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| HOW DO I HELP SOMEONE WHO… is a Recent Immigrant |
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| THE STORY | | | A family from another non-English country just moved in next door. Your family has agreed to welcome them to the neighborhood. You hope to begin a good relationship right off the bat. But what should you do- or how can you avoid being a nuisance? | | | |
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| WHAT I NEED TO KNOW FIRST | | | |  | Language may be the biggest barrier. Older men and women might be hesitant to hold a conversation because their English is poor. | | | | Culturally, they will be cautious of your attempts at showing good faith efforts in being a friendly neighbor, because they might be wondering what you will want in return. | | | | Even in the immigrant Christian community there are lots of attempts to sway people away from groups and churches to someone else’s group or church. Hold back on inviting them to church or a group until they get to know you. | | | | Don’t discuss things like education, what type of job they have, finances, and material possessions unless they start the conversation first, or until they get to know you. | | | | Get to know them casually at first, don’t rush in too aggressively. Perhaps if you both have kids you can encourage the kids to lead the way by playing together and getting to know each other. | | | | Ask about their personal background and culture- what part of the country do they come from; how long have they been in America; do they have many friends and family here? | | | | Start off talking man to man and woman to woman- don’t cross these boundaries too readily at first. | | | | |
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| WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR ACTION? | | | | | They will likely need suggestions on where to go shopping to get the best buys. | | | | They might need some information on the local schools for children. | | | | They might need referrals for a plumber, car mechanic, concrete mason, electrician, etc. | | | | They would appreciate introductions to other neighbors and help in learning about the neighborhood kids. | | | | Provide simple tips such as how the City collects recyclables and trash. | | | | |
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| HOW CAN I LEARN MORE? | | | | | Search out sights on the web or in the library about their country, culture, food, dress and religion. | | | | Look at a map of the country to see where they originate from in that country. | | | | Seek out friends who have friends from the same country so you can ask more specific questions about your new neighbors. | | | | |
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Compassion Helps - Provided by MercyNet - www.citynetphilly.org
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