Capitals and Contexts— Factors Affecting the Economic Integration of Refugees in Utah

• In Event: 469 - Section on International Migration Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 02. Refugees and Displaced Persons

Abstract

Each year the U.S. receives approximately 70,000 refugees for permanent resettlement. The principle goals of resettlement are integration and self-sufficiency, and refugee adaptation in these regards has been a persistent subject of inquiry for immigration research. Existing literature examines how diverse skills and life experiences, or capitals, have contributed to divergent trajectories of social and economic integration Despite extensive research into the effects of human, cultural and social capital on the economic integration of refugees there is a great deal of variation in economic outcomes that we still don’t understand. Existing research is patchwork in its exploration of capitals as causal factors, and very little research frames capitals within contexts of reception. This paper contributes to an expanded theory of economic integration that emphasizes the intersection of capitals and contexts. It uses richly detailed quantitative data to analyze durations between arrival in the U.S. and attainment of several markers of economic integration including labor market participation, acquisition of a livable wage, and occupational mobility. The data for the study come from the individual case files of refugees seeking employment assistance at the Refugee and Immigrant Center of Utah. This study finds support for the integrated role of capitals and contexts in the economic integration of refugees. By better understanding the factors that shape the early economic integration experiences of refugees, we will be better equipped to promote sustainable self-sufficiency after resettlement.

Author

• Yvette Young, University of Utah