Syrian Refugees in the United States

Syrian Refugees in the United States

by Abbas Hasan

Division of Global Migration and Quarantine, CDC

map of Syria and the countries near it

Since 2011, over six million Syrian people have been displaced from their homeland-many as
refugees. Refugees are people who fear for their safety and must leave their home country because
of persecution or violence. Most refugees cannot return to their home countries.

Syria is a country in the Middle East bordering a few countries and the Mediterranean Sea. In March
2011, some Syrian citizens began protesting against the government because of political and
economic issues. On top of these issues, droughts made farming and producing food difficult. The
government responded with violence, and this led to some Syrians demanding the president of Syria
to step down. But the president did not want to step down. Within months, the Syrian civil war broke
out. This war is between people wanting a new government and the old government trying to hold its
power. Many countries in the Middle East and northern Africa experienced similar conflicts. These
protests and conflicts in the region became part of a movement called the Arab Spring.

After the war started in Syria, refugees started to flee the country. Many settled in neighboring
countries, like Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. The majority of Syrian refugees today are still in Turkey.
The United States began accepting Syrian refugees near the end of 2011. However, resettlement of
Syrian refugees in the United States happened on a much larger scale in 2015 and 2016. Most of the
refugees who were admitted between 2011 and 2016 are located in a few states and cities. These
states are California, Michigan, and Texas. San Diego and Chicago are the U.S. cities with the most
Syrian refugees from this time period.
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 Syrian Refugees in the United States

In the United States, most Syrian refugees are Muslim and speak Arabic. These refugees mainly
came from refugee camps in Jordan. From 2011 to 2016, about 70% of the refugees were women
and children under the age of 14. Syrian refugees in the U.S. have become active members of their
communities. The children go to school, and some adults have become business owners. Many new
refugees settle in cities with large Syrian immigrant communities. It can be difficult to move to a new
country on your own. Having other people who speak your language and understand your culture can
be helpful.

Today, Syrian refugees are still settling in the United States and planting roots in American
communities. Resettling in another country as a refugee is not easy, but organizations like the Syrian
Community Network provide individualized help for refugee families. They also help refugee families
to connect and meet one another. As Syrian refugees settle in their new communities, they often find
ways to share their culture and heritage. Some Syrian refugees work in restaurants or have started
small businesses. New York restaurant owner Diaa Alhanoun is one example. Alhanoun fled Syria in
2012. In the U.S., he worked in different restaurants until he helped start a restaurant that shares his
Middle Eastern heritage. Even now, he is still sharing Syrian food with new audiences in the United
States.

The Syrian civil war is still happening. Refugees are fleeing the country and searching for safety in
other countries. The Syrian refugee crisis is one of the largest displacements of people in this century.
Many Syrian refugees are still being displaced, but they are working toward building new lives around
the world.

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 Syrian Refugees in the United States - Comprehension Questions

Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

1. What is a refugee?

A. someone who can't travel for long because they can only stay in a country for a short
time
B. someone who leaves their home country because they prefer to live in a different
place
C. someone who does not live in one place and chooses to travel to a new place every
few months
D. someone who must leave their home country because they are scared for their safety

2. What caused some Syrians to demand that the president of Syria step down?

A. The government ignored their protests about religious freedom and access to better
education for children.
B. The government responded with violence to their protests about political, economic,
and food production issues.
C. The government made a decision to go to war with a neighboring country and citizens
did not agree with that decision.
D. The government raised prices for basic foods, such as bread and milk, and citizens
weren't able to afford them.

3. Read the following sentences from the text.

"Within months, the Syrian civil war broke out. This war is between people wanting a
new government and the old government trying to hold its power....After the war
started in Syria, refugees started to flee the country."
What conclusion can you draw from this evidence?

A. The Syrian civil war made it unsafe for many Syrians to stay in the country so they
were forced to leave their homes.
B. The Syrian civil war only lasted a few months and so it did not impact many of the
people living in the country.
C. The Syrian civil war was split between citizens who wanted to keep the old
government versus citizens who wanted a new one.
D. The Syrian civil war was successful in overthrowing the old government and the
citizens were pleased with the new one.

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 Syrian Refugees in the United States - Comprehension Questions

4. According to the text, how do Syrian refugees try to adjust to life in the United
States?

A. They are active members in their communities, where they hold jobs, go to school,
and start businesses.
B. They organize parades to share their culture, language, and religion with the
communities they live in.
C. They hold weekly meetings to see what community members need and then work
together to help them.
D. They go to New York and work in Diaa Alhanoun's restaurant to share their Middle
Eastern heritage with others.

5. What is the main idea of this text?

A. Syrian citizens wanted the president of Syria to step down because they did not like
how he handled their protests about several issues, but he refused to step down and civil
war broke out.
B. Diaa Alhanoun fled Syria in 2012 and worked in different restaurants until he helped
start a Middle Eastern restaurant in New York where he shares his heritage with others.
C. After the Syrian civil war began, many Syrians were forced to flee their homes as
refugees and settle in neighboring countries and the United States, where they
contribute to their communities.
D. Most Syrian refugees came to the United States between the years of 2011 and 2016
and moved to the states of California, Michigan, and Texas and cities of San Diego and
Chicago.

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 Syrian Refugees in the United States - Comprehension Questions

6. Read the following sentences from the text.

"Many new refugees settle in cities with large Syrian immigrant communities. It can
be difficult to move to a new country on your own. Having other people who speak
your language and understand your culture can be helpful. Today, Syrian refugees
are still settling in the United States and planting roots in American communities."
As used in this excerpt, what does the phrase "planting roots" most closely mean?

A. changing where you live

B. voicing your concerns
C. building a steady life
D. gardening outdoors

7. Choose the answer that best completes the sentence below.

The Syrian Community Network helps refugee families with specific needs ________
connects them to one another.

A. but
B. soon
C. first
D. and

8. Where did Syrian refugees mostly settle in the United States?

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 Syrian Refugees in the United States - Comprehension Questions

9. Why do many new Syrian refugees settle in cities that already have Syrian
immigrants?

10. How do Syrian refugees build communities in new places? Use evidence from the
text to support your answer.

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