By Adele Rice

Adele Rice, principle of Milpera School,  discusses the particular issues facing young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds.  Milpera is a state secondary school which provides English language, an intensive and settlement services to prepare newly arrived immigrant and refugee students for participation in secondary schools around the Brisbane area.

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By Adele Rice
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The issues, the expectations and the realities for young people from different cultural, linguistic social and economic backgrounds are different from each person and it is unwise to generalise about any particular category or ethnic group. However, there are some factors common to all young people in the migration experience which is the most life changing transition of all, at a time when they are simultaneously in the transition from childhood to adulthood.

Homesickness

Regardless of the circumstances of migration young people all miss their friends very much, especially any close relationships. Many students describe the tears at the farewells, the crying that goes on and on, the intensity of the sadness of homesickness, the seeming madness of leaving people you love. All immigrant young people miss their extended family members, their schools, their communities. They miss the LIFE that they had, that they shared with others. Most young people who emigrate with their families also experience the culture shock common to all, comprising as it does new language, new food, new climate, new environment and customs. For those with informed expectations and family support this in itself does not need to be perceived as negative, merely as an issue but there are more serious issues that will impact on most shortly after arrival.

Loss of Confidence

Loss of confidence is a major issue in a number of school and home contexts e.g. a student who was at the top of his/her class can feel very humiliated by being a beginner in English especially if there are siblings of different ages in the family, once separated by age but now all beginners. Loss of status can also be an issue for young people who were accustomed to a comfortable life or whose parents worked in professions or jobs that were highly skilled or valued when those same parents are struggling with their own on arrival problems including lack of English language and an inability to re-enter their profession. Similarly, role reversal can cause confusion, anxiety and depression at home when the positions of bread winner or household head are changed due to lack of English, lack of work or availability of work, and changed family dynamics.

Heavy Responsibility

Many young people have to assume a parenting role within the family caring for younger siblings, interpreting for the family and often having to miss school or put their studies aside to do so. They don't want to further stress their parents by telling of their problems and so carry a double load. They may be called on to act in the head of household role themselves which places a very heavy burden on them in addition to their own load of study, understanding and fitting into their new social and academic environment.

Milperra - Reception & Support

Milpera School where I work has a dedicated staff who try constantly to offer services that are appropriate to the needs of the young people attending at any given time. Our focus is not just academic preparation for high school but we provide a wide range of settlement services which deal with many of the above issues and we assist families in accessing settlement services in the wider community.

What our young people are saying

Some recent Milpera students have given permission for their ideas to be expressed in this article. A mature 16 year old young person from Costa Rica who was involved in her family's decision to migrate, who understood fully the reasons, who participated in the selling up, the farewell parties, the goodbyes to relatives and friends still says,

"Monday, 5th Feb, the worse day of my life. I cried too much. I still crying on the plane; I felt terrible to left my country and all this people who really love me"

Six weeks later.......

"I still want to be in Costa Rica. I miss my friends; I miss to go out everywhere. Here is so different, the food, the customs, the people, everything. I'm here but I can't believe, not yet, that I'm here.....it is so foreign, I'm so confused; I hate to think that I can't be with my friends and my country; I just want to sleep forever. Is to difficult for me, all this change.

But when I think of all these people who came here because of war and other horrible things I think I'm lucky because I came here with my family and I don't have that kind of problems, and that made me feel better....."

Specific Issues for Refugee Young Young

The perceptions of the above student who came with her family as part of the business migration program and her understanding of the differences between being migrant and refugee are constantly borne out at Milperra. Young refugee or special humanitarian or special assistance category students have all of the above on arrival experiences to contend with as well as a host of other issues which impact on their personalities, their lifestyles and their high school potential.

Many of the above students currently from former Yugoslavia, Vietnam, Somalia, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan have already experienced not just family separation but family dislocation caused by war, by having to flee on foot, by lorry, by boat. Young people in these categories have limited prospects of family reunion if a family member, often the father, is missing or in jail; if family members from different refugee camps have been resettled by different third countries; if the country of origin for whatever reason places barriers in the way of specific exits.

Those who are here and are safe worry constantly about the safety and well being of those left behind. They are often numb with anxiety and guilt about having escaped the conditions, the country, the suffering, but the mental suffering continues post arrival and goes with them to their classrooms.

It can be seen through a variety of presenting behaviours which can include physiological symptoms like headaches, stomach-aches, insomnia, bad dreams, flashbacks, aggressive behaviour, fear and distrust. These symptoms also impact on the learning of young people especially where concentration and motivation are concerned.

Nearly all of the learners in these categories have missed sizeable chunks of their schooling due to war or time in refugee camps and this has consequences for their future educational placements. Self esteem is further eroded if an older student is advised to take a placement more suitable for his/her academic and English language ability than his/her chronological age.

Very few, if any, of the refugee young people have had any say in the decision to come to Australia. Students from former Yugoslavia, particularly those 16 to 19 years of age grieve not just for the loss of their country, their friends, their relatives but the loss of their LIFE as they see it. The fact that they had a life four years ago and now it is gone is exacerbated by their family's status of being refugee, which coming from Europe they perceive as very negative. Other issues like their lack of finance, difficulties with transport, the geographical isolation of some of their housing and always, the lack of English dominate their lives in the initial post arrival period.

War has robbed some of these young people of their childhood and accelerated them into adulthood in an unfamiliar society as is echoed in their words - others had a wonderful pre-war childhood which ill prepared them for the chaos of war.

Thoughts from Young People from Former Yugoslavia

A male Bosnian student writes,

"I had a perfect childhood because I had enough money and friends to do everything a child can sense, can imagine. I had plans for all my life but was in the wrong place at the wrong time. All my plans fell down when the war started. Sooner you can imagine I became a refugee, a world's garbage."

A 15 year old girl tells us,

"I was born in Sarajevo. There I lived 15 years ago. Before the war in my country, I had life very good. I went to primary school. My parents had their jobs. My life was very decent and very interesting. I had my family. I had all what is needed for normal life. Five days was enough that my life completely change. My family stayed in Sarajevo because they hadn't a choice. I went in one of former Yugoslav republic where I have an aunt. There I started secondary school. At that time I was in a very difficult situation because I was alone without parents. My family was separate for 2 years."

An 18 year old describes herself as a refugee from Bosnia whose parents decided that the family must leave to save their lives but she says,

"I didn't want to go from my country. I left my friends, I left my house, my school. I left my life! That was time when I esteemed and liked my life I know there in war my life was questions but I wanted to live. How everything is different. I can say, I hate my life and I hate my fate. Here my parents don't have jobs, I can't finish school where I want to go. Here I am nobody and nothing."

Refugee Young People the Horn of Africa, Vietnam Iran, Afghanistan

For some Milperra students life is very different here because in many ways it is a better life than the one they had before, at least in a material sense. Some of our young people have been very mistrustful of authority due to the very harsh regimes in their own country. Many have witnessed and survived torture and trauma in a range of countries and situations. Many have walked through desert or jungle for months even years. Many have lived under canvas within the sound and range of gunshot. Some have almost forgotten their country of origin so changed are its boundaries, its politics and so long have they been in transit and refugee camp.

Family Dislocation

One of the biggest issues for young people on their own is their very limited capacity to sponsor or be reunited with their families. When a family becomes separated and some members are accepted as refugees, it does not presently follow that the remaining members will also be refugees. It is very daunting for young people with no resources to complete their schooling AND get the money together to sponsor their family. It usually means they cannot stay at school and is a source of despair. The dislocation of families and the hopelessness of reunion is the most heartbreaking issue for young people in this situation and it makes them feel so powerless. It can also cause intense feelings of guilt and unresolved grief.

Racism

Families who enter Australia under the business migration program or who are employer nominated do not suffer the same economic hardships experienced by refugees and struggling families using the family reunion component of the immigration program. They and their young adult students do however express concerns about the issues of racism. Racism is written about in overseas newspapers and some new arrivals have a great anxiety over it prior to arrival. Milperra students generally appreciate the differences in the student body but are aware of racism. A significant review in 1994 found that high school students from other cultures found that racism impacted on their lives to a very high degree whereas teachers recognised its existence but did not perceive it as a high priority issue that needed to be addressed. Racism is a fact of day to day life for young people from language backgrounds other than English as it is widespread in our community both in its overt forms and institutionalised forms.

Issues for CALD Young People Born in Australia

Students from different cultural backgrounds who have been in Australia longer than Milperra students including those born here have a lot of different issues to raise and many of these relate to their schooling and their achievement or lack thereof as well as their self esteem. Homework is an issue as are assignments due to the fact that culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families are less well resourced and able to help their primary or secondary students with homework. In fact parents say they do not understand what is required of them or their students. Young people from other backgrounds are often under valued by their English speaking peers and their teachers. A common complaint is that the school has low expectations for them which affects their self esteem negatively. The fact that this group speaks English well often means they do not get any special support with the academic literacy aspects of the curriculum which is where their problems often lie. Another issue for these young people is that their language is held in low esteem or ignored to the point where they themselves do not necessarily self identify in surveys or other data gathering devises. Their parents see the current LOTE policy as discriminatory and needing review.

Families of CALD students perceive themselves and their children as being less powerful than other groups in the school and wider community because there is so little access to information in their own language and so little use of the Telephone Interpreter Service. Similarly for the more newly arrived student access to information is often limited by their proficiency to comprehend it. Post Milperra, young people need on-going information about a range of topics and services.

Contemporary Issues

When I look at the profile of Milpera today, very many of the issues facing the current cohort of young people from immigrant and refugee backgrounds are the same as in previous years, but some are different.

To begin with, the composition of the cohort today is different than what it has been in the past - responding as always to situations overseas and the current immigration programme.

Table 1:  Students by Nationalities 31.00 Kb
Table 2:  Students by Visa Categories 20.50 Kb

The overwhelming nature of the issues facing today's young refugees and migrants remains the same - that of being a young person uprooted and transplanted in foreign soil.

For immigrant young people, many of whom are dependant children of skilled "guest" workers, there is the uncertainty about life at the end of the 5 year visa period and the lack of settlement services that come with being "temporary business" immigrants. Other young people whose parent, usually a mother, is a dependant spouse are awaiting permanency pending scrutiny of their parents' relationship. Very few young immigrants are permanent at this time.

The issues for these young people centre around loss - loss of the life they had, loss and separation from friends, from family, from grandparents. They have limited or no English, no cultural or social knowledge and can suffer loss of identity and severe homesickness. However, this group can be technically savvy; can be urban of Asian, European or South American background. They can have access to SKYPE or e-mail or phone cards and ultimately they can go back. Their immigration experience can be miserable especially if they had no choice in the decision or it can be an enriching adventure.

Things are very different for young people of refugee background. Scarcely a single person is directly from the country of their parents' birth. Most have been born and raised in refugee camps with minimal access to an appropriate education or to basic requirements of food, shelter and water.

Family dislocation, not mere separation, is rife. Loss of one or both parents, deceased or missing due to war is very common in this cohort. Mortality rates, especially of their young siblings in the camps is also high. Too many have witnessed or directly experienced violence and rape. Overwhelming sadness, loss, grief and trauma impact on their ability to learn and to settle. The psychological impact of what they have been through manifests itself through aggressive and/or oppositional behaviours, lack of concentration, memory impairment, overly vigilant behaviour, inability to sleep, or too much sleep, digestive disorders, flashbacks and nightmares.

Future Hopes

The miracle is that many young people from a rich diversity of backgrounds DO settle well and do achieve their potential despite all the barriers they face. With good settlement programs, lots of support and resilience building activities, trust in the world, confidence and self esteem are restored, identity is expressed and rebuilt. The new target language is learned, the opportunity to be educated is grasped and the ability to live in peace and harmony without the sound of gunfire is a reality.

We must acknowledge and not deprive them of their past as they struggle with the present towards their future.

It is a privilege to be part of their great ability to actualise and develop themselves as they move towards full participation in a new life. They want a LIFE and they want it NOW and they want us to listen and to hear what they are saying knowing full well that "Life is not just a piece of paper" (a young Bosnian male about to go to high school).

At Milpera we witness daily the successes of all young people, regardless of their visa category as they rebuild their lives, as they dream their dreams and hope for a better future. It is our privilege to accompany them on this journey.

About the Author

For more than 20 years Adele Rice has worked with immigrant and refugee young people and their families in their immediate post arrival period in Australia. In her professional life she has been continuously involved in the provision of quality English as a Second Language programs and other services which facilitate successful settlement and full participation in the new host community. In Adele's private life, supporting the resettlement of refugee families has been an on-going focus. Adele's own life and that of her family have been enormously enriched by the range of joyful and sorrowful shared experiences along the way.