The Antelope Valley Times

Your community. Your issues. Your news.

June is “Refugee Awareness Month” in LA County

by •

LOS ANGELES – The Board of Supervisors Tuesday proclaimed June “Refugee Awareness Month” in Los Angeles County.

The designation is meant to highlight county services provided to refugees forced to flee their home countries because of religious and political persecution, war and civil unrest, and to showcase the contributions made by those new residents.

“The decision to leave their country often involves unimaginable risks,” said Sheryl Spiller, director of the Department of Public Social Services. “In choosing Los Angeles County as their newfound home, we are afforded the opportunity to serve and assist them in rebuilding their lives — free from the harm, oppression and the violence they left behind.”

The department lauded Los Angeles County as “the most populated and culturally diverse county in America,” estimating that 140 cultures and as many as 224 languages co-exist here.

DPSS partners with the county’s public health department and community and faith-based organizations to help refugees start new lives, offering specialized employment and training services for up to five years.

The county’s month-long recognition coincides with California’s observance of “Refugee Awareness Month” and the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees declaration of “World Refugee Day” on June 20.
–

Filed Under: Politics

14 comments for "June is “Refugee Awareness Month” in LA County"

  2. Yeah, this guy is my favorite. I always read his comments when I need a good laugh.

  3. LOL…sooooo, your idea of “action” is making totally meaningless comments about me. Do you not even have the intellectual capacity to form an opinion on the subject at hand?

  4. This is BS Americans here that need job training and job skills and there’s nothing for us if you are immigrant of refugees there programs out there to help you but if you are American lacking job skills and education there’s not really too much out there to help you

    • Do you realize that unemployment is down to friction levels, or is that one of those awkward facts that you block out because it would interrupt your hatefulness?

      • @Tim
        Unemployment that is reported is down. But the people who have completely dropped off the list and are no longer actively looking are not counted. Why do we need a Refugee Awareness month? Do we have a Born American Awareness month?

        • Yeah, that’s been the Republican chant for years. “Look at all the people who stopped looking for work!!!!” Guess what. I’M ONE OF THEM. It’s called RETIREMENT. The number of people “dropping out of the workforce” between 2008 and 2016 was predictable in the 1970s, and was as predicted. Republicans have been wailing and gnashing their teeth, following the lead of Faux News et all over NOTHING.

          The bottom line is that unemployment is at friction levels, or very close to it. Friction level is the level that you really never get below because there are always job changers who are between jobs in a free workplace market. We might be able to shave off another point, maybe, but that’s about it.

          And the work force isn’t going to get magically bigger, because I couldn’t care less if employers just can’t fill positions, I have no intention to go back to work. And i assume all the rest of the baby boomers who retired feel pretty much the same.

        • Refugee Awareness month helps people to understand that refugees are not illegal immigrants.

      • Its hateful because I was born in the US and I have nothing coming to me and people that are not born here get grants loans scholarships and other free handouts that they clearly take advantage of I have not been disrespectful to anyone’s race or religion how is that hateful where do you get off calling me hateful for speaking my mind and doing it in a respectable manner

        • If you were born in the US and think you “have nothing coming to you” maybe you should take a look at WHAT YOU ALREADY WON IN THAT LITTLE BIRTHPLACE LOTTERY instead of crying the blues about how put upon you are.

          That said, if you genuinely want help finding the opportunities that are available to people like us (yes, I too won the birthplace lottery and was born a US citizen) I would be willing to help you.