Southeast Asian Refugees

This is in response to Mark Arax’s article (Feb. 9) on Southeast Asian refugees.

I’m sure the poor working stiffs of California were thrilled to read that tax money from their weekly paychecks was being used to provide welfare payments for Asian refugees who also have unreported, tax-free incomes totaling “as much as $25,000 a year.”

The California worker must also wonder about his tax money that supports Asian “professional students” who “purposely fail examinations” along with those “who are seemingly healthy, present medical excuses” from Asian doctors.

These are the welfare recipients who are referred to as having “an apparent lack of work ethic” by the Office of Refugee Resettlement. “We know what we are doing is illegal,” says one Vietnamese who collects $950 a month in cash assistance and food stamps.

An overhaul of our government resettlement office is also obvious. Some caseworkers choose not to investigate, citing cultural reasons. Another refrains from investigating by quoting a Vietnamese expression: “You don’t mess with somebody’s rice pot.” I might ask then, why are they messing with America’s welfare pot?

Other quotes from caseworkers: “When I know a client is working and not reporting the income, I forget about it.” Another says, “Frankly we are afraid of the consequences of going public.” Joan Pinchuk, the coordinator for refugees services in Los Angeles County says, “ . . . how can you blame them?”

Well I can blame them. I blame them for stealing money from the American working man and woman.

GEORGE WOOD

Malibu