AAIM For Refugees

Imagine being dropped in the middle of a busy street in downtown Kinshasa. People are dressed strangely, talking in a language you don't understand, going about their daily lives. Now imagine you have to find a job, register your children in school, buy groceries, open a bank account - all the basics of establishing a normal life. How would you manage without speaking the language?

Now think of the reverse. Imagine someone from country culturally different from the US suddenly finding herself in Austin (with limited knowledge about what to expect and with about 3-6 months to become financially independent and self sufficient) This is exactly the situation with most refugees. Imagine not having the concept of health insurance, air-conditioning or a utility bill. Imagine answering your telephone and not recognizing the difference between a legitimate inquiry and a telemarketer; opening your mail and not being able to distinguish between bills and junk mail. And imagine not knowing enough English to ask questions about all that is confusing. Without the benefit of language, so much of life remains a mystery.

Who is a refugee?

A refugee, as defined by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, is a person who has fled his or her country due to well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group. According to a publication by the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs, about 3,000 refugees and immigrants settle in the greater Austin area each year. AAIM is the only agency in Austin that exclusively teaches survival language and life skills to newly arrived refugees from four different continents.

English as a Second Language for Refugees

AAIM holds English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for legally documented adult refugees at different times and locations convenient to clients 6 days a week. Annually, we serve over 200 refugees of diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds, so far from 21 different nations. Which countries refugees come changes every year, in 2007 most refugees came from Burma, Burundi, Congo, Iran and Cuba.

Our ESL programs aim to equip refugees with basic survival English skills as well as provide them with cultural and social information that will assist them in assimilating into their new environment. An important function of the ESL classes is to offer a friendly, supportive, first community for the newly arrived refugees. This inclusive environment allows them to acculturate to their new life in Austin.

Classes are ongoing with biweekly registration and intake. For information on classes, times and locations, contact ehumke@aaimaustin.org or call the Refugee Program office at (512) 386-9145 extension 12.

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