Continued from page 1 Supporting Those Left Behind
 Southeast Asian Americans have not forgotten those they left behind in their homelands and many, even those with modest incomes, use their income to support relatives. With increasing political stability in Southeast Asia and opportunities for travel to the region, some use their earning to make trips to visit family members. Millions of dollars earned in the U.S. are sent back as “remittances” to help support loved ones. In addition, items that are much needed in the homeland are purchased in the U.S. and sent to relatives. Medicine, for example, was sometimes sold for cash on the black market in the homeland.
Nowadays remittances are used to purchase or build homes, buy household items, and acquire means of transportation, all of which cost a fraction of the price in the homeland as similar items in the United States . Southeast Asian Americans are also returning to their homelands to open up businesses, work for multinational companies, and start non-profit organizations, all of which are part of the process of helping to rebuild these countries after the turmoil of war. The multi-millions of dollars of yearly remittances from overseas communities are welcomed, since they help support the national economies in these homeland countries. 
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