Nepali-Speaking Bhutanese Refugees and their Transnational Families: Dynamics, Dilemmas, and Challenges

• In Event: International Migration Section Refereed Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): 17. Refugee resettlement

Abstract

This paper draws on an ethnographic study of Bhutanese refugees in two US cities: Salt Lake City and Seattle. Many Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees live in two- or three-generation households. This paper focuses on their family structures, experiences, and dilemmas in relation to their migration/immigration history and resettlement processes. The paper examines the following questions: How has migration in different historical times and phases affected and shaped their family lives? What are the social, cultural economic, and emotional costs of making a new home in a transnational landscape? What are the dynamics and dilemmas of transnational refugee families who live in multi-generation households? How do different generations face the challenges?

Author

• Shobha Hamal Gurung, Southern Utah University