Growing Up as a Refugee: Education, Race and International Migration of Refugee Youth in Hong Kong

• In Event: 20862 - Section on International Migration Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 7: Refugees

Abstract

With the increasing frequency of regional wars, political unrest, natural disasters, and other phenomena in nearby areas, a growing number of refugees are arriving in Hong Kong. However, unlike refugees in Europe or North America, those in Hong Kong often view the city merely as a transit point for obtaining refugee status, which facilitates their eventual migration to Europe and North America to get a better life chance. In this context, what experiences do children fleeing with their parents endure? Based on an ongoing field research, this study involved interviews with 22 refugee families currently residing in Hong Kong, as well as participant observation of the daily lives of refugee children within these families. The research aims to illuminate the challenges faced by refugee children, including their lack of legal access to education in Hong Kong, the difficulties of living in a multicultural/multiracial community, and the complexities of being unable to attend regular schools while facing the uncertainty of potential relocation from Hong Kong. Furthermore, it seeks to highlight the significant mobility imposed upon them, which contributes to their experiences of feeling adrift and unsupported. By analyzing the upbringing of these refugee children, this study aims to enhance our understanding of how the identity of “refugee” has been shaped by the current waves of globalization and anti-globalization, as well as how these children have suffered the repercussions of both phenomena.

Author

• Haicheng Wang, Hong Kong Univ of Science and Technology