The focus of this descriptive analysis is on the organizational framework of the largest Cultural Orientation (CO) project in the world implemented by the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC), which was contracted by the United States Department of State, Bureau for Refugee Programs, to conduct refugee resettlement education in Bata-an, the Republic of the Philippines for Indo-Chinese refugees bound for resettlement in the United States of America. From 1980 to 1990, ICMC/Philippines provided Cultural Orientation to a quarter of a million Indo-Chinese refugees. This inquiry establishes and clarifies what were some of the assumptions which contributed to the conceptualization of CO program instruction for adult Southeast Asian refugees intended to help the refugee achieve positive adjustment to life in the United States of America. The salient questions addressed in this research are: (1) What is overseas refugee education? (2) How is it constructed and conceptualized? (3) How is it practiced and implemented? and (4) Can the Philippines Refugee Processing Center serve as a model for preparing refugees to live in a Western multi-ethnic society? Postulated in the analysis are the strengths and weaknesses of the following elements staff training and development, educational theory, and refugee resettlement. Hypothesis testing of selected program elements and replication design of the locus of the program leading to conceptualization of refugee education include: selected cases studies, surveys (statistical and quantitative), policy review and analysis, personal interviews and legal opinions. The findings of the field-based research support the original hypothesis that certain operational concepts of American Cultural Orientation (CO) were "dysfunctional" and "incompatible" with the goals of preparing Southeast Asian refugees for successful adjustment to living in the United States of America. Moreover, the findings will be useful to U.S. Government officials, educators, researchers and refugee resettlement professionals who will consider the value of this study from the perspective of naturalized American citizen whose country of origin is the Republic of the Philippines. Felipe Cofreros, Ph.D.
Felipe Cofreros Ph.D. spent more than twenty-five years of aggregate experience in teaching Literacy, Adult Education, Pre-school, Elementary, High School, College and the administration of instructional English as a Second Language [ESL] services among Indo-Chinese refugees [Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer and Hmong] in the International Catholic Migration Commission [ICMC], Philippine Refugee Processing Center [PRPC] in Sabang, Morong, Bata-an, Philippines for a decade.Felipe also taught English as a Second Language [ESL] in different countries in Asia and North America. Presently, Felipe is one of the owners and the Executive Program Director of the International Adult Day Care in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Felipe has authored more than a dozen of Children's Picture Books with comprehension questions for three years old and up geared for use in the preschool classroom; A Handbook of Basic Art, Part 1 [Painting Processes in Playing with Colors, Different Crayon Techniques]; A Handbook of Basic Art, Part 2 [Basic Drawing, Painting and Making Crafts]; Let's Weave [An ancient Hand Art of Interlacing Two groups of Threads]; A Pre-school Math Workbook "Let's Build Our Math Skills Workbook for children ages three years old and up; Effective Ways To Assess English Language Learners [For Intermediate and Advanced Levels]; One Accord - an inspirational book of Bible promises; A Handbook of Writing Activities for Intermediate and Advanced English Language Learners and English Workbook 1, 2 and 3 for the Elementary level. Felipe graduated as a scholar from the University of San Agustin in Iloilo City, Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with specialization in Social Studies and Art Education. He also studied Basic Latin, Spanish and Theology courses in the Seminary of St. Augustine in Intramuros, Metropolitan Manila, Philippines. He got his Master's Degree in TESOL and Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology from an on-line University in the USA. Felipe obtained quite a number of certificates in different disciplines such as TESOL Teaching Certificate Course, Lingua Edge, LCC. TESOL Teaching Training Systems West Olympic Blvd., Beverly Hills, California, USA; Managing People for Maximum Performance in John F. Kennedy School of Management, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA; The Roots of Learning: Society for Effective Affective Learning in Brighton, England, United Kingdom.
