works, and then the other twenty percent
is really all over North Dakota. So we're seeing refugee
(30:27):
populations begin to establish homes in Mine, not in Williston, Carrington.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
North Dakota, Park River, North Dakota.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
So yeah, there's been there's been significant expansion of the
refugee program.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
So I guess kind of I feel like I personally
could talk about the benefits of having new Americans here
in Bismarck, But what are some things that you haven't
discussed yet that you want people in Bismarck to know.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
Well, I would say that, you know, welcoming newcomer populations
to North Dakota is really key to our community's success
and to us thriving economically into the future. Right now
today in North Dakota, there are there are more jobs
than there are people who are who are looking for jobs,
right So when we're thinking of newcomer populations, they are
(31:19):
looking for opportunities, They're looking for economic opportunities, they're looking
for rich community life. We have those opportunities here, So
I feel like it's a really critical match that benefits
everybody and that's the way I truly see it, and
I think that's the way we've been able to expand
the number of partnerships that we have. When I started
(31:40):
in this role, we had we had five partnerships. Today
we have fifty. So I mean that just goes to
show you how many people want to work, want to support,
want to be involved with refugee resettlement.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
I think it's a huge.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
Opportunity and I hope that it helps expand welcoming to
other populations, other immigrant populations as well.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Well. Our time is already up, so I'm going to
ask you the last question that we ask everyone, and
that question is how would you encourage your neighbor to
create an atmosphere inclusion, equality, diversity, and accessibility.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
I would say I would encourage people to find ways
to get to know their neighbors. I think that North
Dakota's I mentioned this before, that they really they love
to help, and that's been absolutely my direct experience, right.
But we have to find ways to engage people in
refugee resettlement, in the welcoming of newcomers. I think an
(32:32):
excellent way to do it, and I don't think it's
too heavy of a lift. I think it's really fun
is volunteering with Bismark Global Neighbors, Like that's an excellent
way to start. An even easier way to start would
be just to attend some of the multicultural events that
are popping up around the city. The downtown Ers are
hosting a multicultural event this Friday night at the Heritage Center.
(32:52):
You know, there's been.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
More than that.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
The library does the Families around the World event, so
there's there are lots of ways to get connected to newcomers.
And I would also encourage people, you know, not to
be afraid to invite them into the richness of our
community life. Invite them to the events, to the programs,
to the things that you love and that you would
love someone to invite you to, right from having the
(33:14):
experience of living overseas, like if we were in their countries,
I promise you they would be inviting us in.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Well. Thank you to everyone for tuning into these or
your neighbors with our guests, Holly Triska, thank you for
wanting to get to know your neighbors as we hold
these important and necessary conversations. If you found this conversation
as important as we do, please make sure you share
it with your neighbors.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Thank you for tuning into these or your Neighbors a
podcast hosted by the City of Bismarck Human Relations Committee
and produced by Dakota Media Access. The purpose of the
Bismarck Human Relations Committee is to create an atmosphere of inclusion, quality,
and accessibility through education and outreach to recognize the value
(34:05):
of a diverse community. For more information about the Human
Relations Committee, visit bismarckand dot gov.
Welcome to These Are Your Neighbors? A podcast hosted by
the City of Bismarck Human Relations Committee and produced by
Dakota Media Access. The purpose of the podcast is to
show the diversity of your neighbors and to encourage inclusivity
among the Bismarck community.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Welcome to These Are Your Neighbors? A podcast hosted by
Tia Jorgensen and Sergeiana Woodski, both members of the City
of Bismarck's Human Relations Committee. Thank you for joining us
as we interview our neighbors who are subject matter experts
in diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and equality.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Our guest today is Holly Trusca Dolly. Holly grew up
in Wilton, North Dakota, and began her career as a
Peace Corps volunteer, working in both Nicarago and Guatemala. After
four years in Central America, she moved to Washington, d C.
Where she led the Federal Program's division at the Hispanic
College Fund. Holly went on to serve as the director
of Graduate Study He's in International Economic Development at the
(01:02):
Catholic University of America, where she earned a Master of
Arts from the Bush School of Business and Economics. Following
her mother's diagnosis with eternal illness, she returned to North
Dakota to focus on family. While she did not intend
to stay in North Dakota, North Dakota quickly established itself
as home. Community life was welcoming, filled with heritage and opportunity.
(01:24):
Holly became actively involved in welcoming and connecting newcomers to
local resources and networks. She became North Dakota State Refugee
Coordinator in twenty twenty one. Welcome to our show, Holly.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Thank you. I'm so excited to visit with you today.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
So with all of that, what made you call Bismarck
home after not intending to stay here?
Speaker 5 (01:44):
So there were circumstances that led us home. My first
daughter was born in July of twenty fourteen, and we
found out that my mom had stage four cancer in
January of twenty fifteen. So it wasn't in our long
term plan to come back to North Koda, but all
of the arrows seemed to be pointing us back home,
so we made a decision to return, and we thought
(02:05):
we would probably stay for three to five years in
North Dakota. But I quickly got involved with Bismark Global neighbors,
I found a great church, got involved with a mom's group,
and having little kids, I also had an opportunity to
do all the great things that exist in Bismarck for families.
There's there is Gateway to Science, the o Arts school,
(02:26):
the zoo, the why. There was just so many great
community resources that we loved living here. And I think
really once I became the state Refugee Coordinator and started
working across the state with a variety of different communities,
that's really the point where I started to become really
proud to be from North Dakota. I found I found
(02:47):
communities to be very, very welcoming, like eager even I
would say to to welcome newcomers to help them succeed.
And I also loved learning about North Dakota's rich history
of immigration. So I'm very like this is home for
me and I want to do whatever I can to
help others make it home as well.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
So can you tell us about your time in the
Peace Corps and what it was like to work in
Central America?
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:11):
Sure, So that is probably one of my favorite periods
of my life, and it's definitely the period where I
had the least material things like I made two hundred
dollars a month. I had a dirt floor, I washed
my clothes outside in the river with everybody else, had
a cold shower outside. But I loved the work that
(03:31):
I did, and I loved the people that I spent
my time with. My primary responsibility there was agribusiness. I
worked with a lot of women's groups to develop small
agriculturally based businesses. And I also taught English as a
secondary assignment. And it's a it's a very warm and
welcoming culture. It's a warm weather culture. And when I
(03:54):
first got there early on in my service, when I
would get home at the end of the day, like
I would close my door. That was really natural thing
for me to do. I'm from rural North Dakota, and
people in the community started saying, you know, what do
you think she's doing in there? Very different in that way,
community based.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
So actually I'm very unaware of the Peace Corps, Like,
so you actually have a job and work. I just yah,
can briefly just tell us about that.
Speaker 5 (04:24):
It's very different now than it was back then. So
I was in the Peace Corps from two thousand and
four to two thousand and seven. So at that time
you completed an application, you met, you were interviewed, and
you based on your experiences, based on your interests, based
on your education, where would be the best potential fits
for you around the globe based on what they needed.
(04:45):
And they have different sectors. One is agriculture, environment, education, health,
so I identified sustainable agriculture in my interview. I also
had studied Spanish, so it seemed likely that a place
that we've made for me in Central or South America.
So I basically just sat back and waited for about
three months until I got an invitation to serve as
(05:07):
a sustainable agriculture and agrobusiness volunteer in Nicaragua.
Speaker 4 (05:10):
So that's how it happened. Back then.
Speaker 5 (05:12):
You go through some in country staging before you leave
that prepared but a week preparing you before you go,
and then you spend three months. The first three months
in country is preparing you for your assignment. So that's
the way it looked back then. Now today the way
it looks if someone applies to Peace Corps, you are
literally able to view like every opportunity that's available around
(05:35):
the world and apply for specific opportunities in specific sectors
in specific countries to do something that you really want
to do. So it's very very different now, but it
was hands down like world class training. I was surrounded
by amazing people. I learned a tremendous amount. I hope
to do it again at some point, like in retirement.
(05:57):
I would recommend it to anyone. It's wonderful, wonderful exit experience.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Do you have to sign on for a certain amount
of time?
Speaker 4 (06:03):
You do so.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
The service is two years, two years and three months,
So three months is the initial training and then your
service is two years and I extended mine.
Speaker 4 (06:13):
I ended up staying for three years.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
Do you think your time with the Peace Corps is
kind of what led you on this career path of
focusing on different cultures and different communities.
Speaker 4 (06:24):
Absolutely? So.
Speaker 5 (06:25):
It definitely concretized for me that that human potential doesn't
vary by race, it doesn't vary by geographic location, it
doesn't vary by socioeconomic status. Every human person is born
with incredible gifts and talents, but there is not equal
access in our world, right to education, to employment, opportunities
to encouragement. So I knew at that point in my
(06:47):
life that I wanted to have a career that was
focused on lifting people out of poverty and that was
building human dignity.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
To me, you have a very excuse me, you have
a very interesting background, especially someone coming from North Dakota.
Can you tell our listeners more about the Hispanic College
Fund and what your role was there.
Speaker 4 (07:04):
Sure.
Speaker 5 (07:05):
So, I became the director of the Federal Program's Division
at the Hispanic College Fund, and I applied for and
won a grant in coordination with the American Indian Higher
Education Consortium and with the United Negro College Fund UNCF,
to administer a program for NASA called Motivating Undergraduates and
(07:25):
Science and Technology, and it was focused on underserved and
underrepresented populations in the STEM fields and helping them get
the tools and the resources that they needed to ultimately
be successful in a STEM career. So we coordinated tutoring,
we coordinated mentoring, It provided a scholarship, We did a
twenty first Century Leadership Symposium annually, so it students around
(07:46):
the country, and then we coordinated internships for them at
NASA one of the ten NASA Field centers around the nation.
So it was a super super exciting fund program to
work on.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Following that role, you worked as the director of Studies
in International Economic Development. For our friends out there, what's
the study of international economic.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
Development? Yes?
Speaker 5 (08:13):
Okay, So you know, I was in a role at
the Hispanic College Fund that was really focusing on helping
youth to find new pathways to really unleash their potential.
And I started thinking to myself, you know, as I'm
putting all this effort into encouraging others to grow and
to do their best, like gosh, I would.
Speaker 4 (08:30):
Really like to go back to school too.
Speaker 5 (08:32):
So I started researching programs and I landed on a
program at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC,
and I studied international economic development. So the study of
international economic development is it's really an interdisciplinary field, and
it seeks to understand and address problems that are being
faced by developing countries. And when I say developing countries,
(08:54):
I'm talking about a country that has a lower standard
of living and weaker human right for as in comparison
to other countries. So when you were thinking about alleviating
poverty and inequity, right, it's very complex and it involves
a lot more than just increasing gross domestic product.
Speaker 3 (09:16):
So you said in your bio that when you got
to Bismarck, you got involved in welcoming and connecting newcomers
to local resources. Can you talk about what capacity that
was in sure?
Speaker 5 (09:28):
So I got involved with Bismarck Global Neighbors and it
was a really great thing because during that time period
I was staying home. I had had one baby in Washington,
DC and found out I was pregnant with twins about
a month after we came back to North Dakota.
Speaker 4 (09:44):
So I had three kids less than two years apart.
Speaker 5 (09:46):
So like I wanted ways I could get involved with
my family, and I ended up getting matched and working
a lot with women who were also staying home with kids.
And it was hard for me. I was coming from
living in Washington, d C. Working a full time job.
You know, they were leaving behind also many things, starting
(10:07):
over a new life. But I had the benefit of
understanding knowing the local language, knowing the local culture, and
knowing how to navigate the local community, and that wasn't
necessarily something that they had, so it gave me. It
was an opportunity for me and for my kids to
learn a lot. I learned a lot about the barriers
that immigrants faced in North Dakota. But it was also
(10:28):
a chance for me to help them address issues that
they were facing with the school, sometimes with health care
and oftentimes just with getting their kids involved in extracurriculars.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
So I will do a shameless plug for Bismarck Global
Neighbors because as a mentor, I too. You think you're,
you know, going out there and you are helping the people,
But at the same time, I get way more out
of it. I've learned so much more about the world
from the individuals that I've mentored.
Speaker 3 (10:59):
Corps.
Speaker 5 (11:00):
Where is the same I have to say that it's
the same thing. Like I gained so many valuable skills,
like language skills, cross cultural skills, project management skills like
I gained. I oftentimes wonder if I helped as much
as they helped me.
Speaker 2 (11:15):
And I think too, especially you know, when you're in
a state like North Dakota, any opportunity to learn about
other cultures, learn even part of another language, I think
is so beneficial to people.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Absolutely so.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Now this has led you to becoming North Dakota State
Refugee Coordinator. What does a typical day or typical week
look like that for you? And why is it so important?
In North Dakota.
Speaker 5 (11:43):
So my job is to coordinate services for refugee populations
across the state. So it's working a lot with government agencies.
It's also working with community stakeholders across the state of
North Dakota and setting up structures so that people can
access the services that they need. And it's also trying
to understand what are the barriers that people are facing
and how can we reduce those barriers. So we work
(12:05):
with job Service. We launched a new American employment program
with job Service that specializes in helping refuge elgible populations
to make an impact in the workforce. We work with
adult learning centers, We work with Immigrants serving nonprofits like
Bismerke Global Neighbors to provide some of those community navigation
and case management supports, and then we also work with
other nonprofits to do smaller programs like health promotion is one.
(12:30):
It's really focused on reducing isolation. Newcomers are really high
risk for just not knowing the language, being a lot
of change really quickly, to just kind of wanting to retreat,
and that's not it's not good for your mental health
to do that, right, So we want people to get
out practice the language, get to know the resources in
the community, make friends with people local people, make friends
(12:51):
within their.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Old cultural communities.
Speaker 5 (12:53):
So a lot of efforts around that.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
So there are a lot of nuances with the pro
for people who come to the US in different statuses.
Can you explain to our listeners what a refugee actually.
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Is, sure, So, a refugee is a person who has
been forced to flee and they're either unable or unwilling
to return home because of a well founded fear of
persecution that could result in death.
Speaker 4 (13:19):
Right.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
So when we're thinking about refugee populations globally, the United
Nations works with over thirty million refugees today, many of
them in refugee camps, and they work with them to
find what they call a durable solution. And the first
priority is always to wait until safe enough for people
to turn home, right Like, that's what people would most
(13:43):
like to do, is return back to their home. If
that is not possible to do, the second option they
pursue is to see if they can integrate into the
country where they have obtained first asylum, so the country
where they are currently located. If that is also not possible,
then they will start to look at resettlement to a
third country. Less than one percent of the world's refugees
(14:05):
are ever resettled. There are twenty five countries that have
a resettlement program. The United States has the largest resettlement program.
So when a refugee, someone who's been has refugee status
as conferred by the United Nations, when they're referred to
the US Refugee Admissions Program, they'll go through a process
that takes about eighteen months.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
It can take longer.
Speaker 5 (14:25):
It involves eight government agencies. They do five different security
and background checks. There's three in person interviews, and it takes,
like I said, about eighteen months to complete. If they
are approved, then they'll be assigned to a resettlement agency.
And in the United States we have ten ten resettlement agencies.
In North Dakota, we have two that work here. One
(14:47):
is Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services in Fargo. They recently
change their name to Global refuge And then we have
Bismark Global Neighbors and Global Friends Coalition and Ground Forks.
They are affiliates of Church World Service, who is one
of the ten national resettlement agencies. So after they're being
assigned to that organization, that's the point where they would
(15:08):
be would be resettled.
Speaker 4 (15:09):
So it's a lot, that's a lot of information, So
you did.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
I was going to ask then kind of the whole process,
which you already answered, But is there you know anything
specific about, like do refugees and remain in another country
prior to coming to the US to get that citizenship
or just if you could just emphasize and clarify that
(15:34):
portion of it.
Speaker 5 (15:35):
Sure, So oftentimes refugees wait for I would say, on average,
probably ten years by the time they determine that they
are going to be referred to a third country for resettlement.
So some of the largest refugee camps in the world
are in Turkey, Pakistan, Syria.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
So they're in waiting.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
You know, they're stuck in an environment that is not
really compatible with you when flourishing, right, So, and that's
just the reality of it.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
So what else did I want to say there?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Also?
Speaker 3 (16:12):
Okay, I don't think people realize the length of time
it takes. I would have no idea if you, if
I want to ask you this question, I have no
idea that it took this long for someone to come
to a resettlement country like the United States.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Right there and there's many people that have been in
refugee camps, specifically I would say in Sub Saharan Africa,
that have been born there and spent their entire lives there.
So there's people who never leave as well.
Speaker 4 (16:39):
It's crazy.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Do you have a question for.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Go ahead, Chris. I've got a lot of questions going
on in my brain right now.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
So what is your role in an assisting organizations like
Global Neighbors who you mentioned to be able to work
with refugees.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
So they are an affiliate of Church World Service, so
it's the resettlement that they do is through Church Service.
That's not technically under my purview. So the first ninety
days of services, like picking someone up from the airport,
helping kids get enrolled in school, setting up the home,
doing that initial community and cultural orientation. They do that
(17:14):
as part of their contract with the National Resettlement Agency.
But I coordinate with them to make sure that the
individuals who are resettled have access to the longer term
services that they need to succeed. So the services that
the state coordinates are more focused on employment support, English
language learning and then some of those community connection pieces.
And one of the things that I'm really excited about that.
(17:35):
We launched in the last year and we're actually the
first state to do this. We partnered with city governments
and we hired community integration facilitators in Bismark Grand Works,
and then we're taking steps towards doing the same and Fargo.
So now we have an individual at the city level
that's helping to foster the integration of newcomers.
Speaker 4 (17:54):
And there's really three top priorities of their role.
Speaker 5 (17:59):
The first is to promote a better understanding of refugee
populations on the part of the local community. Right, people
have to know that they're here, right, My experiences at
North Dakota's are incredibly welcoming people and they love to help,
but they have to know people are here. They have
to know, like what were the factors the migration drivers,
what do they bring here? So some of those those
(18:19):
are really important components. The second thing is to work
really closely with the organizations that are serving newcomer populations,
like the adult learning centers, like Job Service, like your
Bismarck Global Neighbors, to understand what are the barriers that
are that are hindering success, and then to develop citywide
solutions to reduce those barriers, and then the third piece
(18:40):
is really just to build up their access to our
community life, the events, the programs, all the things that
make any of us want to live and stay here.
We want newcomers to become included, to have a sense
of belonging here, we want them to stay. So I'm
really excited about that role. It's just launched in the
last couple of months in Bismarck, but already with so
many promising efforts underway, and Grand Forks is exactly the same.
(19:04):
So I think we have to be really intentional here
in North Dakota. I'm very excited about the prospect of welcoming.
Over the last three years in this role. Whenever I've
approached any organization, any community, and it's been many in many,
they all want to know how can I help. The
(19:24):
response has never been why are they here?
Speaker 4 (19:27):
I don't want to be involved in this. It's been
the opposite.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
So I think we're I think we're positioned to do
some really great, some really great work in North Dakota.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
So then do individuals choose to be placed in North
Dakota or is there a process in how were they
where they end up living?
Speaker 5 (19:46):
So once once someone is approved through the US Refugee
Missions program, if they have a family tie in the
United States, then they'll make every effort to place them
near that family tie. If they don't have a family tie,
then they would be referred to as what's called a
free case, and that would mean that they could be
(20:06):
placed really anywhere in the United States. So what they
would take a look at is more their their demographic profile,
where in the country they would find the right cultural
connections and community, the right types of employment opportunities, and
then they make they make the decisions on assurances that way.
So in North Dakota, I would say probably half are
family ties and probably half a free cases. There's also
(20:29):
a new program called Welcome Core where people can apply
to sponsor a refugee. So that's never happened before. It's
like groups of five that can create a welcome plan
and they can apply to sponsor either someone they know
or someone they don't know. And that's we're just starting
to see applications. It's it's very very new, but we
also saw programs like Uniting for Ukraine in the last
(20:52):
couple of years, and the number of North Dakota's that
sponsor at Ukrainians was very, very high. We've had at
least five hundred, somewhere between five hundred and one thousand arrivals.
And the reason I don't know the total number is
because they're sponsored by individuals, So unless they reach out
to the state requesting some type of services, we're not
(21:12):
notified at the point that they arrive unless the sponsor
notifies us or the individual. So we know the number
of applications that have been submitted from somebody with the
North Dakota zip code, but unless when that person arrives
they reach out to us, we never know if they.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Arrive, So then and I don't expect like super in
depth with this, but the uniting for Ukraine, the welcome core,
there's different than rules and regulations and policies, I guess
would be a better word for each each program that's
offered on how individuals can come to the United States.
Speaker 5 (21:48):
Correct, absolutely, So for refugee is like it's a durable solution, right,
they're on a pathway to permanency. So someone obtains that
refugee status that it's a legal status overseas. One year
later they be come a legal permanent resident. Five years
after that they can become a US citizen, right, someone
who comes through Uniting for Ukraine, that's a temporary program.
The processing is a lot quicker, but they have right
(22:11):
now they are able to work for two years in
the United States and that's pretty much yet.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
Right. It's a two year temporary program.
Speaker 5 (22:21):
So it's very very different than being admitted to the
United States as a refugee.
Speaker 3 (22:27):
Do you know what countries have the highest refugee populations
in North Dakota?
Speaker 5 (22:31):
So today the highest the countries with the largest populations
represented in Bismarck would be Ukraine, right, And we've got
quite a few from Eastern Europe, from Moldova, a lot
from Afghanistan, and then I would say coming through the
refugee admissions program, the highest numbers have been from Central America,
(22:54):
so we've seen a lot from Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador.
And then also we've seen some Haitians come through the
Cuban Hation parole program, which is very similar to Uniting
for Ukraine, requires a state sponsor and it's temporary.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
So what are some of the struggles that you feel
refugees faced when they come to North Dakota.
Speaker 5 (23:16):
I would say it wouldn't probably surprise you, right, But
I think a lot of the struggles, like English language
learning is a struggle at first for everybody. Transportation is
a major struggle, and that's something that we're putting a
lot of efforts towards ideating solutions for now. It's really
(23:38):
in North Dakota. I try to imagine, you know, what
it would be like to live here without a vehicle.
I have four kids, you know, like they wouldn't be
able to be involved in activities. I talk to people
all the time who ride the bus. Sometimes the bus
is understaffed, sometimes it doesn't come, sometimes it's late, sometimes
there's weather things. So transportation is just a a major
obstacle that we have to come up with better solutions around.
(24:02):
And that certainly is a struggle for newcomer populations and
getting to where they need to be. And I'm sure
that's something that you guys hear about from time to time, yeah,
as well. So those are big ones also for our
populations that speak English, have professional degrees that they obtained overseas,
(24:22):
have experience that's overseas. They really struggle to find employment
that's at the level of their skill and experience until
they get some US work experience, it seems like employers
really hesitate to hire them at the level that they've
worked in the past. So that is definitely it's lack
of professional network, right, So building those professional networks is
(24:46):
something that we're working on with the city.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
And some of the things that people have talked about
we don't even think of. We've had Jasmine Tassa Smith
on our show who now is one of the executive
directors of Global Neighbors, and when she moved from another country,
she had a story and talked about how different it
is to get medicine, like if you want to get
taile and al or something ibuprofen, you have to actually
go to a pharmacy, where in our country you can
(25:10):
just go to the grocery store and get it. So
even little things like that we don't even think of,
or foods different foods, not knowing what they're called or
what is about the same as far as what their country.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
Is too, right, there's a lot in Bismark. Global Neighbors
does a really great job in the first few months
of helping people navigate some of those like laws is
another thing too, so they work really closely with the
Police Department. They work really closely with a lot of
organizations to help people understand the our cultural norms. But
(25:40):
in those first ninety days, you know, it really is
like you're having so much information thrown at you it's
really hard to retain it. So we work with them
to repeat that information and kind of go more in depth,
like throughout the year, like once a month, kind of
focusing on health topics, focusing on transportation topics, focusing on
whatever it might be to really help people retain the
(26:05):
information that they need to know.
Speaker 2 (26:06):
I know, we keep mentioning kind of the organizations that
the state supports. Is there a particular like one location
that people could go to learn more about what the
state does, Like do you guys have a website.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
Or we do?
Speaker 5 (26:23):
Okay, right there, the Office of Refugee Services has a website.
We're located within the Department of Health and Human Services,
but most of the work, much of the work that
we do.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Is with communities in the community.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
Structure is built around the integration Facilitator, the Adult Learning
Center as being the connecting place. People are going there
to study English two and three times a week, so
we're trying to bring as much services there as we can.
We know how hard it is for people to get
around the city, so our career navigators go there, our
case managers go there. So that's where we've done a
lot of education and training is through the adult learning centers.
(26:59):
We have amazing saying, amazing adult learning centers in North Dakota.
Speaker 4 (27:02):
It's awesome.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
I just think there's so many nuances to the programs
and everything that it can be overwhelming.
Speaker 4 (27:09):
Oh. Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (27:11):
And kind of on that note, what are some of
the most common misconceptions that you think North Dakotas have
about refugees.
Speaker 4 (27:20):
So there's probably a couple things.
Speaker 5 (27:23):
First one I would say is that they contribute to
scarcity of resources, right, But in reality, refugees are bringing
skills and talents from all over the world that they're contributing, right.
And the other piece is that the federal government funds
the services that we provide to support their successes. It's
not state funded, so it actually brings resources and it
(27:47):
brings people with skills and talents. So those two things
I would say on that when refugees first arrived in
those first few years, like, of course they're going to struggle, right,
They're having to adapt and learn.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
In totally new new world.
Speaker 5 (28:02):
But if you fast forward to like twenty five years
in country, if you look at US census data from
the American Community Survey, you'll see that the median household
income for refugees is actually higher than that of US
foreign citizens, around eighty thousand dollars a year. They have
incredible creativity, resilience, determination, problem solving skills, and that can
be evidence through data over time. Another thing I would
(28:26):
point out is that yes, there is that initial investment
that the federal government does make, and then getting connected
to the services and resources.
Speaker 4 (28:32):
That they need.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
According again to census data, after eight years in the
United States, the tax the federal taxes that they have
paid begin to exceed what that initial investment was.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
So those are some important.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
Things that I don't think people necessarily realize. Another thing
is when we're thinking about folks who are crossing the
southern border right that may very likely be fleeing persecution
and that are seeking humanitarian protection through asylum. That is
not the same as someone who obtains refugee status overseas.
(29:08):
Asylum would be a form of humanitarian protection. It often
takes many years to obtain it's granted here in the
United States. But until someone is granted asylum, they would
not be eligible to be served as a refugee right
or as a person with a form of humanitarian protection.
So I think there's that distinction. Like you hear the
word refugee a lot and a lot of people are
(29:28):
fleeing persecution and are fleeing violence and are looking for protection.
But when you talk about who the Office of Refugee
Services serves in North Dakota, it's people who have received
a form of humanitarian protection.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Have the number of refugees gone up since you took
over in twenty twenty one.
Speaker 5 (29:45):
Oh my gosh, yes, yeah they have. So the largest
number ever settled in North Dakota was six hundred and
thirty three and I can't think maybe it was around
twenty ten. This last year settled one thousand, So yeah,
it has, it has gone up, and it's also changed geographically,
(30:05):
and part of that is uniting for Ukraine. People can
now be involved, like everyday North Dakota's can sponsor, so
that's changed things. But it used to be that ninety
percent went to Fargo, right, and now it's about fifty
percent go to Fargo, about fifteen percent go to Bismarck,
fifteen percent Grand Works, and then the other twenty percent
is really all over North Dakota. So we're seeing refugee
(30:27):
populations begin to establish homes in Mine, not in Williston, Carrington.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
North Dakota, Park River, North Dakota.
Speaker 5 (30:35):
So yeah, there's been there's been significant expansion of the
refugee program.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
So I guess kind of I feel like I personally
could talk about the benefits of having new Americans here
in Bismarck, But what are some things that you haven't
discussed yet that you want people in Bismarck to know.
Speaker 5 (30:56):
Well, I would say that, you know, welcoming newcomer populations
to North Dakota is really key to our community's success
and to us thriving economically into the future. Right now
today in North Dakota, there are there are more jobs
than there are people who are who are looking for jobs,
right So when we're thinking of newcomer populations, they are
(31:19):
looking for opportunities, They're looking for economic opportunities, they're looking
for rich community life. We have those opportunities here, So
I feel like it's a really critical match that benefits
everybody and that's the way I truly see it, and
I think that's the way we've been able to expand
the number of partnerships that we have. When I started
(31:40):
in this role, we had we had five partnerships. Today
we have fifty. So I mean that just goes to
show you how many people want to work, want to support,
want to be involved with refugee resettlement.
Speaker 4 (31:50):
I think it's a huge.
Speaker 5 (31:51):
Opportunity and I hope that it helps expand welcoming to
other populations, other immigrant populations as well.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
Well. Our time is already up, so I'm going to
ask you the last question that we ask everyone, and
that question is how would you encourage your neighbor to
create an atmosphere inclusion, equality, diversity, and accessibility.
Speaker 5 (32:11):
I would say I would encourage people to find ways
to get to know their neighbors. I think that North
Dakota's I mentioned this before, that they really they love
to help, and that's been absolutely my direct experience, right.
But we have to find ways to engage people in
refugee resettlement, in the welcoming of newcomers. I think an
(32:32):
excellent way to do it, and I don't think it's
too heavy of a lift. I think it's really fun
is volunteering with Bismark Global Neighbors, Like that's an excellent
way to start. An even easier way to start would
be just to attend some of the multicultural events that
are popping up around the city. The downtown Ers are
hosting a multicultural event this Friday night at the Heritage Center.
(32:52):
You know, there's been.
Speaker 4 (32:53):
More than that.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
The library does the Families around the World event, so
there's there are lots of ways to get connected to newcomers.
And I would also encourage people, you know, not to
be afraid to invite them into the richness of our
community life. Invite them to the events, to the programs,
to the things that you love and that you would
love someone to invite you to, right from having the
(33:14):
experience of living overseas, like if we were in their countries,
I promise you they would be inviting us in.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Well. Thank you to everyone for tuning into these or
your neighbors with our guests, Holly Triska, thank you for
wanting to get to know your neighbors as we hold
these important and necessary conversations. If you found this conversation
as important as we do, please make sure you share
it with your neighbors.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Thank you for tuning into these or your Neighbors a
podcast hosted by the City of Bismarck Human Relations Committee
and produced by Dakota Media Access. The purpose of the
Bismarck Human Relations Committee is to create an atmosphere of inclusion, quality,
and accessibility through education and outreach to recognize the value
(34:05):
of a diverse community. For more information about the Human
Relations Committee, visit bismarckand dot gov.
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