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The top five states with Hmong refugees are, in order, California, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Michigan. Given that they will go to sponsoring families, one would expect that the majority of Hmong refugees will go to these states.
I don't know the answer to Mary's question about why St. Paul (and Mpls) attract so many refugees, but can speculate based upon some discussions that I've been involved in.
I think its a combination of:
* The support provided by already existing
refugee populations.
* The existence and activity of supportive
community organizations.
* And support/services offered by local governmentI think that there is a perception, that we draw lots of refugees, simply because we have very generous benefits. However, I think that this portion of the equation MAY BE exaggerated in the minds of many citizens. I'm not sure how generous government benefits are in St. Paul (or Minnesota) compared to other places in the United States. Maybe someone else can answer that question.
Some political leaders will argue that refugees bring more economic benefits to our region than they consume, with the following two factors in consideration:
* The economic energy and vitality that they bring to
our community through small business entrepreneurship.
* And some federal benefits/resources that they bring
with them.I welcome corrections, if I've got any of my facts or arguments confused.
Best wishes,
Tim Erickson Hamline Midway [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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