In 1998, IBP of Waterloo did not have the problem with undocumented Hispanic aliens like it did in 1996. However, because of IBP's recruitment policy up to 3,000 Bosnians have been brought into the town in the past couple of years. The Bosnian "pipeline" began in 1996 as IBP began looking for more workers for its Waterloo plant. As thousands of people began to flee the former Yugoslavia, many were granted political asylum in the United States. IBP recruiters learned of large populations of Bosnians living in New York and Chicago and offered them jobs in Waterloo.

    While most Bosnians have come to the area because they were recruited by IBP, many recognize that the opportunity is there for them to move into different professions. The most critical step in welcoming the Bosnians into the Waterloo community will come at the elementary education level, where many Bosnian children will learn skills that will enable them to move into jobs other than manufacturing; such as administrators, nurses, doctors, and the like. As more Bosnians are expected in the years to come, it will be important for the city of Waterloo to hire people to educate Bosnians at a young age. When looking at the big picture, one will find that the Bosnians are better received in Waterloo than most of the Hispanics are. The Bosnians have the advantage of not being thought of as undocumented aliens and can gain sympathy from Waterloo residents who recognize their plight.