International Institute Breaks Ground on New Home

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SAINT
LOUIS
ExPLORING THE PEOPLES AND CULTURES OF
ST. LouIS AND THE
WORLD
Vol. 3 No. I
International Institute Breaks Ground
on New Home
he International Institute has met the Mabee
Challenge and received major new pledges to
its New Beginnings capital campaign
Tn recent years, an expanded headquarters has
become a necessity for the Institute The 80-yearold agency has experienced rapid growth in the
number of clients and variety of services offered.
The Dana Brown Charitable Trust will contribute $250,000 to support this important
endeavor. In recognition of this support, the
Institute will name the headquarters in Mr.
Brown's honor
"We are especially grateful to the Dana Brown
Charitable Trust for its very generous gift, which
is the Single largest cash donation the Institute
T
has ever received. This funding will help us rehab
the Institute's new home, so that it can better
serve new Americans and their children," said
William K. Y. Tao, honorary co-chairman of New
Beginnings.
Other lead contributors to date are the JSM
Charitable Trust and Emerson Electric.
'Thanks to the generosity and support of these
and other donors, the International Institute has
raised more than $2 million of the $2.5 million
needed for the project," said Tao. "We can and will
make our goal with the community'S support."
The Institute's capital campaign began in late
1997 when Bank of America (formerly
NationsBank) donated a building located at 3654
S. Grand. Other major corporate and foundation
donors to date include: Daughters of Charity
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Healthcare Foundation of St. Louis, Willert Home
Products, Lutheran Charities Foundation,
Southwestern Bell, William T Kemper
Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Edward
Jones, The Deaconess Foundation and Southern
Commercial Bank.
Ground-breaking on the rehab project took
place on June 1. The Institute plans to occupy
the new facility by the end of 1999. A formal
dedication will be held in Spring 2000
Agency Will Move
Before End of 1999.
The new headquarters of the International institute will be located at 3654 S. Grand Blvd.,just south of the City's thriving International District.
Folkfest '99 Salutes the Tree of Life
he newest, greatest International Folkfest will take place Oct. 16
and 17, once again indoors at Queeny Park.
This year's theme is "the tree of life," an international symbol for the
way creatures can live in harmony Like our national slogan, E pluribus
unum, it symbolizes "From many, one." At Folkfest, all cultures join
together to show how they are both different and alike.
Tiburcio Soteno Fernandez , a Mexican folk artist internationally
known for the "tree of life," will be featured this year. He is an
extremely talented artist with an unusual imagination, firmly rooted in
this traditional art form. Many samples of his work are on display in
England, Italy, France, Germany and Spain
Throughout Folkfest weekend, Fernandez will work on a beautiful,
painted clay tree of life . He is appearing at Folkfest in conjunction with
Arts and Treasures of Latin America, a local arts organization planning
a month-long celebration of Mexico.
As always, Folkfest visitors can also savor exotic delicacies at the
International Food Court and enjoy hours of outstanding entertainment on two stages and at four craft demonstration booths. Young
people can revel in exciting activities at the Children's Clubhouse and
in the Cultural Discovery Room
There will be a few changes at Folkfest this year Friday evening
programming will be suspended for this year only. And Ethnic
Treasures of St. Louis will be replaced by special Saturday evening
programming, featuring a nationally-known troupe of folk dancers of
European extraction.
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THE
REGIONAL ARTS
COMMISSION
''This programming will help the food
booths keep selling throughout the dinner
hour, while providing more sophisticated programming for adults as well
as children," said Barbara Qureshi,
Folkfest Chair.
Contracts are now available for
food and gift booths, which must be reserved in the
name of an ethnic organization. The call for artists has also
gone out Each year some 150 artists and troupes partiCipate
in Folkfest programming To obtain a food or gift booth
contract or to apply to participate in arts programming, contact
Colleen, weekdays, at (314) 773-9090
Virtually all local ethnic artists take part in International Folkfest
each year. They range from talented children's troupes to high-profile dance professionals.
"We have only one firm rule," said Qureshi ''To ensure
authenticity, all or most members of a troupe must be members of
the ethnic group represented."
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FOLKFEST
'99
When: Oct. 16 (l0-8); Oct 17 (11-6)
Where: Indoors, Queeny Park m West St Louis County
(Enter from Wndman Rd.)
Daily Admission: $4 Adult; $3 Senior; and $2 Child (5-15)
Check out w\vw.intlinst.org
For 80 years, the International Institute
has been helping new Americans and fostering
cross cultural understanding in St. Louis.
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SAINT LOUIS
A
PROJECT OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
SPECTRUM
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IO-Week Camp for
Youth, So Parents
Can Learn English
Summer Camp Promises Learning and Fun!
T
he International Institute's annual Summer
Camp for newly-arrived refugee children is
bursting with improvements this year.
Collaboration with other local agencies and the
City of St. Louis is enabling the camp to move to
a new location and expand both its operating
hours and the number of participants
The lO-week program enables newly-arrived
refugee children ages 5-12, with little or no
English language skill, to participate in recreational and educational activities during the
Summer months. Approximately 50 children are
expected to attend , up from 35 in previous years.
Parents of partiCipating children must be
enrolled in and attending English-as-a-SecondLanguage classes at the Institute. This Summer,
the camp will expand from a half-day to a full
day camp, so parents of the participants can
attend two rather than one English class daily.
The new home for the Summer Camp is
Messiah Lutheran Church on So. Grand Blvd.,
right across from Tower Grove Park.
Refugee children attend the Institute's Summer
Camp while their parents study English.
"The new location has more space for activities, as well as a gym," said jane Knirr, Institute
program manager. 'The program has been
strapped for space at the Institute, where it has
been held for the past decade."
As in past years, the 1999 program will
include a variety of off-site activities, including
visits to a local branch of the St. Louis Public
Library, weekly swimming pool outings and special trips to the fire station and the St. Louis
Police Department stables. The staff has also
planned weekly field trips to St. Louis favorites
such as the Zoo, the Arch, Grant's Farm and the
City Museum.
There are numerous other highlights scheduled for this year's program. A St. Clements
(Kirkwood) Girl Scout troop will put on a carnival for camp participants, as partial fulfillment of
the Scouts' Silver Award. There will be twiceweekly visits from an art therapist, who will lead
the arts and crafts activities and facilitate discussions about the children's art work.
In addition to Institute staff, the Guardian
Angel Settlement, through their program to
employ teenage youth, will be supplying two
part-time employees. SLATEWORKS, a program
sponsored by the City of St. Louis will also be
providing between four and six workers.
"We have about 15 volunteers who will be
working closely with the children during
recreational, arts and crafts, and language
learning activities," said Marie Eilermann,
Volunteer Services Caseworker. 'There are plenty
of other youth-related volunteer opportunities
available throughout the year at the Institute,
including after-school tutoring."
Potential volunteers should call Eilermann at
(314) 773-9090 for details
Citizenship Accommodations for
the Disabled
n 1994 Congress required the Immigration
and Naturalization Service (INS) to provide
accommodations to citizenship applicants who
are disabled.
Applicants must suffer from a medically
verifiable physical or mental impairment that
prevents them from demonstrating the knowledge of English or civics that is called for in
citizenship examinations. Examples are those
suffering from Alzheimer's Disease, mental
I
INS Officers Told
Not to Second-Guess
Doctors
retardation, or neurological damage caused
by a stroke.
However, the INS did not establish guidelines
for the granting of "disability waivers" for such
applicants until March 1997 Moreover, these
guidelines did little to diminish the complaints of
applicants and community groups about the
seemingly arbitrary decisions made in many disability-waiver cases and the harsh treatment of
the disabled by some INS officers. These
complaints culminated in class action lawsuits
against the INS in Florida and New York
In April 1999, the INS issued comprehensive
guidance on the granting of disability waivers in
an attempt to address these problems The guidance advises INS officers not to second-guess
doctors' diagnoses and to provide an explanation
in writing if they deny a disability-waiver request
The INS is currently establishing training
programs about disabilities for its officers
nationwide.
and in-kind donations are important sources for
additional resettlement help Newly arriving
refugees are not placed in private homes to live,
unless they are being reunified with their
relatives. Besides the International Institute,
Catholic Charities and the Jewish Federation also
resettle refugees in St. Louis.
Institute , actually do the selecting as part of the
sponsorship process. Selection is based on issues
of language, family size, and each family'S special
needs As a refugee community grows, earlier
arrivals can request that family members be
reunified with them. "Secondary migrants" are
refugees who have been resettled at one site and
who then choose to move to another city.
St Louis' Bosnian community includes a large
number of secondary migrants
Q&A
'W'hat's the difference between a refugee and
Q
SeA Friend!
Enjoy reading this publication?
Join our Friends Association.
Telephone the Internationallnstirute,
weekdays at (J I 4)771-9090
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and ~ request an application. .
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"Refugees" enter the US through official
government programs and resettle in
America because of a well-founded fear of
persecution if they remain in their homeland.
Most "immigrants" come to the US because 1)
a US citizen relative has filed a petition and a visa
has been granted, or 2) an employer has received
"labor certification" to hire the immigrant
because of the newcomer's special technical
skills. Refugees and immigrants are both eligible
to apply for US citizenship after five years
residence in the US.
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an immigrant?
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'AII Friend~Fdohlitioiis'iire~ta~+Mau(iible '
In accoraa\,\ce wi " ;lftS rcglilaciops.
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Q
Who can sponsor a refugee?
I\. For more than a decade, an "agency-based"
l""'lsponsorship model for refugee resettlement
has been utilized The US Dept. of State contracts
with private charitable agencies, like the
International Institute, to resettle refugees.
The government provides a small one-time per
capita resettlement allowance to help with initial
hOUSing, food and other essentials. Volunteers
SPECTRUM
Why have only four sites in the US been
( ')- selected for Kosovar resettlement?
;\ Actually, there are dozens of resettlement
.L1sites around the US for Kosovars. This is a
case of media "confusion." The national organization through which the International Institute
sponsors refugees has initially selected four of its
many affiliates, including St. Louis, as its sites
Sites have also been selected by other national
resettlement agencies, e.g. US Catholic
Conference, International Rescue Committee,
and Church World Service.
r-'\ W hy do refugees choose St Louis as their
; I reselllement site?
Q
HOW quickly do most refugees adjust?
i\ While adjustment is a life-long process, lhe
r-\miual hurdle of economic self-sufficiency is
overcome quickly. 90% of employable refugees
sponsored by the Institute are working within six
months after their arrival in St. Louis. At the end
of a year, 95% of our resettled refugees can be
considered minimally self-sufficient and their
cases are closed. Later, clients can return for job
placement and counseling services on an asneeded basis.
Most refugees do not choose St. Louis.
Resettlement agencies, like the International
A
PROJECT OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
Kosovars Inspire Help for Refugees
S
t. Louisans have been generously reaching out
to help refugees since the first two families of
Kosovar refugees arrived in St Louis on May 26.
By mid-June, the International Institute had
sponsored 143 l<osovars and confirmed the arrival
of 43 more, probably before the end of the month.
Donations of clothing, household furnishings
and cash have been flooding in Significant
assistance has come from the NormanJ Stupp
Foundation, Commerce Bancshares and the
Islamic Foundatlon But help is also coming from
hundreds of other St. Louisans who are gathering
together donations and doing what they can
"In the mail the other day, we received a $50
bHl in an unIllarked envelope," said Anna Crosslin,
Institute president. "Someone really felt the urge to
help and didn't want to be thanked for it "
Auto dealerships, including Kribs Ford City
and Dave Sinclair Ford, are making vans
available to transport Kosovars and the many
other refugees.
Fourth graders at Reed School have collected
personal hygiene supplies, and churches all over
the area are reaching out to help some of our
newest arrivals On Saturday, June 19, nearly 100
car loads of d Ol1at ions were brought to the
Institute to disTfbute to refugees.
"While there have always been St Louisans who
have helped :tJ.(wly arriving refugees, the number
and breadth oj assistance has risen dramatically in
the past several months," said Crosslin "The plight
of the Kosova r refugees has touched the heart
strings of ou r community"
volunteers to help sort and distribute the myriad
of gifts
Telephone Rhonda Piazza weekdays at (314)
773-9090 to discuss volunteer opportunities.
Cash contributions are deductible in accordance
with IRS regulations.
"In my 20 years with the agency I have never
seen such an outpouring of support," said
Crosslin "We are chock-full of clothing, household goods and even books and toys ,"
The Institute no longer needs in-kind donations, except for infant supplies, backpacks and
school supplies. Instead, the agency is seeking
Volunteer Assistance
Needed, Call
(314) 773-9090
Commerce Bank oJJicials present a combined donation oj $20,000 Jrom the Norman]. Stupp Foundation
and Commerce Bank to aid newly arriving Kosovar reJugees (From leJt) Ann Sullins, David Kemper, Linda
Monce, Ph. D. (Chair oj the Institute Board), and Seth Ledbetter.
Eve n After "Peace" Kosovars Will Still Corne
ven tho~~h peace negotiations appear successful ~ ow, there are thousands of Kosovars
who must S1:::.. "jll rely on the generosIty of communities like St:. . Louis for resettlement assistance
"The Ko~ ~vars who have recently arrived in
SL Louis ar~ understandably reluctant to return
home beca~ se the peace agreement is so fragile,"
said Anna c::::::rosslin, Internalionallnstitute president "They
:10 not trust Milosevic and worry
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In the meantime, the refugees are taking their
first steps toward life in St Louis. Their immediate needs for food, shelter and clothes have been
met, thanks to generous community support
In a few short weeks, these refugees and others,
who will be coming from Ft Dix in New Jersey
as well as straight from Macedonian refugee
camps, will begin the difficult task of learning
English so they can get jobs.
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Crosslin suspects that some Kosovar refugees
will continue to be resettled in the US for the
foreseeable future Medical and other especially
vulnerable cases will receive resettlement
pnonty.
"Although peace was negotiated between the
Bosnians and the Serbs, here we are, several years
later, still resettling large numbers of Bosnians,"
said Crosslin "The devastation of such a war is
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"It could be weeks, months or years before
they feel safe enough to return to Kovoso ...if
ever," she added
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will close Ft. nix by the end ofJuly," said
Crosslin 'Then, Kosovar refugees will come
straight from Macedonia."
can't or won't go home again"
Crosslin Celebrates 20Years at Institute
ht: Intemationaiinstitute's Board of
Dm:ctors recently presented the 20 Year
Leadership Award to Anna Crosslin, Institute
President.
Presented at the Annual Mee ting in April by
Linda Morice, Chair of the Board, the award
recognizes Crosslin's outstanding service to the
mission and goals of the agency and to the
multi-cultural community of St Louis.
Crosslin jOined the agency as its director in
September 1978.
"When I came to the Institute, we were a very
small agency, although we had been operating in
the community since 1919," said Crosslin.
Working from a Victorian mansion in the
Central West End, most of the Institute's staff of
mne taught Engllsh_ The agency's budget was
$110000 a rear. Untlel Crosslin's leadership,
the agency began to sponso r refugees and
expanded its service base to include job placement and other adjustment services
Today, the Institute is our area's ethnic clearinghouse as well as its major service provider for
new Americans. Its staff of 70 provide English
training, job placement, counseling, refugee
resettlement and community outreach activities
to more than 6,000 im mlgrants and refugees
annually from 40 rountnes. The Institute also
produces the annual International Folkfest at
Queeny Park.
Crosslin IS proud of her role ill helping to
make St. LoUIS a more etlmically and culturally
divers\' community "We help itrurugrams and
relugees begin new and productive lives in
St. Louis, and we also help the community by
providing companies with good employees and
City neighborhoods with new residents," said
Crosslin. "It's a win-win situation for everyone."
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Institute Staff Has
Grown from
9 to 70 Under
Her Leadership.
Anna Crosslin, President and Executive Director, receives the 20 Year Leadership Award at the
Institute's Annual Meeting, held on April 23 at Edward Jones' corporate headquarters.
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United Way
of Greater St. LOUIS
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A PROJECT
OF THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
SPECTRUM
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Congressman Gephardt Meets with Ethnic Leaders:
Institute's Growing Role in Facilitating Interchange
t the request of Congressman Richard k
Gephardt's office, Institute staff drew
together more than 40 ethnic community
representatives for a meeting on February 27.
With barely 48 hours notice, staff were able to
identify more than 50 groups with members
residing in Missouri's Third Congressional
District, and to issue invitations.
"The fax machine was humming, and e-mails
were a flurry too," said Anna Crosslin, the
Institute's president. "The importance of having
an up-to-date directory of ethnic community
representatives, like our Culture Links, cannot
be overstated."
Gephardt said he was interested in learning
about and discussing the needs of ethnic
community members in the Third District, which
he represents. The Third District includes nearly
all of St. Louis' recently arrived refugees as well
as a growing immigrant population. Gephardt
also serves as Minority Leader in the US House
of Representatives.
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In his opening remarks, Gephardt noted
that he was "... happy to have this growing
diversity. "He also noted the economic,
educational and human strength the growing
population of foreign-born residents brings to
the City of St . Louis.
Gephardt encouraged ethnic constituents to
contact his office with needs and said that he was
interested in meeting with organizations and
attending their events.
Communities with representatives at the
meeting included: Bosnian, Chinese, Ethiopian,
Haitian, Hispanic , Iraqi, Korean, Kurdish, Lao,
Somali, and Vietnamese. Included were reporters
for four Asian newspapers in which articles about
the meeting subsequently appeared.
"As St Louisans become more aware of the
area's growing ethnic diverSity, requests to the
Institute to facilitate meetings, make presentations
and serve on committees have increased dramatically," said Crosslin. 'There is a growing recognition that new Americans play an important role in
solutions to problems plaguing our region."
(from left) Fadumo Ahmed, Congressman Dick Gephardt, and Yusuf Haid. Ahmed and Haid are members of the
growing Somali community in South SI. Louis.
Learn More About
Hispanic America
" 1
Jhy do so many California towns have
V V Spanish names? What's the difference
between a taco and an enchilada? Are Puerto
Ricans foreigners 7 Are HispaniCS a race7 Why do
some people call themselves Hispanic while
others call themselves Latino?
The number of Hispanic Americans is growing
every day. As it does, questions like these grow in
number as welL Even someone who is Hispanic
often knows relatively little about the heritage of
Hispanics from other countries.
There are several helpful publications to
address these and other questions about Hispanic
Americans .
A simple but thorough publication is The New
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CAFE DE OltA
This is a traditional hot drink very popular
among older people in Mexico.
MAKES: About six cups
PREP. TIME: 10 min.
COOKING TIME: 10 min.
6 tbs. dark ground coffee
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick (about 3 in. long)
4 cloves
y. orange peel
6 cups of water
Bring to boil five cups of water. If possible.
use a ceramic pot. Tum heat to low and add
all the other ingredients Let it simmer for 5
min, then add remaining 1 CUD of cold water.
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(from left) janite Lee, Korean Assoc. (in rear); Dara Phannarath, Lao Mutual Assistance Assoc'
Toi Lam, Vietnamese Buddhist Assoc., and Congressman Dick Gephardt.
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1919-1999
3800 PARK AVE.
ST. LOUIS, MO 63110
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History: A Book of Answers for Kids. A local
information web site is www.hispanics(/ouis.com.
Finally, visit International Folkfest in October to
meet many Hispanic Americans and to ask them
about their cultures.
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Cover pot and remove from heat Let it sH
5 mm more. Strain before servmg
ReCIpe courtesy of Olma Perez-Yanez, 5t
LoUiS.
Non-Profit Org.
.5. Postage
PAID
St. Louis MO
Permit No. 2812
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
SIoIN T
lOUIS
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