In the past few months, Switchboard has received several technical assistance requests from newcomer services staff concerning the same topic: how to talk to community members or potential stakeholders who may oppose the resettlement program and/or immigration in general. If you are looking for ideas about how to navigate these conversations—and make the case that refugee resettlement strengthens our country—we hope you will find these strategies insightful and encouraging!
Addressing the Rise in Anti-Refugee Rhetoric
When the Refugee Act of 1980 was passed, the U.S. refugee resettlement program enjoyed strong bipartisan support, demonstrating a shared political commitment to helping those fleeing persecution. Over time, however, issues of refugee resettlement and immigration in general have become more polarizing and divisive. Changes in politics and public opinion have made it harder to build a collective sense of welcome for newcomers.
Given these challenges, Switchboard hopes to provide practical strategies for those working in resettlement and beyond to uphold their work resettling forcibly displaced individuals in the U.S. Whether you need immediate responses for tough conversations with relatives, tools to effectively engage community members, or long-term approaches to foster a spirit of inclusivity, this blog will help you handle the complexities of discussing resettlement in a way that promotes understanding and belonging for all.
Short-Term Strategies: De-Escalation and Crisis Response
Imagine you are in a conversation about welcoming newcomers. Suddenly, your conversation partner starts sharing their strongly anti-refugee thoughts and feelings. The discussion gets heated, and you can feel the tension rising. The other person gets angrier and more animated, and you get the feeling that you could be in danger if the conversation continues escalating.
In these moments, it’s crucial to have a structured approach to de-escalation like the one mentioned by Gwen Soffer in this archived Switchboard webinar on de-escalation practices: prepare, engage, listen, and link.
- Prepare by taking a deep breath and reflecting internally. Recognize your own biases and be aware of your emotional triggers. Knowing your crisis response plan ahead of time can help you stay calm and focused.
- Engage by calmly evaluating the safety of the conversation. Avoid getting into power struggles, and don’t introduce new information that could escalate the situation further. Instead, focus on creating a safe space for open dialogue.
- Listen attentively to what the other person is saying. Validate their feelings and reflect back their points to show that you understand, even if you disagree. This can help reduce their defensiveness and lower the emotional intensity of the conversation. Actively listening to understand their perspective can also improve how you might proceed in future conversations. Remember, genuine empathy and respectful dialogue are powerful tools for fostering mutual understanding.
- Link by re-establishing boundaries and setting a next step or meeting time with clear norms for future discussions. This helps maintain a respectful and productive dialogue.
It can be challenging to connect when emotions are high and we feel threatened, as our nervous systems can enter a fight-or-flight mode. By employing the steps above during a stressful conversation, you create a safer environment for meaningful connection. Remember, the goal in these heated moments is not to win an argument but to foster understanding and respect. By preparing yourself, engaging calmly, listening actively, and linking with clear next steps, you can navigate these difficult conversations more effectively, turning potential conflicts into opportunities for constructive dialogue about resettlement.
Helpful Resources for Short-Term Strategies:
- Archived Webinar: A Trauma-Informed Approach to De-Escalation and Crisis Response
- Blog: Navigating the Impact of Hate Incidents and Hate Crimes on Clients and Direct Service Staff
- Guide: Preventing Crises and De-escalating Difficult Situations with Newcomer Clients
- eLearning: De-escalation in Resettlement, Asylum, and Integration Settings, Kaya and the International Rescue Committee
Mid-Term Strategies: Pro-Immigrant Talking Points and Dignified Messaging
Staying informed about current events and developments related to refugees and newcomers is crucial when engaging in challenging conversations. Being knowledgeable about the facts, understanding common misconceptions, and keeping up with policy changes can help you present accurate information and counter false narratives. Resources like this report from the Office of the New York City Comptroller achieve this by dispelling prevalent myths about immigrants’ impact on national and local populations and economies. This kind of foundational knowledge allows you to respond confidently and factually when anti-refugee rhetoric arises. Regularly updating yourself on these topics will enable you to address concerns with credibility and provide a solid base for your arguments.
However, simply presenting facts may not always be effective due to belief perseverance bias—the tendency for people to cling to their beliefs despite contradictory evidence. Because of humans’ tendency to prioritize arguments that align with our existing values, it may be easier for those who oppose welcoming newcomers to dismiss information that does not fit their worldview, despite being presented with new evidence. In such cases, it’s important to approach conversations with curiosity and empathy. Ask non-leading questions to understand your conversation partner’s underlying values and beliefs. By finding common ground, you can show how welcoming newcomers might align well with their own values, making your arguments more relatable and compelling.
Engaging in dignified storytelling and constructive messaging is another powerful strategy. Logic and data are useful tools, but connecting with others based on personal experiences can be more effective in demonstrating shared values. Share stories that highlight the contributions of newcomers to society and how they enrich our country and the world. Responsible and ethical storytelling helps shift perceptions and fosters more positive, inclusive, and empowering narratives about refugees and newcomers. Instead of portraying refugees as dependent, focus on their strengths and resilience. By connecting on a values-based level and emphasizing the strengths of newcomers, you can build more compelling and persuasive arguments, making it easier for others to see the benefits of welcoming newcomers.
Helpful Resources for Mid-Term Strategies:
- Blog: Discussing the Refugee Experience with Dignity and Resilience
- Toolkit: America Needs All of Us: A Toolkit for Talking about Bias, Race, and Change, Welcoming America
- Toolkit: Reframing Refugees: Messaging Toolkit, Welcoming America
- Video: Finding Common Ground: Stay-At-Home Mom and Sudanese Refugee Share Culture and Welcome, Welcoming America
Long-Term Strategies: Dismantling Prejudice and Promoting Intergroup Contact
Changing hearts and minds away from systemic, discriminatory beliefs does not happen overnight. The realities of anti-immigrant bias are prevalent and deeply ingrained in our society, intersecting with forms of discrimination related to race, ethnicity, class, etc. Altering entrenched viewpoints requires sustained effort and commitment, and acknowledging the long-term nature of this work helps us set realistic expectations: lasting change requires continuous education and engagement.
One way to continually promote inclusive attitudes is through active investment in diversity and anti-bias training, which helps individuals recognize and address their own prejudices. For example, the Oregon Department of Justice has developed resources like the Community Bias Response Toolkit, a You Belong Toolkit for social media response, and even a statewide Bias Response Hotline to discuss options around responding to bias.
Welcoming America has a number of helpful resources and toolkits on bridging divides about immigrants and resettlement, with an emphasis on intergroup contact theory. Intergroup contact theory holds that meaningful contact between people of different backgrounds is one of the best ways to reduce prejudice. Under the right conditions, misconceived anxieties subside, and deeper relationships will form. While it is unclear how much intergroup contact is necessary for effective prejudice reduction, social psychologists have found that intergroup contact theory is best applied when participants work non-competitively toward common goals, with many opportunities for casual personal interaction. Intergroup contact-building efforts can be time- and resource-intensive, but they can also significantly contribute to building a more welcoming and supportive environment for resettlement.
Even without external resources, individuals should consider sharing their unique experiences and knowledge around identity and inclusion in a peer learning format, a powerful tool for promoting understanding and empathy. By creating spaces for shared experiences, we can cultivate greater diversity and acceptance within our communities, making us better equipped to handle conversations about immigration and resettlement.
Helpful Resources for Long-Term Strategies:
- Toolkit: Building Meaningful Contact: A How-To Guide, Welcoming America
- Toolkit: Neighbors Together: Promising Practices to Strengthen Relations with Refugees and Muslims, Welcoming America
Moving Forward with Hope and Resilience
Amid a rise in anti-refugee rhetoric and escalating political polarization, fostering a welcoming environment for forcibly displaced individuals in the U.S. requires constructive dialogue and tangible action. These interactions demand resilience, empathy, and a strong commitment to bridging divides. By incorporating a range of strategies, from immediate de-escalation techniques to longer-term education and intergroup interaction, we can effectively tackle the challenges posed by anti-refugee rhetoric and political polarization, creating a future where compassion prevails over fear and everyone is treated with dignity.
