Understanding Academic Integration of Displaced Children: A Study of Rohingya Refugee Students in Chicago

• In Event: Student Forum Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Roundtable 18: Educational Access and Inequality

Abstract

Effective integration is defined by the ability to gain academic knowledge and successfully engage with the labor market of the host community. While the integration journey highlights the professional achievements of refugees, these accomplishments depend on their ability to function in a competitive job market (Harder et al., 2018). Building this ability requires an educational experience that enables refugees to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to compete in the workforce. Nonetheless, the topic of educational integration is still largely overlooked, even though there is some existing literature on broader refugee integration. Therefore, my focus will be on exploring the academic integration of refugee children who have been forced to leave their homes in search of safety. Specifically, I will concentrate on Rohingya refugee children who arrived in Chicago during their middle and high school years. The government of Myanmar revoked the Rohingya people's citizenship in 1982, resulting in the exclusion of Rohingya children from the formal education system. Although some children have sought informal education, it has primarily focused on religious instruction. Therefore, this research project will examine whether they have successfully adapted to the formal academic system and how they have dealt with their experiences of conflict and displacement.

Author

• Md Kamrul Islam, University of Illinois at Chicago