Resilience and Filial Responsibility in Young Adult Resettled Refugees from Burma

Background: Coming of age as a recently resettled refugee from Burma poses unique opportunities and challenges in navigating the often dissimilar norms and expectations of family, culture, and the host environment.  Understanding these experiences and how they are interpreted by young adults can provide insight into the mechanisms through which this segment of the resettled refugee community can be supported and encouraged. 

Methods:  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-two young adult refugees who had recently resettled to the United States from Burma.  Karen, Chin, and Rohingya ethnic groups were represented in the study. Participants ranged in age from 18-26 and had lived in the United States between 1 and 6 years. Interviews were audio-recorded and later transcribed.  Qualitative analysis used a grounded theory approach, generating first open and axial codes and later the extraction of themes following triangulation of the data by multiple members of the research team. 

Results:  Major themes included strong ties and obligations--to the resettled refugee community, the family of origin (specifically parents and grandparents), and to the ethnic culture.  Participants spoke of the importance of learning to read and speak well in their native languages, in order to carry on the traditions of the elders whom they viewed as paving the way for their future in the United States.  Cultural obligations and ethnic pride were most prevalent among the ethnically Karen participants.  Adherence to traditional dress, food, and dance were seen as important methods of showing respect to family and culture.  Other prominent themes included resiliency, gratefulness, and religion (both Protestant, Muslim, and, to a lesser extent, Animism), as playing key roles in transitioning to life in the United States. 

Conclusions and Implications:  This study provides new insight into the lived experiences of young adult refugees from Burma, particularly related to the sense of self and the role within the family, community, and culture.  That the participants in this study maintained a strong sense of ethnic and cultural identity demonstrates the resilience of this community in the face of adversity experienced both before and after resettlement. Much work in refugee resettlement to this point has focused on helping refugees learn to speak and read English, acquire relevant job skills, and integrate into U.S. society.  The results of this study speak to the need to also focus on efforts to strengthen ethnic and cultural ties through literacy and language develop in the native languages of refugees, the promotion of culturally centered arts, and supporting family and community cohesiveness.