"Porque primero soy Kurdo": An Ethnographic Case Study of a Displaced Syrian University Student in Mexico

• In Event: Worldwide Lens on Enabling the Disadvantaged and Marginalized Through Education and Support

Abstract

This paper examines the everyday social contexts that displaced/refugee students face when entering higher education, particularly young adults who are beginning to construct their identity outside of their home countries. This paper is part of a larger exploration that focuses on the identity, language practices, and challenges of three displaced/refugee Syrian students living in México and aims to understand how these activities impact the life and career opportunities of these students. This proposal focuses on one of the participants by examining how he is currently navigating not just his educational context, but also carving his own social spaces. This project hopes to provide insights to inform current research on displaced/refugee students living in developing countries.

Author

• Brenda Sarmiento-Quezada, Purdue University