"My World is Upside Down": Transnational Iraqi Youth and Parent Perspectives on Resettlement in the United States

Authors

Julia Meredith Hess, University of New Mexico
Brian Isakson, University of New Mexico
Matthew Nelson, A.T. Still University
Jessica R. Goodkind, University of New Mexico

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2018

Abstract

The U.S. war with Iraq led to the displacement of millions of Iraqis, many of whom have resettled in the United States as refugees. We explore the challenges Iraqi families face after resettlement, with a particular focus on the agency of refugees and challenges/opportunities of familial social reproduction in a transnational context. We conducted 181 qualitative interviews with 38 Iraqis (11 youth, 27 adults) and 5 service providers. Our findings highlight the importance of exploring refugee agency and illuminate how the interplay between structure and agency in transnational contexts is a useful framework for understanding transformations around social roles.

Publication Title

J Immigr Refug Stud

ISSN

1556-2948

Volume

16

Issue

4

First Page

391

Last Page

412

DOI

10.1080/15562948.2017.1338367

Recommended Citation

Hess JM, Isakson B, Nelson M, Goodkind JR. "My World is Upside Down": Transnational Iraqi Youth and Parent Perspectives on Resettlement in the United States. J Immigr Refug Stud. 2018;16(4):391-412. doi: 10.1080/15562948.2017.1338367. Epub 2017 Oct 4. PMID: 30983922; PMCID: PMC6457466.