A few years ago, Postville experienced an influx of Hasidic Jews from New York and Europe. Storm Lake even experienced a small influx of German-speaking Mennonites from Canada, Mexico and South America in the mid 1990s. Of course, there also can be some overlap between these two general types of newcomers. Most Bosnians in Waterloo, for example, were brought to Iowa by the corporation that hired them with the help of national refugee agencies. It is important to note the different kind of status generally afforded refugees, as opposed to migrants.
Refugees are invitees.
In most cases, individuals, families and community institutions such as churches sponsor refugees. They provide essential support to help these folks get settled and jump-start their new lives in America. Perhaps most important, the state and federal government provides aid as well. The vast majority of these folks come to Iowa to take jobs in food processing, hog and chicken confinements, or other industries that generally have low or moderate wages, difficult working conditions, and little chance for advancement. In other words, these folks usually take jobs native Iowans refuse.