Buddhism as a Support System for Southeast Asian Refugees

Buddhism has a venerable history of human service that long predates the advent of Western social work. Currently, Buddhist services are being adapted for Southeast Asian refugees in the midwestern United States. To identify the range of human services available, the authors conducted a study of three Buddhist mutual assistance associations for refugees living in the Midwest. Using an ethnographic participant-observation research methodology, the authors found that Buddhism is linked to both traditional life-style and current efforts to overcome the effects of war and trauma that have forced the migration of Southeast Asians. In particular, the authors examined the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual services provided in the Lao and Khmer temples in the United States. In this article, the authors describe their findings within the historical and philosophical context of Buddhism. In addition, they suggest that social workers refine culturally sensitive services for Southeast Asian refugees.