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Relief for Immigrant and Elderly Survivors of
Katrina Immigrant Survivors of Katrina: Summary Immigrant Survivors of Katrina in the News Links: Relief for Immigrant Survivors of Katrina Elder Survivors of Katrina: Summary Elder Survivors of Katrina in the News Organizations in Support of Relief for Immigrants and for the Elderly
Immigrant Survivors of Katrina: Summary Concerns have been raised that immigrants, particularly those who are undocumented, may be less active in seeking aid from Hurricane Katrina, for fear of being deported, especially due to mixed messages from President Bush and the Department of Homeland Security about whether illegal immigrants could be deported if their illegal status are discovered while seeking relief from. While the status of some immigrant groups is uncertain, others are moving forward in rebuilding their communities, just as they did upon their initial arrival to the US. Tens of thousands of Latin Americans, most from Mexico and Honduras, were living in the New Orleans area prior to the hurricane. Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, and Chile also reported efforts to reach displaced citizens. President Vicente Fox urged Mexicans to seek help from emergency officials during a televised address Friday in both Spanish and English. He said his government had reached an agreement with U.S. authorities that "those who were not documented at the time will not be subject to any pressure or persecution whatsoever." (http://langamp.com/borderblog/?p=247, (Illegal Immigrant Victims of Katrina may be Avoiding Authorities, Wont Be Deported, Beyond Borders Blog, Sept 3, 2005) However, the Department of Homeland Security has stopped short of reassuring illegal immigrants affected by Hurricane Katrina that they can seek help from relief agencies without fear of arrest - something the federal government did after the Sept. 11 attacks. The agency is encouraging everyone to come forward, and has not been asking people whether they are in the country legally when they are rescuing them, agency spokeswoman Joanna Gonzalez said. But she would not say whether information on undocumented immigrants would be shared with law enforcement agencies. Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs and Enforcement officials are assisting in the hurricane response and helping to find survivors. (Gamboa, Susanne, Feds Stop Short in Assurances for Illegal Immigrants, Philadelphia Daily News, Sep 8, 2005. http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/news/12595889.htm? template=contentModules/printstory.jsp) Other immigrant groups have been affected as well, including the Vietnamese community which has proved to be particularly resilient, who close ties and sense of community have proved to be a model for rebuilding their lives and community. Before the hurricane, 20,000 Vietnamese were living in New Orleans, 10,00 of which lived in the New Orleans East section of the city, having settled there as refugees from communism in the 1970s and 1980s. Based out of a Catholic Church in New Orleans, groups of these community members are now coming together to decontaminate homes, make food for families and advocate for FEMA housing trailers, all to plant the roots of a new settlement. Old and new, younger and elder, bound by cultural traditions and ties, are all united in a unique effort to get the New Orleans Vietnamese community back on its feet. Sustained by Close Ties, Vietnamese Toil to Rebuild, The New York Times, Oct 20, 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/20/national/nationalspecial/20viet.html Immigrant Survivors of Katrina in the News Urbina, Ian, Foreign Workers Are Caught in a Double Trap, New York Times, 11 Sept 2005 Immigration-Related Information for Hurricane Katrina Victims: Assistance, Visas, Contacts and More Humbles, Andy, Local Katrina Notebook: Immigrant students assist storm victims, USA Today, 13 Sept 2005. National Immigration Law Center webpage. See Features That Should Be Included in Hurricane Katrina Relief. This article talks about the barriers specific to immigrant survivors of Katrina in receiving aid. Avila, Oscar and Dellios, Hugh, Immigrants told to seek help, whatever their legal status, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sept 2005. Honduran Immigrants in New Orleans: Fleeing Hurricanes Mitch, Katrina, and Now the U.S. Government, Democracynow.org, 13 Sept 2005. Bernstein, Nina, Refugee Groups Reaching Out to Victims of Hurricane, New York Times, 18 Sept 2005. Fears, Darryl, "For Illegal Immigrants, Some Aid Is Too Risky," The Washington Post, 20 Sept 2005. Gilot, Louie, "Katrina Immigrants Ordered to Deportation Court," El Paso Times, 21 Sept 2005. Lydersen, Kari, Some Immigrants Suffer Doubly After Hurricane Katrina, The Newstand, 28 Sept 2005. Hurricane Katrina Uproots Vietnamese Immigrants in US, workpermit.com, 7 Sept 2005 Sundaram, Viji, "South Asians Grapple with Katrina," Pacific News, 9 Sept, 2005 Shore, Elena, "Katrina Victims Denied Aid and Face Deportation," New America Media, 28 Sept 2005 Schonberg, Bethany Spicher, "Immigrants Find No Safe Haven After Katrina," Mennonite Central Committee, 3 Oct 2005 "The Impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Immigrants and Refugees in the Gulf Coast", Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, 26 Oct 2005 Wasem, Ruth Ellen, "Hurricane Katrina-Related Immigration Issues and Legislation," Congressional Research Service, 19 Sept 2005 Salmon, Jacqueline L., "Katrina's Vietnamese Victims," Washington Post, 9 Feb 2006 Rosales, Alejandro, "Changes Since Katrina Have Renewed Importance for Immigrants," Oxfam America. "Immigration Issues Rising from Hurricane Katrina," National Asian Pacific American Legal Consortium. Links: Relief for Immigrant Survivors of Katrina
National Immigration Law Center
USCIS (US Citizenship and Immigration
Services)
Press Release: USCIS to Assist Immigrants
Impacted by Katrina What services are available to USCIS Customers Affected by Hurricane Katrina?http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/Katrina_flyer.pdf
Lutheran Refugee and Immigration Services Katrina Legal Aid
Resource Center The Immigration
Portal The Hebrew Immigrant
Aid Society National Council of
La Raza Elderly Survivors of Katrina: Summary Since Hurricane Katrina hit, the elderly population has been one of the hardest hit due to their particular vulnerability caused by sickness, limited mobility, and physical frailty. Although many of the elderly demonstrated extraordinary strength and resilience, many were also subject to tragedy, trapped in their homes or medical facilities. Their well-being post-Katrina remains an issue across the country as relief and other agencies seek to provide much needed services, especially health care.
Many nursing homes, among other health care
facilities so important to the frail elderly, were damaged or destroyed
by the hurricane. Those living in these facilities or homebound were
not able to access transportation to evacuate for the storm. According
to an October 24th article in the New York Times, about 60
percent of the nearly 500 identified victims so far were aged 61 or
older. Elders were affected in both impoverished neighborhoods such as
the low-lying Ninth Ward as well as in affluent areas where residents
may have had means to evacuate. Elderly Survivors of Katrina in the News http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/DN-katelderly_18nat.ART.State.Bulldog.423aa24.html: Hit hard by Katrina, elderly show ability to bounce back, Dallas News, Sep 18, 2005. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/19/national/nationalspecial/19victims.html: Dewan, Shaila, et. al, 154 Patients Died, Many in Intense Heat, as Rescues Lagged, New York Times, Sep 19, 2005. http://www.globalaging.org: Contains articles related to the affects on and recovery of the elderly from Hurricane Katrina http://www.americangeriatrics.org/news/hurricane_katrina.shtml: The American Geriatrics Society has assembled the following information to assist our members and others to learn what they can do to help with the Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts of Hurricane Katrina and how they can prepare themselves to help in future situations. Organizations in Support of Relief for the Aging and for Immigrants
American Friends Service Committee
American Red Cross
Generations United
National Coalition on Aging (NCoA)
Administration on Aging Last updated 3.20.2006 |
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