School Environment and Health Websites

American Immigration Lawyers Association
http://www.aila.org/

This is the official website for attorneys and law professors who teach and practice immigration law and serve as advocates for fair immigration law and policy.

American Refugee Committee International (ARC)
http://www.archq.org/

The American Refugee Committee works for the survival, health, and well being of refugees. The ARC is active in 12 countries worldwide, providing medical attention, securing living accommodations, and providing opportunities for self-sufficiency.

American Repertory Theatre (ART)
http://www.amrep.org/articles/1_2/organizations.html

The ART website provides a select list of national and international organizations that advocate for refugees and immigrants. The organizations work on both the national and local levels.

Bureau of Refugee and Immigration Affairs (BRIA)
http://www.otda.state.ny.us/otda/bria/bria_default.htm

BRIA 's mission is to direct resources which assist refugees and their families in achieving economic and social self-sufficiency, to aid other legal immigrants in their transition to life in the U.S., to help repatriated citizens arrive safely at home, and to assure the foster care of unaccompanied refugee minors. Based in New York, BRIA offers an NYS Immigration Hotline in 18 languages that provides information about and referrals to all BRIA and immigration related programs.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Quarantine
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dq/health.htm

This website explains medical screening guidelines required for all refugees and immigrants seeking admission into the U.S. in order to detect any inadmissible health-related conditions.

The Center for Victims of Torture
http://www.cvt.org/main.php/BuildingHealingCommunities/ResourcesbyProfession

This site provides resources to assist in working with victims of torture and war trauma that may be valuable to refugee community leaders and professionals in various fields such as medicine, nursing, education, etc.

Immunization Action Coalition
www.immunize.org

The Immunization Action Coalitions strives to educate the public and distribute educational materials to health care professionals to promote use of effective immunization services.

Immigration History Research Center
http://www.ihrc.umn.edu

The Immigration History Research Center enriches society by preserving and promoting understanding of the history of the American immigrant experience. In doing so, it acts in partnership with various ethnic communities, historical agencies, research specialists, educators, and many others. The IHRC develops and maintains a library and archival collection, provides research assistance , produces publications , and sponsors academic and public programs. Its work supports the tripartite mission-teaching, research, and service-of its parent institution, the University of Minnesota.

International Institute of Minnesota
http://www.iimn.org/

IIM is an international, non-political, non-sectarian social service agency founded in 1919 to serve foreign and native-born individuals. The resettlement program has staff that speaks multiple languages to assist in family reunification, refugee sponsorship, referral services, and advocacy. Cross-cultural counseling is also available. Educational and social events are sponsored by IIM to offer interaction among different ethnic groups in the community.

Minnesota Department of Health, Immigrant Health
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/refugee/immigrant/index.html

The Immigrant Health Task Force seeks to promote quality, compressive, and culturally competent health care for immigrant communities. The eight recommendations to improve immigrant health created by the Minnesota Task Force can be found at this link.

Minnesota Department of Health, Refugee Health
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/refugee/index.html

The MDH Refugee Health homepage offers links to multiple resources, such as a guide to refugee health including health care providers and immunization information, resources pertaining to cultural competence, health disparities, global migration, human rights, social adjustment, language, resettlement programs, etc. This link also offers insight on how local public health and volunteer agencies work with refugee health.

Since 1979, MIHV has been working to improve the health of women, children, and communities internationally and domestically by working on health and child survival issues. The website highlights the program work of this successful Minnesota non-profit International Health organization.

Minnesota State Demographic Center. Immigrants in Minnesota: An Increasingly Diverse Population
http://www.mnplan.state.mn.us/pdf/2001/ImmigrationDiverse.pdf

This link directs to a pdf document detailing Minnesota immigration data from 1982 to 1999. This document provides Minnesota and U.S. immigration trends, policy surrounding Minnesota immigration issues, and the impact of immigration on the education of immigrant children living in Minnesota.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
http://www.unhcr.ch

This website offers handbooks and guides for determining refugee status, training modules, and access to handbooks and legal publications pertaining to all aspects of the refugee experience available in various languages. Also available is a comprehensive collection of refugee related documents and bibliographies via REFWORLD.

University of Minnesota Human Rights Library, Asylum and Refugee Resources
http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/center/asylum/ref_ngo.html

The Human Rights Library provides an extensive resource list of Refugee and Asylum non-governmental organizations.

The Urban Institute is a nonpartisan economic and social policy research organization. On their website you can find a number of publications summarizing research on Immigrants and refugees including a 2002 publication titled, The Health and Well-Being of Children in Immigrant Families and a 2003 publication on Immigrants and TANF.

U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/foreign.html

This website contains reports describing the foreign born population in the U.S., contrasting them by U.S. citizenship status and by year of entry, in four time spans.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service
http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm

A glossary of terms as well a plethora of information on immigrant and refugee services can be found here.

U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI)
http://www.refugees.org/

This website is home of the USCRI whose mission is to address the needs and rights of persons in forced or voluntary migration worldwide by advancing fair and humane public policy, facilitating and providing direct professional services, and promoting the full participation of migrants in community life. It has a wealth of information on refugees, resettlement, immigration and more.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Center for Health Statistics
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/series/sr02/130-121/sr2_127.htm

This website takes you to the Vital and Health Statistics report, series 2, no. 127 titled, The Assessment of Immigration Status in Health Research.

U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM)
http://www.state.gov/g/prm/

The website highlights the role of PRM in addressing concerns related to refugees. The primary roles of PRM consist of policy formation and administering refugee assistance and programs. Also provided is a detailed breakdown of refugee-related funding since 2001.

U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
http://www.immigration.gov/graphics/index.htm

Services and functions of U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) are highlighted at this website. There are links that allow for the online completion of immigrant related services, benefits, and permits. This site also provides a legal page for information on immigration laws, regulations, and guidelines.

U.S. Office of Refugee Restoration (ORR)
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/orr/

The ORR website, a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, provides information on its mission, functions, activities, and an overview of services such as the Refugee Assistance Program, Social Services, and Preventive Health Services. Also provided are the health departments for each state.