This study on the economic self-sufficiency of the Southeast Asian refugee household was conducted in order to gather information on the economic status of these refugees, the factors that contribute to self-sufficiency, and refugees' needs for services. A survey of 1,384 households of Vietnamese, Sino-Vietnamese, and Lao refugees who arrived in the United States after October 1978 was conducted. Interviews were held in the Fall of 1982 in five sites: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Seattle, and Orange County, California. It was found that Southeast Asian refugees have made steady progress in climbing out of dependency on transfer income and increasing their standard of living in relation to the official poverty level and that there is every indication that they will continue to progress in a positive direction. Virtually all the refugees studied relied on cash assistance at the beginning of their stay; dependency is apparently not by choice. Factors that were found to be important in the families' levels of self-sufficiency were household size and composition, the refugee community as a source of support, and participation in and effectiveness of English language programs and employment service programs. The study report contains extensive and detailed information on the design, implementation, and results of the study and uses many tables and charts to illustrate or present the information. (CG)