This story first aired on March 31, 2016.
For refugees, the first few months in America can be tough. Language is a barrier, and so are simple things like going to the store or using public transportation. But after a few years, most refugees integrate well to their new homes. That's according to the RISE study commissioned by the Colorado Refugee Services Program. The study followed refugees from Somalia, Bhutan, Iraq and Burma for four years, surveying them annually about their transition to life in Colorado.
State refugee coordinator Kit Taintor says the study is the first of its kind and showed refugees are adapting with such steps as bonding with people outside their cultural groups and working more than 30 hours a week.
Taintor and Ganga Uprety, a Bhutanese refugee who lives in Aurora, spoke with Colorado Matters host Nathan Heffel.
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