Today, there are currently 8,000 refugees residing in Utica, of which approximately 900 are Vietnamese, 2,500 are Russian, and 3,000 are Bosnians.  Within the next couple of years Utica is expected to receive between six to seven thousand more Bosnians, as well as a significant number of Burmese refugees. All of them hope to establish new homes, new jobs, and new lives, a process in which the healthcare provided by St.Elizabeth's Hospital plays an essential role (Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees handbook).

It is important that the medical staff know where these immigrants and refugees came from and how they got where they are today. One cannot begin to understand another's culture or life without knowing at least the basics about the country they are from.

In addition, it is beneficial for healthcare providers to have a clear understanding of the terminology that may pertain to their patients' culture and history.  The following definitions were taken from the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees handbook.

Definitions:

Refugee - "Any person, who because of persecution or life-threatening conditions, has had to leave behind his homeland and all that he or she ever was and ever hoped to be."

Immigrant - "A person who takes up residency in another country through established immigration procedures; foreign-born newcomers to the U.S. regardless of their legal status."

"Illegal Alien" - "One who enters a nation and remains without following established immigration procedures."