Blooming out of Concrete: Burmese Refugee College Students' Resettlement Approach and the Role of Social Support

Background and Purpose: The United States is the world’s top resettlement country for refugees and Burmese refugees have been resettled in significant numbers in the Midwest U.S. Many refugee families look to their college-age youth to enhance their well-being. This study explored Burmese refugee college students’ resettlement approach and the influence of social support in shaping that approach. In order to explore the refugee students’ resettlement experiences and the role of social support, social support theory and conservation of resources theory were used to explain the importance of social support for refugee students’ successful resettlement.

Methods: The researcher conducted a qualitative exploratory study using thematic analysis, examining 32 in-depth individual interviews with Burmese refugee students enrolled in higher education. Participants were predominantly female (84%). Participants ranged in age between 19 and 26 years with a mean age of 21. Among the 32 students, 25 have been in the U.S. for more than 10 years. The average age of study participants when they arrived in the U.S. was 9.5 years old. The majority of participants (90%) were undergraduate students. Only 2 of 32 participants’ parents graduated from college and both of them were their father, not their mother.

Results: Through an in-depth examination of the lived experiences of Burmese refugee college students’ resettlement, Two main themes were identified: the resources of social support and resettlement experiences. In analyzing the data, the resources of social support were deeply related to the refugee students’ adjustment to the host country. To be specific, support from members of the same ethnic group was indispensable to the newly arrived refugees. Refugees chose secondary migration in order to settle with people from the same ethnic groups giving up on government support. The co-ethnic community also plays an important role in pursuing higher education. Two sub-themes emerged from refugees’ resettlement experience: Blooming flowers out of concrete and A shift from feeling shameful to feeling proud, which were extracted from the participants’ own words. Three of 32 participants explained they were afraid of revealing their refugee status to their peers when they were young. Participants demonstrated their personal and detailed life goals that they wanted to accomplish. It was very impressive that many participants shared their desire to be a bridge between their own country, Burma, and the host country, the United States.

Conclusions and Implications: The study findings will be used by social work practice, programs, and policies to improve the success of Burmese refugee students' resettlement. This study would serve as a foundation for enhancing refugee students’ resettlement and understanding the critical role of social support resources during the resettlement period. Burmese refugee students would be an important avenue to develop international relations and achieve social justice. Despite a variety of barriers and prejudices, Burmese refugee students bloom and flourish in their new environment in the United States. They are beneficiaries but also currently benefactors. The perspectives on refugees need to change and move from victims to the citizens of the world.