Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

This study explores and describes social inclusion and exclusion among emerging adult refugees from the African Great Lakes region fleeing the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to conduct and analyze twelve in-depth interviews with refugee youth aged 18–25 years old. Initial, focused, axial, and thematic coding were employed to develop a context-specific framework of meanings and strategies associated with social inclusion and exclusion of refugee youth. This study explained participants’ experiences in three categories: before migration in refugee camps, after migration to the United States, and overlapping experiences pre-and post-resettlement. Before resettlement, participants described social exclusion as injustice, lack of refugee policies, and limited resources in refugee camps. Social exclusion after resettlement was described as having limited English language skills and experiencing loneliness and culture shock. Loss of identity, discrimination, and dehumanization led to social exclusion experiences pre-and post-resettlement. Participants employed intrinsic strategies to promote social inclusion such as spirituality, ignoring discrimination experiences, and having the motivation to succeed. At a community level, participants used pre-migration privileges, refugee community resources, and social support to promote social inclusion. Resilience and social interactions were overlapping inclusion strategies through the resettlement journey. This study findings highlights practice and policy recommendations. Schools and community-based programs should employ cultural competency in program planning. The findings also suggest that refugee youth value mentorship from youth refugees who have successfully navigated the resettlement process to establish social inclusion through community building.