Full Citation

Title: Pathways and Destinations: African Refugees in the US

Citation Type: Dissertation/Thesis

Publication Year: 2006

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Abstract: Migration now encompasses parts of the world that it did not previously, while there have been fewer migrants from the traditional countries of origin. No longer dominated by outflows from Europe to a handful of destinations, the number and variety of sending regions has increased, and there has been growth in movements from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. New cultures and ways of life are changing the structures of places throughout the US, making this migration an important topic of study. In contrast to other movements, African movements have not been considered in great detail. While there has also been an increasing trend toward movement, including secondary movement, to small and mid-sized cities, research on destinations has to a great extent neglected these locations. This is unfortunate, as the relative impact of migration on these cities as well as the impact of these cities on new arrivals, can be considerable, if not greater, than on larger cities. Further, while earlier movements consisted of economic migrants, new movements have also resulted from political upheaval and ethnic persecution throughout the world, leading to increased refugee movements. With these new movements, one type of immigrant intermediary has played an increasingly dominant role. Both state and voluntary resettlement agencies (VOLAGs) have impacted the settlement patterns of refugees across the US. Long-standing, widely supported migration models, though, have neglected the role of these intermediaries in the process of resettlement.Through the analysis of US Census data and Office of Refugee Resettlement data, and through the use of in depth interviews with African refugees from a variety of different countries and ethnic groups, community leaders, and agency representatives, this dissertation addresses these gaps in migration research. It considers the processes that underlie observed settlement and adjustment patterns with particular attention given to the role of the resettlement programs and voluntary resettlement agencies (VOLAGs) and their effectiveness. In summary, the overriding questions of this dissertation research are the following: What factors affect the choice of destination locations of refugees, and what factors influence the adjustment of refugees once they have arrived in the US? More specifically, this research seeks to understand to what degree VOLAGs play a role in determining the pathways and destinations of refugees, and in the adjustment of refugees.Analysis of secondary data provides evidence that refugee populations are being resettled to locations that have not historically received foreign-born e.g., North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Vermont, Kentucky, and Missouri. Analysis of more recent flows of African refugees to the US shows that they are being resettled, and moving on their own, as secondary migrants to states like Minnesota and Ohio; and not to the historically more common states, like California and Florida. Qualitative analysis of interviews with refugees and agency representatives demonstrates that VOLAGs clearly have an impact on the location patterns of refugees. With regard to adjustment, in the case of refugees, the role of VOLAGs and policy in the US must be considered within the process of adjustment. Refugees are a unique group, as contextual, controllable, forces may play a role in their adjustment. VOLAGs can counteract some of the barriers to adjustment that refugees face. Money and social services allocated to refugees, in addition to the locations where VOLAGs choose to place refugees impact in what way, and how fast adjustment occurs.

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Authors: Mott, Tamar E.

Institution: The Ohio State University

Department: Geography

Advisor: Edward Malecki

Degree: Doctor of Philosophy

Publisher Location: Columbus, OH

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Data Collections: IPUMS USA

Topics: Migration and Immigration, Other

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