1 in 10 in state foreign born, census says

The Associated Press

SEATTLE — Ten percent of Washington’s population is foreign born, according to new census survey data, and nearly half of the state’s 591,000 immigrants and refugees arrived here in the past decade.

Behind the statistics are 591,000 stories about coming to America and to Washington state. Every experience is different, but a common thread in many immigrants’ stories is love for their adopted land.

Nearly half, or 44 percent, of the state’s foreign-born residents are Asian. European and Latin American immigrants each make up 23 percent of the foreign-born population. Seven percent are North American (mostly Canadian), 2 percent are African and 2 percent are from Australia, New Zealand or the surrounding islands.

Eskinder Sarka came to America from Ethiopia when he was 18 to study at the University of Hawaii. At first he was homesick and shocked by the American students’ casual dress and demeanor. He struggled with the language, felt isolated and vowed he would return home as soon as he could. Now he’s glad he stuck it out.

"It was a huge challenge, but that challenge really made me stronger," he said.

He came to Seattle in the mid-1990s and worked as a film and video editor. Driven by a feeling he should give something back to the community, he is now director of south Seattle’s Horn of Africa Services, which helps East African immigrants and refugees.

He’s lived in America for a decade and has seen enough to know its flaws — he particularly noted the omission of African and Asian history from his so-called "world history" classes in college. But he’s still enamored of the idea of being able to work hard and achieve whatever you set your mind to — the American dream.

"Every day is Thanksgiving Day to me," he said. "You can exercise any religion. I mean, it could be anything you want! That’s amazing to me."

While young refugees and immigrants often adapt quickly to their new surroundings, it can be harder for older people.

Mi Han, 68, emigrated from Seoul, South Korea, in 1999 to join her son and daughter living in the Tacoma area. At first it was difficult. She can’t speak English and does not drive, so it was easy to feel isolated. That changed when she began attending a Korean church and regular Wednesday lunches for Korean immigrants at a south Tacoma community center.

"It helped me to find new friends," Han said through an interpreter. She’s become comfortable in her new country. "People are very kind. You meet strangers, they are always smiling and saying hi."

As director of the Ukrainian Community Center in Kent, Oleg Pynda helps immigrants and refugees from the former Soviet Union adjust to life in Washington. It’s an adjustment he made 10 years ago when he left the Ukraine as a Christian refugee. Even though he could speak English, he found it difficult to understand the social services and naturalization system here — which inspired him to help others.

He said the biggest need for all immigrants is a holistic approach to services. Immigrants and refugees may hear about one or two services, such as housing or medical assistance, but often don’t know about many other services that could help them. Like 43 percent of foreign-born Washington residents, Pynda is a naturalized citizen.

"I was looking for freedom," he said, "and that’s what I like here."

Mui Nguyen was looking for the same thing when she arrived in 1975, a refugee from Vietnam. She was fluent in English, having worked for U.S. Special Forces and various American companies since 1967. She even volunteered as a data-entry clerk in her own refugee camp. A naturalized citizen, she now owns Saigon Rendez-Vous restaurant in downtown Olympia.

That’s not to say her transformation into an American was seamless. One year her daughter came home from school miserable because her family didn’t have a traditional Thanksgiving turkey like everyone else. Nguyen dutifully bought a turkey, then chopped it up and served it in a traditional Vietnamese style. Her daughter burst into tears at the dinner table.

"She’s crying, ‘This is not Thanksgiving turkey,’ " Nguyen said. "I say, ‘I don’t know how to bake turkey!’ "

Nguyen can laugh about it now. Her three children are grown, all successful professionals. She does not hesitate when asked her favorite thing about living in America.

"Freedom," she said. "We had so much luck to get to America. My kids had a chance to study and live in a free country."

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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