Pursuits of Belonging: Somali Bantu and Bhutanese Nepali Young Adults Navigating Higher Education in the United States

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Influences of College Environment on Student Belonging and Success

Abstract

This research examines the educational experiences of 30 students from refugee backgrounds in higher education in the United States originally from Somalia and Bhutan. In this paper I examine how and why students with refugee backgrounds negotiated to belong within the college campus and what instances perpetuated their sense of [un]belonging. My research asks: How do young adults with refugee backgrounds, from Somali-Bantu or Bhutanese-Nepali backgrounds, ages 18-30, currently or previously enrolled in institutions of higher education narrate and reflect upon their sense of belonging in society? I argue that participants developed strategies to create a sense of belonging as a mechanism to overcome vast systemic barriers including heightened xenophobia and racism.

Author

• Maureen McCarthy, University at Buffalo - SUNY