Fights, Prejudice, and Discrimination: Young Iraqi Refugees' Negative Experiences in U.S. Schools

• In Event: Roundtable Session 53
  In Roundtable Session: Refugee Students in U.S. Schools: Challenges and Possibilities

Abstract

The Iraqi refugee population has grown since the U.S. declaration of war in 2003 (UNHCR, 2015; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2011). This increase means that U.S. institutions must be prepared to best support refugees. Schools are arguably the most important institution for socializing newcomer youths into U.S. society, yet limited research has explored the school experiences of Iraqi refugee youths. This research, grounded in ecocultural theory, employed in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 17 young Iraqi refugees (14-20) who attended public schools in a city in Maryland. Students experienced fights, prejudice and discrimination in schools. They attributed the negative treatment to the perpetrator’s immaturity or ignorance, and they dealt with the experiences using a passive approach, humor, or educating the perpetrator.

Author

• Amy Lynn Pucino, Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC)