Welcome to the Forum

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Welcometo the Forum!

• Virginia Latino Pilot Project

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VALPP Focus Groups with Recent Immigrants
Stories from the Source

• Leaf Elhai
• Senior, MLW Governors School
• Red Cross Intern

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The VALPP in brief a model for outreach

• Outreach goals
• Increased awareness of health and safety
  issues/Red Cross services
• Greater understanding of issues affecting Latino
  immigrants
• Door-to-door surveys
• Disaster preparedness
• Immigration issues
• Small focus group discussions

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Why Focus Group Discussions?

• Opportunity for personal, in-depth interactions
• Positive dialogue on immigration issues
• Giving the facts/statistics a human face

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Participants

• Previously existing groups
• Geographically diverse
• Both recent immigrants and permanent residents
• Range of backgrounds

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The Issues

• Specific reasons for leaving their home country
• The effect of natural disasters
• Plans for the future
• Effect of immigrants situation for
  family/friends at home
• Organized/collective efforts to aid the Latino
  community
• Most pressing needs since coming to the US
• Effect of immigration on Latino identity

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The Stories

• Home communities dominated by a lack of job
  opportunities, corruption, violence
• Desire to return home separation from family
  members
• Public services funded by remittances
• Challenges in the US language as a barrier,
  discrimination

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Whats Next?

• Small-scale service projects in Latin America
• Increased outreach in Virginia
• Maria Fornella-Oehninger and a Hampton-Roads CJ
• April 4 state-wide VALPP door-to-door effort
• Hosting more small group discussions

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Thanks