Living as a Refugee

They flee their homelands in the face of war, disaster and famine. But once here in the U-S, they face new challenges: language barriers, housing problems and, sometimes, discrimination. Now, a new report from a task force in Manchester is raising questions about how New Hampshire helps refugees build new lives in the state. Today on the Exchange we'll look at the refugee experience in the Granite State, the challenges they face, the challenges their host state and city face and explore ideas on better integrating them into New Hampshire life. Laura's guests are Frank Guinta, Mayor of Manchester; Chau Kelley, a resident of Hooksett who came to the state in 1994 as a refugee from Vietnam; Nasir Arush, Deputy Director of the Somali Development Center; and Nabil Migalli, an activist from Manchester who works with several organizations that assist refugees. We'll also hear from Amy Ignatius, director of the state's Office of Energy and Planning, which oversees the state's role in refugee resettlement.

This program was originally broadcast on July 31, 2006