For many Afghan refugees, the struggles don’t end when they reach U.S. soil

BY ANITA CHABRIA, SARAH PARVINI

Here in Arden Arcade, a Sacramento neighborhood known for low rents in run-down apartments, Afghan refugees stressed that the United States’ obligations to help those who furthered the U.S. mission should not end when migrants land on American soil — as many felt it had for them.

From there begins a long journey often filled with hardship, from the red tape of receiving a Social Security number, signing up for social services and finding housing, to the disillusionment for many educated professionals of suddenly finding themselves at the bottom of the economic and social ladder, isolated by language and culture and often surrounded by crime, prejudice and need.

Even before the current crisis, some felt abandoned by a government that they believe delivered less than expected.

See the full story in the Los Angeles Times.

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