Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: This study sheds light on the development of transcultural identity for Generation 1.5 Bhutanese refugees, the role organizations play in the process, and the agency adolescents and young adults bring to countering dominant narratives about immigrants in general and refugees in particular. Most of the participants in this qualitative case study research were born in refugee camps in Nepal and moved to the U.S. during childhood or adolescence. All of the participants have been involved in at least one of two refugee community organizations (RCOs) in Pittsburgh, the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh (BCAP) or Children of Shangri-Lost (COSL). In this study, I used interviews, participant observation, and textual analysis to address the following research questions: • What challenges and opportunities do participants face in the development of transcultural identity? • What role do organizations, including refugee community organizations (RCOs), play in the process? Using Seidman’s (2006) three-part interview structure, I conducted multiple interviews with each of the five participants regarding a) past experience, b) present involvements, and c) future plans. I also participated in or observed events at BCAP and COSL in addition to analyzing website, social media, and other text and images. For my first question on transcultural identity, acculturation models developed by Berry (1997) and colleagues (2006, 2011) as well as Suarez-Orozco and Suarez-Orozco (2001) provided a useful framework for understanding/articulating the different responses to engaging with a new and unfamiliar culture. Adolescent and young adult identity is not worked through in a vacuum; social organizations and institutions play a significant role. In addressing this topic for the second research question, I relied on Coleman’s (1988) conception of social capital as well as Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth.
Author: Susan Dawkins
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Office of Refugee Resettlement
OpenAlex ID: W3134129402