Fort Wayne, Ind., deals with multiple cultural challenges and obstacles every day as a primary relocation destination for refugees.
The city houses the largest Burmese community in the country, and cultural differences have at times divided this community.
Nearly all refugees here frequent the Refugee Resource Center. It offers services and classes in everything from how to clean a home, to proper indoor bathroom etiquette. These are sometimes new concepts for people who have only lived in rural villages or refugee camps.
One classroom teacher explains that it is important to look in Americans’ eyes when speaking. That’s different than the Asian custom of looking at the ground.
A group of first responders works with the various immigrant communities to reduce cultural barriers during emergencies.
(READ the story, or listen, at Nat’l Public Radio)