Myanmar Refugee Mothers’ Perspectives on Cultural Adaptation and Education of Their Children

• In Event: Saturday Roundtable Session 3:05 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Leveraging Social and Cultural Capital and Community Funds of Knowledge (Table 20)

Abstract

This qualitative study explored how Myanmar refugee mothers utilize social and cultural capital for their children's education and cultural adaptation during resettlement in the United States. Multiple sources of data were collected and triangulated, including a parent survey, interviews with three mothers, a focus group, and field notes. Findings revealed themes of education as hopes vs. concerns, language as opportunity vs. disappearance, and community as social capital vs. social distance. Refugee families negotiated these capitals to support their children. Mothers drew on past experiences, cultural resources, and networking with fellow ethnic mothers to provide diverse social and cultural capital. These insights inform teachers and policymakers on integrating refugee children and families in school systems.

Authors

• Boo Young Lim, University of Oklahoma

• Myae Han, University of Delaware

• Shin Ae Han, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa

• Jiyeon Lee, Oregon State University

• Vickie E. Lake, University of Oklahoma