St. Louis

How has this experience influenced your view of St. Louis? This outing has influenced my view of St. Louis in many ways. Before this outing, I did not know that St. Louis was home to a large number of refugees. As mentioned in class, most of my time is spent in the SLU bubble, so I have never been exposed to the different ethnic cultures within the city. I enjoyed learning about the diversity within St. Louis, and I am excited to explore new ethnic restaurants. Also, this fact about St. Louis resonated with me, due to the fact that Des Moines is also home to many Bosnian refugees. I attended grade school with children who had traveled to America to escape the Bosnian Civil war. In fact, there is a community of Bosnian refugees that live a few streets away from me. As a child, I did not understand the classifications of a refugee or why they choose
This connection is seen throughout Suk’s story. Throughout his story, it is clear to see that Suk is an intelligent man, who has an impressive resume. However, upon his arrival in America, none of his past seemed to matter. His label as a refugee caused marginalization within the community and in the workforce. Most people do not understand the classifications of a refugee, and they create assumptions that are not always correct. These assumptions may include that a refugee cannot speak English or that they are not educated. These assumptions stem from a lack of understanding about different cultures. Ultimately, they create stereotypes about cultures that are different than the typical western culture, which leads to marginalization within the community. Suk also faced marginalization within the workforce. Although Suk had degrees in engineering and law, he was unable to practice in America. Suk was marginalized, due to the fact that his occupations were limited based on predisposed opinions and not on