Hmong refugee guides newcomers to the area First of 861 Hmong refugees coming here arrive By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle A hectic but rewarding period for Catholic Charities' Resettlement and Immigration Services begins today when the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay agency welcomes its first wave of Hmong refugees. So Thao, diocesan director of refugee and immigration services, will be among representatives from Catholic Charities welcoming the family - two parents and their four children, ranging in age from 1 to 6 years. They arrive today at Austin Straubel International Airport in Ashwaubenon. All told, Catholic Charities eventually will manage 861 refugees, part of a larger group arriving in Wisconsin during the coming months. Most of the refugees will settle in Manitowoc, Green Bay, Appleton and Oshkosh, although they are allowed to settle in any of the 16 counties served by the Green Bay Diocese. Having worked for Catholic Charities for 21 years, Thao has welcomed many refugees, and 24 years ago Thao himself came to the United States under the same status. Thao served as a lieutenant in the Laotian army that fought during the Vietnam War as a United States ally. He made his way from a re-education camp when Laos was under Communist rule to a refugee camp in Thailand, where he married. In 1980, Thao came to the United States. The first thing on his mind after arriving in the United States was finding work. "I knew to survive here, I'd have to start from somewhere," he said. Thao spoke English before he came, an advantage many of the new refugees will not have, he said. The U.S. economy is especially bad for those who do not speak English, he said. Thao's first home in Wisconsin was Beaver Dam, where he worked in a grocery store stocking shelves. He moved to Madison and worked as a translator for the city's Health Department until coming to work in his present position, for which he has learned Spanish to use in immigration counseling. One of the greatest challenges of his work as a resettlement coordinator is not knowing when to expect arrivals. It was June 23 before Thao knew the exact date the first Hmong refugees would reach Green Bay. Filling out forms comprises a lot of the preparation. He said by filling out one application form, a refugee case file can grow to 30-40 forms. The most meaningful part of his job is the result of doing the paperwork. "I always start with the paperwork," he said, "and as the outcome of what we do or what we did we actually see the end of a family being reunited, or people coming here for an accepting place." Thao said he is working some overtime hours, and will try to spread his work hours over a jumbled schedule that will take him to the airport to welcome the 132 families coming from refugee camps in Thailand, adjacent to their homeland of Laos. Adult refugees will have a harder time adjusting to the United States, he said. "They have to work to survive, but at least the dream will be that their children, that they will do well in this country," he said. Thao said he misses the mountainous terrain and other natural features of Laos. As a refugee, he said what made him feel safe in the United States were the laws safeguarding an individual's rights and the people who showed respect for people's differences. Wisconsin will welcome 3,600-4,000 Hmong refugees this year, but many of the world's refugees will not be so lucky. "So many people still are victims because they cannot reach a land where they can claim to be a refugee," he said. Brown County will be home to 277 Hmong refugees. Smiles can cross the language barrier to make people feel safe, Thao said. FYI Volunteers who want to be mentors, know of available apartments or other housing options, or want to help can contact the Catholic Charities' Resettlement and Immigration Services at the Diocese of Green Bay. The diocese phone number is 437-7531. Its e-mail address is [email protected]