Opinion: Could Americans become the next wave of refugees?
Wildfires fueled by drought, climate change are forcing thousands to seek shelter elsewhere
By Nicole Dubus |
PUBLISHED: December 13, 2020 at 6:10 a.m. | UPDATED: December 13, 2020 at 6:19 a.m.
I know a lot about refugees.
I am a social worker, professor and researcher at San Jose State University. For over a decade, I have worked with refugees, bearing witness to the courageous journey of individuals and families as they learn to move on from war, torture and trauma. Their stories inspire my research on whether we can develop culturally-effective health and behavioral health services. In doing this research and looking closely at how different countries manage the needs of refugees and forced migrants, it became clear to me that “but for the grace of God go I.â€
In California, Oregon, and Washington this summer, cities filled with smoke from the climate fires, fires made more destructive from years of drought. The day skies were dark, sometimes yellow, and for a few days deep orange. Our air was so toxic that we were told to close our windows and not leave our homes. 564,000 people fled with the few items they could grab; many having nothing to return to. They join the 80 million people displaced from their homelands each year.
https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/12/13/opinion-could-americans-become-the-next-wave-of-refugees/