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Bob Johnson, Refugee Resettlement Director, Seattle


September 20, 2007
By The IRC

Bob Johnson, International Rescue Commmittee (IRC) Seattle

Photo: The IRC
Today Bob Johnson, 60, is contemplating whether to retire at age 65 or follow the path of Carel Sternberg, an IRC legend and former executive director, who worked with refugees until the age of 91.“By Carel’s standards, I’ve barely gotten started,” Bob says. In August, Bob marked 31 years of service with the IRC. He has been the IRC resettlement director in Seattle for 29 years. He still looks forward to the challenge involved in resettling refugees. Over the next few months, alone, refugees from Eritrea, Burma and Somalia will be arriving in Seattle and will need the IRC’s assistance. The Seattle area is booming, which makes it easier for Bob and the rest of the Seattle office’s 13 employees to find jobs for arriving refugees. Bob cites a recent success resettling a group of Meskhetian Turks. Despite being a little known group from Russia that few, including Bob, knew about, the Meskhetian Turks brought training and job skills that helped them successfully integrate into the community. He hopes for similar results with the Eritreans because of their skills and education. “It’s good to see people come and restart their lives,” Bob says. “You can see the relief on their faces after a few months. Often it’s an end to their struggle.” Bob says the successful acclimation of refugees depends a lot on their motivation. Refugees who can move into an already established community tend to fare best, he says. Still, the acclimation process can be hard. Bob recalls challenges faced by the so-called Lost Boys – young refugees from Sudan – five years ago because there was no Sudanese community in Seattle and they lacked job skills. He expects similar difficulties orienting a new group of Somalis, some of whom are disabled and have medical problems. Born in Oakland, California, Bob attended the University of California at Davis. After graduating in 1969, he taught sixth grade in Woodland, Calif., for two years before heading to Europe for several years of work and travel. In Amsterdam Bob learned Dutch and honed his French while running a liquor store that catered to tourists. His French helped pave the way to his working with refugees. “French was not exactly something I thought I would ever use to get a job,” Bob says. Returning to California in 1974, Bob worked for the San Francisco welfare department’s refugee unit, using his French to assist new arrivals from Vietnam. Wanting to work more closely with refugees, Bob heard about a job with the IRC. Nan Borton, then head of the IRC's San Francisco office, recognized Bob’s talent and hired him in 1976. Bob adds that Borton may have actually hired him because he owned a Volkswagen bus, which he used to transport furniture to refugee apartments. Bob has spent 30 years working in IRC domestic resettlement offices and one year in Thailand, where he worked with Laotian hill tribe refugees. Bob is chair of the Refugee State Advisory Council and belongs to the King County Refugee Forum and King County Planning Committee. He also sits on the Community Relations Committee for the District Office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Bob’s work also led to his meeting his wife, Susan, at a refugee resettlement conference in Washington, DC, in 1996. Susan works for Lutheran Community Services in its foster placement program for refugees. They share a love for the outdoors and for their cat, Theo, named after the jazz artist Theolonius Monk. They plan to retire to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. But retirement may not be an option because, as Bob noted, the refugee population in Sioux Falls is growing. He doubts he will ever be able to settle in where there aren’t refugees who need help.
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12 comments

Comments

We need volunters to help us

Submitted by Michael Neguse (not verified) on February 16, 2009 - 12:44am.

We need volunters to help us on community garden for refuges and immigrants from SE Asia and East Africa

Hi Gerry--thanks very much

Submitted by Kate Sands Adams, The IRC (not verified) on March 27, 2008 - 3:42pm.

Hi Gerry--thanks very much for your comment and your interest in assisting refugees. The IRC has several offices helping refugees start over in the San Francisco Bay area. You can find out more about their work and ways to get involved on our Web site at www.theIRC.org/sanfrancisco. You might also want to visit the IRC Jobs site at www.theIRC.org/jobs.

Kate (IRC blog editor)

Hi Bob, Your work has

Submitted by gerry garber (not verified) on March 26, 2008 - 4:33pm.

Hi Bob,

Your work has reinforced my aspirations! Thank you.

I have extensive experience in the world of intercultural communication, which all began as a youth in New York and then continued in my work with several refugee resettlement agencies in San Francisco. I am currently seeking a part time job in order to help resettle refugees with an organization in San Francisco. Any suggestions? I am well traveled (worked, lived and traveled internationally), a strong advocate, experienced in navigating systems and committed to the work. I would work as a volunteer but, unfortunately, I need to earn money.

Thanks for your thoughts! Gerry

i sincerely look forward to

Submitted by sam orovwuje (not verified) on October 11, 2007 - 6:22am.

i sincerely look forward to practicing with your organisation.i have just concluded post graduate work in Humanitarian and Refugee Studies and i require international exposure in resettlement procedure and protection. Bob i really appreciate your tremendous contributions the global issues of displaeements.God will strengthen you as you propose to retire. The World will surely miss you . Thanks for impacting mankind.

Cheers

Sam Orovwuje

Hi Bob, Helping others is

Submitted by Iliana Elffree (not verified) on September 29, 2007 - 8:34am.

Hi Bob,

Helping others is not a job that you can quit nor a job you can retire from. It's a job that you do with your heart. Until your heart beats you are employed.
I want to help and I have been looking on IRC website for information on how can I get involved.Unfortunately IRC doesn't have an office or programs in Chicago.
Is there a way for me to get involved and how can I help?

Thank you Bob!

Sam--thanks very much for

Submitted by Kate Sands, The IRC (not verified) on September 28, 2007 - 9:23am.

Sam--thanks very much for your interest in assisting refugees. The IRC does not currently resettle refugees in Colorado or North Carolina, but there may be other organizations that do. I'll ask my resettlement colleagues and get back to you. In the meantime, you might be interested in visiting the US Department of State's Web site (http://www.state.gov/g/prm/refadm/), which I recall listed refugee resettlement partners throughout the country.

Kate Sands/The IRC

Hi Sara -- Thanks for your

Submitted by katesands (not verified) on September 28, 2007 - 9:13am.

Hi Sara -- Thanks for your comment! I'm Kate, the blog moderator. I'll share your kudos with Bob. There are various ways you can get involved assisting refugees in the US and around the world, whether through volunteering, working with the IRC, taking advocacy action, or being part of fundraising events and campaigns for refugees. A good place to start is our Web site at http://www.theirc.org/help/

Kate Sands/The IRC

Wendy -- thanks very much for

Submitted by katesands (not verified) on September 28, 2007 - 9:08am.

Wendy -- thanks very much for your question. You can learn more about various ways to help refugees in Seattle by visiting our Web site at www.theIRC.org/seattle

Kate Sands/The IRC

Oh, and PS, I speak French,

Submitted by Sara Knoff (not verified) on September 28, 2007 - 8:54am.

Oh, and PS, I speak French, too. =)

Hi Bob! Kudos for all your

Submitted by Sara Knoff (not verified) on September 28, 2007 - 8:49am.

Hi Bob! Kudos for all your hard work in helping others! I recently saw The Constant Gardner and was inspired to relocate to where I would be useful to many. I'm not sure how to get started. The IRC was introduced to me by a coworker from Africa whose many family family members have been killed because of civil war. I want so much to help heal people and cheer them and see them smile. Any suggestions on how to get involved, in or out of the US? I'm only 31 and am looking for a fulfulling career. Maybe I can follow in your footsteps and spend my next 31 years changing lives for the better. Thank you!

I live in Shoreline, WA and

Submitted by Wendy Joseph (not verified) on September 28, 2007 - 1:42am.

I live in Shoreline, WA and work full time but have some time evenings and weekends. What could I do for the new Seattle refugees?

I am an active 63-year-old

Submitted by Sam Walker (not verified) on September 27, 2007 - 11:01am.

I am an active 63-year-old retiree living in Grand Junction, CO, and in Asheville, NC, (6-mo. in each location). I am looking for meaningful work to undertake in either location and I thought that refugee resettlement might be an area that would fit my interests and skill set. Any thoughts or advise would be most welcome.

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