International Rescue Committee San Diego Director Retires After 38 Years

OUR TOP STORY ON MIDDAY EDITION, THE MAN WHO FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS HAS GUIDED THE RESETTLEMENT OF REFUGEES IN SAN DIEGO IS RETIRING. BOB MONTGOMERY HAS BEEN WITH THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE DURING THE RESETTLEMENT IN THIS COUNTY OF IRAQIS, SOMALIS, ERITREANS, AND REFUGEES FOR MORE THAN 20 OTHER COUNTRIES. DURING THAT TIME BOB HAS SEEN PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR COUNTRIES AND EVERYTHING THEY KNOW. FORGE A NEW LIFE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND HE HAS SEEN OUR COMMUNITY GROW TO EMBRACE A VARIETY OF NEW CULTURES. BOB MONTGOMERY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE IRC IN SAN DIEGO WELCOME. THANK YOU, MAUREEN. YOU ARE PROBABLY DOING SOME LOOKING BACK ON YOUR CAREER AS YOU GET READY TO LEAVE THE IRC. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS TO THINK YOU WILL REMEMBER ? YOU'RE RIGHT. I HAVE REFLECTED ON MY CAREER HERE AT IRC. HELPING REFUGEES BUILD A NEW LIFE IN SAN DIEGO. I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANY ONE OR TWO EVENTS, BUT CERTAINLY, SEEING PEOPLE REUNITED WITH THEIR FAMILY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN SEPARATED BY WAR, SEEING PEOPLE ACHIEVE, WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO HAVE OPENED BUSINESSES AND WORK VERY HARD AND THEIR CHILDREN EXCEL IN SCHOOL AND ALL THESE ARE VERY GRATIFYING TO ME. BUT MOST OF ALL, I HAVE JUST SEEN PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES IN A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAD HERE IN THE UNITED STATES AND CERTAINLY AIR -- ERA SAN DIEGO HAS BROUGHT ME A LOT OF REPRESSION OF GRATIFICATION. WHEN IS SAID THAT THE REFUGEES COME TO SAN DIEGO THAT THEY HAVE LEFT EVERYTHING BEHIND. WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? HAVE THEY LEFT POSSESSIONS, CAREERS, FAMILY MEMBERS? IN MOST INSTANCES, REFUGEES ARE FORCED TO LEAVE AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE. THEY ARE FLEEING VIOLENCE. THEY ARE FLEEING WAR. THEY ARE FLEEING PERSECUTION. SO THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO PLAN FOR THIS. EVEN IF THEY DID, MANY OF THE POSSESSIONS AND RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY TAKE WITH THEM ARE USED UP LONG BEFORE THEY GET TO THE UNITED STATES. THE AVERAGE STAY IN A REFUGEES SITUATION, LET'S WEATHER IN A REFUGEE CAMP OR SOME URBAN SETTING IS 17 YEARS. SO ANY KIND OF RESOURCES THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE OUT WITH THEM WHEN THEY ARE INITIALLY FLED HAVE PROBABLY LONG BEEN EXHAUSTED. SO YES, WHEN THEY COME HERE, MOST REFUGEES HAVE VIRTUALLY NOTHING. AND THAT GOES FOR THE ACCREDITATION IF THEY ATTAIN SOME SORT OF PROFESSIONAL STATUS IN THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. YES. IF THEY WERE LET'S SAY A PHYSICIAN OR ENGINEER AND THEIR COUNTRY AND THEY COME HERE, OF COURSE, THAT PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION OR LICENSING IS NOT A RECOGNIZED HERE AT LEAST IN THE IMMEDIATELY. THAT IS WHY THE RNC HAS CREATED A CAREER DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT. WE HELP PEOPLE TO GET RELICENSED FORGET RECERTIFIED SO THEY CAN GO RETURN TO THEIR PROFESSION AND BE MORE PRODUCTIVE IN THE UNITED STATES. WE RECENTLY HELPED AN IRAQI FEMALE PHYSICIAN GET -- TAKE ALL THE NECESSARY TESTS FOR HER TO GET HER LICENSE AND SHE CURRENTLY NOW IS IN A RESIDENCY HERE IN SAN DIEGO AND ABLE TO PRACTICE THE PROFESSION THAT SHE CHOSE AND MORE IMPORTANT, SHE IS HELPING OUR COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY OUR ARE A BIT SPEAKING COMMUNITY BECAUSE -- ARABIC SPEAKING COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF ARABIC SPEAKING REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS HERE THAT NEED HEALTH CARE SHE'S ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME VERY IMPORTANT ASSISTANCE. WHAT IS IT LIKE LOOKING INTO THE EYES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE JUST ARRIVED HERE IN SAN DIEGO? ON THE ONE HAND, THEY MUST BE VERY HAPPY TO ACTUALLY BE HERE FINALLY AFTER SUCH A LONG WAIT. BUT THEY MUST ALSO BE QUITE SCARED. MOST REFUGEES BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED TO DO IT -- TO THE US AND SAN DIEGO HAVE EXPERIENCED GREAT TRAUMA. FLEEING THEIR COUNTRY LIVING IN A REFUGEE SITUATION FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. SO YES, THEY ARE BEWILDERED IN MANY CASES BUT ALSO BELIEVED THAT NOW THEY KNOW THEY ARE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT. BUT THEY HAVE MANY CHALLENGES AHEAD OF THEM. THEY HAVE TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. THEY MAY HAVE TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL. AS WE TALKED EARLIER, THEY MAY NEED TO GET RECERTIFIED TO PRACTICE THEIR PROFESSION. BUT BECOME A GREAT HELP. THEY WANT TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND WANT THE CHILDREN TO HAVE A NORMAL LIFE SO THEY SEE THIS AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY AND THEY ARE GRATEFUL TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE HERE TO HELP GUIDE THEM ALONG THEIR WAY WHAT MADE SAN DIEGO ONE OF THE RESETTLING AREAS FOR THE IRC ? LET'S GO BACK TO WHEN I STARTED IN 1976. I WAS A VOLUNTEER IN 1975 AT CAMP PENDLETON BECAUSE AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, IN APRIL 30 IN APRIL 30, 1975, SAIGON FELL TO THE COMMUNIST AND THE UNITED STATES BECAUSE OF OUR LONG INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM, AIRLIFTED ABOUT 140,000 SE. ASIAN REFUGEES, MOSTLY VIETNAMESE TO THE UNITED STATES. 40 YEARS AGO THIS YEAR. YES IN MAY IT WILL -- THE END OF APRIL. RIGHT. I WENT AND VOLUNTEERED AT CAMP PENDLETON WHERE 30,000 VIETNAMESE REFUGEES WERE HOUSED TEMPORARILY. AND I LEFT TO GO BACK TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. THE IRC AND OTHER AGENCIES THAT WE WERE ASSISTING UP THEIR HELP TO GET PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. AT THAT TIME YOUR JAVA HOST SPONSOR SO FAMILIES FROM SAN DIEGO, LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY STEPPED UP AND WELCOMED THE VIETNAMESE INTO THEIR HOMES FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND IRC OPEN AT THE OFFICE IN SAN DIEGO IN NOVEMBER 1975 TO HELP THEM MOVE OUT OF THE SPONSORING SITUATION AND BECOME INDEPENDENT AND GET JOBS AND GET THEIR CHILDREN IN SCHOOL AND DO WHAT EVERY OTHER AMERICAN WOULD DO IN DAILY LIFE. AS YOU SAY YOU STARTED OUT VOLUNTEERING AND THEN USE -- YOU DECIDED TO MAKE THIS YOUR CAREER. WHAT GOT YOU TO SAY YES TO THIS? TO SAY YES I WANT TO DO THIS FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE ? A COUPLE THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, WHEN I WENT UP TO CAMP PENDLETON IN MAY 1975, I WENT THERE FOR TWO REASONS. NUMBER ONE, MY EDUCATION WAS -- I GRADUATED WITH A BACHELORS DEGREE IN SOCIAL WELFARE AND I WAS HEADED OFF TO TEMPLE UNIVERSITY IN PHILADELPHIA TO GET MY MASTERS DEGREE IN SOCIAL WORK. AT THE SAME TIME, I WENT THERE BECAUSE I MYSELF WAS A VIETNAM VETERAN AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO GIVE BACK AND HELP THE VIETNAMESE PEOPLE. AND FROM THAT POINT, YOU SAID YES, THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO ? WITHOUT A DOUBT. I HAD SUCH A GOOD EXPERIENCE IN THE SHORT TIME I WAS VOLUNTEERING WITH THE IRC, TO REALIZE THAT IT FIT VERY WELL WITH THE EDUCATION AND CAREER PATH THAT I WAS TAKING AND THAT THE REFUGEES WERE VERY OPEN TO THE HELP AND OF COURSE IT WAS PROFESSIONALLY GRATIFYING AS I'VE MENTIONED. ON SPEAKING WITH BOB MONTGOMERY WHOSE RETIRING TODAY AFTER 40 YEARS, ALMOST 40 YEAR CAREER WITH THE IRC IN SAN DIEGO. WHEN YOU WERE FIRST STARTING ART, THOUGH, WHEN YOU SAW THE REFUGEES COMING FROM VIETNAM AND A COUPLE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD FROM OTHER PLACES, DID YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED AT TIMES AT THE TREMENDOUS HARDSHIP FACED BY THE PEOPLE YOU WERE WORKING WITH ? WELL, CERTAINLY. IT'S A DIFFICULT JOB. YOU HAVE PEOPLE COMING AND THEY ARE STRUGGLING WITH AS I MENTIONED BEFORE LANGUAGE, CULTURE. BUT THEY WERE WORKING SO HARD AT IT THAT I FELT LIKE THAT THIS WAS A WORTHY ENDEAVOR AND THAT I SAW PEOPLE ACHIEVING, MANY OF THEM QUITE QUICKLY AND SO I -- EVEN THOUGH IT'S OVERWHELMING WORK SOMETIMES, I THINK THE RESULTS THAT WE SEE KIND OF BALANCE OUT ANY KIND OF STRESS THAT WE MIGHT FEEL IN DOING THE DAY-TO-DAY JOB. HELPING PEOPLE THAT AS WE SAID EARLIER LOST EVERYTHING, SUFFERED GREAT TRAUMA, BUT CAME WITH A ATTITUDE TO SUCCEED. WHEN WE SAY THE IRC HELPS TO RESETTLE REFUGEES IN SAN DIEGO, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? TO FIND THE REFUGEES A PLACE TO LIVE? WHAT SERVICES DOES THE IRC PROVIDE ? WELL, UNDER OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE US STATE DEPARTMENT TO RESETTLE REFUGEES, WE PROVIDE TEMPORARY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND WE FIND HOUSING, WE ENSURE PEOPLE GET A HEALTH SCREENING, WE GET CHILDREN INTO SCHOOL, ADULT INTO ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE IF NECESSARY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE A JOB. SO THEY CAN BECOME PRODUCTIVE AGAIN. WE LEARNED YEARS AGO THAT MEETING THOSE CORE SERVICES WERE VERY IMPORTANT, BUT THAT WAS NO GUARANTEE OF SUCCESS. SO SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE DEVELOPED MANY ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS AT THE IRC IN SAN DIEGO TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE A SUCCESSFUL RESETTLEMENT EXPERIENCE. THEY INCLUDE MICRO-ENTERPRISE, URBAN AGRICULTURE, YOUTH PROGRAMS, CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION PROGRAMS. ALL OF THESE FOCUSED ON MAKING LONG-TERM SUCCESS MAKING PEOPLE SELF-RELIANT AND FINANCIALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT. I WANT TO ASK YOU MORE ABOUT URBAN AGRICULTURE BECAUSE I KNOW THE SHOW WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL SEGMENTS DE-ADOPT -- DEVOTED TO THIS CITY HEIGHTS FARM SET UP BY THE RSC. WHY THE EMPHASIS ON URBAN AGRICULTURE ? WELL, MANY REFUGEES COME WITH A AGRARIAN BACKGROUND. AND SO WE WANT TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE A TRADE THEY ALREADY KNEW. BUT ALSO URBAN FARMING IS THERAPEUTIC IN NATURE AND AS WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY, MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED GREAT TRAUMA AND THE REFUGEE PROCESS ITSELF. SO IT SEEMS TO US IT WAS KIND OF A NO-BRAINER, IF YOU WILL, THAT WE COULD -- REFUGEES COULD THRIVE IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION. IT ALSO ENABLE OF THE -- ENABLED US TO OPEN UP A PROGRAMMING COMMUNITIES AND ALLOW REFUGEES AND THE MAINSTREAM COMMUNITY TO BUILD BRIDGES TOGETHER AS THEY GREW FRUIT TOGETHER. WE HAVE A CALLER ON THE LINE. DANIEL IS ONLINE AND WANTS TO SPEAK WITH BOB MONTGOMERY. THANK YOU WELCOME TO THE SHOW. BOB, THIS IS DANIEL. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER ME BUT I CAME IN 1986 AND YOU DEFINITELY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MY LIFE. IT WAS -- I HEARD YOU ON THE RADIO AND I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AND WE APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, DANIEL. I APPRECIATE YOUR CALL. DANIEL, WHERE IS YOUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN ? I'M ORIGINALLY FROM [ INDISCERNIBLE ] BUT AT THAT TIME IT WAS CALLED [ INDISCERNIBLE ]. I CAME FROM ERITREA. I HAVE NOT SEEN BOB FOR A WHILE. I RUN INTO THEM OCCASIONALLY BUT NOW I HEARD HE IS RETIRING I MAY HAVE TO STOP BY VISIT. [ LAUGHTER ] THANK YOU FOR VISITING -- YOUR CALL THANK YOU FOR THE CALL. YOU MUST RUN INTO PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, BOB ? YES, I DO IT'S MOSTLY VERY REWARDING BECAUSE PEOPLE COME TO ME AND NOW THEY HAVE CHILDREN AND SOMETIMES CHILDREN HAVE CHILDREN SO IT DOESN'T MAKE ME FEEL ANY YOUNGER, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY HELPING ME TO REFLECT BACK AND SEE THE IMPACT THAT THE IRC INTO A CERTAIN SMALL WAY MYSELF I SAID ON THEIR BEING ABLE TO REBUILD THEIR LIVES. WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF HOW SAN DIEGO HAS ACCEPTED REFUGEE POPULATION ? SAN DIEGO HAS BEEN A VERY WELCOMING COMMUNITY. AS I MENTIONED WAY BACK IN 1975, YOU HAD TO HAVE A SPONSOR TO GET OUT OF THE CAMPS AND SAN DIEGO STEPPED UP AND DID THAT AND THAT REALLY BEGAN TO REFUGEES COMING TO SAN DIEGO. WE SEE FROM THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FROM OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, FROM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, FROM RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, PEOPLE STEPPING UP TO HELP WHEN NEW REFUGEE GROUPS COME TO SAN DIEGO. THE ONLY CHANGES SOMETIMES PEOPLE WANT TO BE SURE OF IS REFUGEES HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES WHEN IT COMES -- THEY COME SO WE JOIN WITH THOSE PEOPLE AND WE ADVOCATE TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF THE PROGRAMS THE REFUGEES NEED TO SUCCEED ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM WHEN THEY ARRIVE. AND WHEN IT COMES TO YOU JUST MENTIONED NOT ONLY DO YOU SOMETIMES RUN INTO SOMEONE YOU HAVE HELPED WHEN THEY FIRST CAME TO THIS COUNTRY, BUT TO THEIR CHILDREN AND SOMETIMES THEIR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN. WHAT IS IT LIKE SECOND AND THIRD GENERATION FOR REFUGEES? IS IT BASICALLY THE TYPICAL IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND HERE IN AMERICA? THAT WHILE THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE THIS TRIP, IT'S TOUGH ON THEM LEARNING AND WOULD AND SO FORTH BUT THEIR KIDS AND THEIR KIDS KIDS ARE BASICALLY JUST AS AMERICAN AS ANYBODY ELSE ? YES, I THINK THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT. WITHIN A SHORT TIME, EVEN YOUNG CHILDREN WHO COME HERE BECOME VERY AMERICANIZED. AND MAYBE IT DOESN'T MAKE THEIR PARENTS ALL THAT HAPPY ALL THE TIME BECAUSE THEY LIKE THEM TO CERTAINLY CONNECT WITH THEIR OWN CULTURE AS WELL. AMERICAN CULTURE IS VERY STRONG AND YOUNG CHILDREN CERTAINLY SECOND-GENERATION ONES WANT TO FIT IN AND IN THE SCHOOLS WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND COMMUNITY. BUT I THINK THEY WERE INDISTINGUISHABLE FROM THEIR AMERICAN COUNTERPARTS. WHAT YOU THINK THE REFUGEE POPULATION, THE WAVES OF REFUGEES WE'VE SEEN FROM SOMALIA, FROM VIETNAM AS YOU SAID ERITREA, AND FROM THE MIDDLE EASTERN COUNTRIES, WHAT HAVE THEY GIVEN TO SAN DIEGO ? I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF DIVERSITY THAT COMES FROM EVERY REFUGEE GROUP. CERTAINLY LANGUAGE, CULTURE, RELIGIOUS GROUPS. BUT WHAT THEY DO WITH GIVE I THINK MOSTLY IT'S THEY HAVE THE SAME VALUES THAT AMERICANS ADMIRE YOUR LOVE OF FAMILY, HARD WORK, ENTREPRENEURIAL, VALUE EDUCATION FOR THEMSELVES AND CHILDREN. THESE ARE THINGS I THINK AMERICANS RESPECT. AND I THINK THEY CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE THAT KIND OF WAY OF LIFE TO AMERICA WHEN THEY ARRIVE. BOB, WHY DID YOU RETIRE -- DECIDE TO RETIRE ? FIRST OF ALL MY AGE. BUT I THINK MORE IMPORTANT, IRC IN SAN DIEGO HAS GROWN. WE SEE MANY REFUGEES AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE PROGRAMS. WE ARE THE BIGGEST OFFICE IN THE IRC NETWORK OF 22 CITIES. AND I THINK IT DESERVES SOMEONE WHO HAS MORE ENERGY ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS TO RUN THE OPERATION. AFTER ALMOST 40 YEARS, YOU ARE PROBABLY DESERVING OF ARREST. I APPRECIATE THAT TAKES THEM AWAY USE A -- STAY ACTIVE IN THE IRC IN SOME CAPACITY ? I WILL. IRC HAS A CLASSIFICATION CALLED OCCASIONAL EMPLOYEE AND I WILL BE ABLE TO GO INTO THAT CATEGORY AND WHEN NEEDED I WILL ASSIST THE IRC HOPEFULLY WITH SOME OF THE EXPERIENCE I'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS. I SOMETHING TO OFFER SOME OTHER OFFICES IN THE IRC NETWORK. I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH BOB MONTGOMERY. STILL AT THIS MOMENT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE IRC IN SAN DIEGO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MAUREEN. I APPRECIATE IT.