In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
Refugee Epilogues
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
The Epilogues Project: Prototype 1
In this prototype, we were able to see how a large portion of our project will look on our website. We have a home page, posts for several resettlement agencies in and around Charlotte, a page for our research, a page for our white paper, a brief description of who we are and how we’ve prepared for and undertaken this project, and a form for interested parties to contact us. We have yet to hear back from our interviewee, and as such haven’t included any interviews yet, but we will hopefully do so in the near future. If we can’t get any interviews ourselves, we plan on analyzing and discussing previous interviews and the importance of telling not just stories of trauma and upheaval of fleeing countries of origin, but also those of resettlement and the victories and struggles it brings. In the future, we also plan to add a header image, tweak some menu items and the way the title of a page displays, add our white paper, and make the other necessary changes. Below is a screenshot of our home page:
Three Approaches to Refugee Resettlement Discourse
Recent discourse surrounding refugee resettlement often falls into one of three broad currents. The first current focuses on reforming federal policy concerning immigrants and asylum seekers as well as the public and private agencies that manage their resettlement. The second current centers around academic framing of refugee resettlement, synthesizing sociological research to analyze trends. The third and final current centers around activism and is directed toward individuals at the local level seeking practical strategies to aid and improve refugee resettlement in their communities. This literature review selects an article from each of these respective currents and puts them in conversation by comparing the answers each provides to the following two questions:
1) What problem with the current system of refugee resettlement or problem faced by refugees has the author chosen to identify?
2) What solution does the author propose for the problem they identify?
In their 2012 article, “Linguistic Isolation, Social Capital, and Immigrant Belonging,” Stephanie J. Nawyn, Linda Gjokaj, DeBrenna LaFa Agbényiga, and Breanne Grace argue that resettled refugees without English proficiency face linguistic isolation in the United States, depriving them of access to resources and acceptance within their communities. The authors argue that a refugee’s lack of social capital – defined as “social networks that have the potential to provide either material or nonmaterial resources” – exacerbates this linguistic isolation, cutting them off from resources which refugees with more social ties have greater opportunity to access (Nawyn et al 257).
The authors interviewed 36 Burundian and Burmese refugees who had recently resettled in Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan, asking them about the barriers to integration and access to basic services. The participants were more concerned about “their lack of access to basic information” than how their lack of English skills restricted their economic opportunities (265). The authors found that Burmese participants, through weak ties gained through communities such as church congregations, could connect with more bilingual conationals for assistance accessing resources than the Burundian participants, who exhibited more linguistic isolation.
Nawyn et al. conclude that more information must be made available on a local level for immigrants to access important resources and on a community level for opportunities to be provided for refugees to create social ties. Additionally, they argue for two changes in how social capital is addressed in sociological theory and research: first, that there must be a clear definition of the concept, and second, that social capital theory must be liberated from the myopic lens of rational choice theory and neoliberal models that ignore non-economic implications of social capital like linguistic isolation.
In “Unfulfilled Promises, Future Possibilities: The Refugee Resettlement System in the United States,” Anastasia Brown and Todd Scribner present an historical overview of federal policy concerning refugees leading up to the Refugee Act of 1980 and the subsequent decline in funding for resettlement. The authors identify the erosion of provisions for refugees after the Refugee Act of 1980 as the source of strain between the public and private agencies in the immigration system.
The historical overview surveys the progression of United States refugee policy from World War II to the Refugee Act. The proliferation in “displaced persons following the end of World War II” led the United States to become “proactive” in resettlement, as well as later crises in “Cuba, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe” (Brown and Scribner 102). It was not until the Refugee Act of 1980 that the U.S. government established a standardized system for admittance or explicit delineation of roles for resettlement agencies. Brown and Scribner cite statistics from federal bodies as well as non-governmental organizations that indicate the decrease of funding for refugees since the establishment of the Refugee Act has put strain on resettlement agencies, which must accommodate each year’s flow of immigrants and asylum seekers with insufficient information and resources.
The first recommendation that Brown and Scribner propose is an overall increase in funding, calling the federal government to reclaim the role of leadership in the resettlement process, a responsibility “specified in the Refugee Act” (122). Next, the authors recommend federal agencies establish systems to better track the secondary migration of refugees to other communities in the country in order to continue providing them with resources such as interest-free loans through the refugee travel loan program. Finally, the authors propose improved methods of communication between parties coordinating international and domestic resettlement, including greater information sharing between government agencies, providing medical and mental health information to resettlement agencies, as well as measures to “provide a greater degree of predictability to the resettlement process,” such as providing budgetary information that would allow agencies on the local level to prepare for and adapt to meet the needs of the incoming refugee population (115).
Todd Scribner analyzes the effects of the Trump administration on the resettlement process in the United States in his 2017 article “You are Not Welcome Here Anymore: Restoring Support for Refugee Resettlement in the Age of Trump.” While this article includes an overview of U.S. policy similar to his 2014 article with Anastasia Brown, Scribner here turns his focus from policy to cultural narratives, explicating “the restrictionist logic that informs the Trump administration’s worldview” while examining how historian Bernard Lewis and political theorist Samuel Huntington’s paradigm of the Clash of Civilizations establishes a lens descriptive of the culture-privileging approach to international affairs that the President and his advisors and supporters espouse (Scribner 265).
Formulated by Bernard Lewis and popularized by Samuel Huntington, the Clash of Civilizations (CoC) describes the international situation after the Soviet Union’s fall in which culture has overtaken ideology as the foundation of international conflict. Before then, the United States accepted refugees from the Soviet Union and other communist governments in part to “demonstrate a point,” that refugees’ desire to escape to America from left-wing governments “would reveal the undesirable character of communist countries and the superiority of the West” (269). As the East versus West paradigm fell away, it seemed, as argued by Francis Fukuyama in his “end of history” theory that liberal democracy had established itself as the final form of government. Huntington disagreed, arguing that while liberal democracy had emerged triumphant from the ideological conflict against socialism and communism, fundamental cultural divisions between “discrete civilizations,” including Western and Islamic cultures, remain as opposed as ever (270). Adherents to the CoC paradigm see instances of Islamic-inspired terrorism as manifestations of anti-Westernism that illustrates the incompatibility of Western and Islamic civilizations.
While Trump has not invoked the CoC directly, Scribner argues that his administration’s efforts to curb immigration stem from a similar cultural logic that views migrants from Islamic countries as incompatible with the culture of the United States, that is, that of white Christian America. “As a part of this worldview,” Scribner claims, “not only do Muslims pose an external national security threat vis-à-vis terrorism,” they also present “an internal one insofar as they threaten the cultural and political foundations that have given the United States its distinctive character” (276). An overview follows of the Trump administration’s attempts to restrict immigration, particularly from countries with Muslim populations. Most significant is the 2015 travel ban on all Muslims entering the United States in response to the San Bernardino terrorist attack, which directly illustrated the perspective of Islamic terrorism as “an existential threat” in line with the CoC paradigm (265). Scribner also includes statistics from U.S. voters, indicating that many Americans share the Trump administration’s perception of immigration as a threat to the country.
Scribner concludes by presenting three broad recommendations to restore support for refugee resettlement. First, he calls for “effective advocacy” against federal restrictionist policies and calling for a “generous refugee admissions program” (278). Second, he argues for an equal amount of attention to “grassroots organizing and educational efforts in local communities,” asking proponents, including “religious institutions, immigration advocates, nonprofits, and other organizations,” to find where they can promote integration locally (278). Finally, he calls for advocates to accept the overall paradigm underlying the Clash of Civilizations – that culture plays “a preeminent role in the promotion and establishment of policy” (278). To combat restrictive measures like the Trump administration’s policies, activists must understand what premises convinced their supporters in the first place.
The solutions the authors of these three articles propose to the problems they identify fall within the three major currents of refugee resettlement discourse introduced in the first paragraph, the currents of policy, academics, and activism. Brown and Scribner’s 2014 piece “Unfulfilled Promises, Future Possibilities…” provides the best example of the first category, presenting three major proposals – more federal funding, better tracking of secondary migrations, and improved communication and coordination – which are all directed at the level of federal policy. Brown and Scribner identify the erosion of federal support for domestic resettlement and overall “lack of adequate support” as the primary cause of the “substantial strain” felt by both “refugee receiving communities and on resettlement agencies” (Brown and Scribner 102).
The research put forth by Nawyn et al. in “Linguistic Isolation, Social Capital, and Immigrant Belonging” leads the authors to suggest proposals applying largely to the second current of discourse, which privileges improvements to theoretical framing and academic understanding of issues surrounding refugees. They counter a dominant critical position concerning immigrant social citizenship which “assumes that if immigrants have the right to access resources from the state, they have social citizenship in that state,” first by arguing for a clear definition of social capital within the sociological field that acknowledges the importance of language skills for navigating provided resources and second for an expansion of the definition of social capital beyond the restrictive neoliberal market model (Nawyn et al. 276). Their research and proposals may provide a foundation for practical reform, but fellow academics compose their primary audience.
Scribner’s 2017 article “You are Not Welcome Here Anymore” prominently features the third current of discourse, informing activists about the wave of restrictionist policies and sentiments they seek to resist. While he promotes “grassroots organizing and educational efforts in local communities” and “integration on the local level,” Scribner pivots to emphasize the importance of refugee advocates understanding the present importance of culture as perhaps more immediately important (Scribner 278). Scribner does not dismiss grassroots advocacy, but he acknowledges that rethinking “fundamental narratives that guide our… self-understanding as a nation,” must become “the priority in the public engagement of civic associations, faith communities, and other organizations interested in the public square” (279). Refugee advocacy in this new era requires activists to understand the cultural logic driving the anxieties behind the national programs they oppose.
Scribner’s approach in his 2017 article aligns with Nawyn et al.’s focus on culture, but their proposals diverge as a result of their different audiences. Nawyn et al., operating within an academic paradigm as they seek to provide data and influence future studies, contribute more to analysis than activism. While both articles appear in academic journals, Scribner’s addresses his proposals to advocates of refugee resettlement on the individual and organizational level who are already engaged in education and resettlement efforts. Although Nawyn et al. and Scribner’s articles are from different currents of discourse, both present proposals intended to change how their respective audiences conceive of an issue related to resettlement – social capital’s effect on linguistic isolation for Nawyn et al. and the Trump administration’s CoC-adjacent restrictions on resettlement for Scribner. For the authors of both articles, one’s understanding is a critical step in addressing the problems they describe.
Consistent with the policy-focused current of resettlement discourse, Brown and Scribner in their 2014 piece identify opportunities for reform within federal agencies and programs. Their attention to the mechanisms of resettlement in the U.S. establishes this article as something of an outlier in the conversation, with the other two articles focusing on the people navigating the system rather than the system itself. While Nawyn et al. call for more funding for refugee resettlement on a local level, consistent with Brown and Scribner’s request for more federal funding, Nawyn et al. focus on access rather than funding as the primary barrier to refugees receiving services. Brown and Scribner’s proposal to increase federal assistance to private resettlement agencies and public services indicates that the planning and funding keeping the services operational currently is inadequate. For Nawyn et al., a campaign to make basic resources accessible for refugees without English language skills would be a significant step in addressing the problem of linguistic isolation.
Brown and Scribner’s impersonal approach in calling for more federal funding, improved planning, and better communication and coordination assumes the administration operating the executive branch as well as present members of Congress are amenable to the reforms. Scribner’s 2017 article illustrates how an administration seeking to curb immigration can debilitate the resettlement system. His call for a reevaluation of approaches to advocacy in the 2017 article read like an amendment to the more impersonal, policy-focused approach he took in his 2014 article with Brown. Both of the articles featuring Scribner present more practical reforms than Nawyn et al.’s piece, but in the 2014 article, Brown and Scribner assume receptive conditions that Scribner in 2017 acknowledges one can no longer assume. As a result, Scribner in 2017 proposes change on a local, even individual level, whereas Brown and Scribner present far more ambitious proposals to the overall structure of U.S. resettlement in 2014.
As the diverse proposals of each featured article demonstrate, while people who write about refugee resettlement in the United States can agree that the system and the people who must navigate it face a host of problems, each writer’s perspective determines which of those problems they identify as requiring immediate attention and reform. Our project also identifies a problem and proposes a response, although our approach may not fit into one of the three currents of discourse that the three selected articles exemplify. In her proposal for our project, Annelise Claire claims that writers covering refugee narratives “tend to stress the chaos and destruction of war and the trauma of flight” while the “epilogue” of “resettling, rebuilding, picking up lives where they were left off” is too often left unnarrated (Claire “Refugee Narratives: The Epilogue”). The Epilogues Project is one response to the problem of unnarrated resettlement stories. While our research into policy, academic framings, and activism has informed our approach – and each of these facets have influenced our selected interview questions – our primary focus is working with our participants to present their stories in their words on their terms rather than reducing their experiences to evidence for a claim or argument. Through the project we will build a model for narrating resettlement, emphasizing that the events of a refugee’s experience worth telling do not end with their first day in a new home country.
Works Cited
Brown, Anastasia, and Todd Scribner. “Unfulfilled Promises, Future Possibilities: The Refugee Resettlement System in the United States.” Journal on Migration and Human Security, vol. 2, no. 2, June 2014, pp. 101–20. SAGE Journals, doi:10.1177/233150241400200203.
Claire, Annelise. “Refugee Narratives: The Epilogue.” digitaldesign.annelise claire.com, https://digitaldesign.anneliseclaire.com/project-proposal/refugee-narratives-the-epilogue/. Accessed 24 March 2020.
Nawyn, Stephanie J., et al. “Linguistic Isolation, Social Capital, and Immigrant Belonging:” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, vol. 41, no. 3, Jan. 2012. pp. 255-82. journals.sagepub.com, doi:10.1177/0891241611433623.
Scribner, Todd. “You Are Not Welcome Here Anymore: Restoring Support for Refugee Resettlement in the Age of Trump.” Journal on Migration and Human Security, vol. 5, no. 2, June 2017, pp. 263–84. SAGE Journals, doi:10.1177/233150241700500203.
Pledged – A. C., S. B., G. P.
Secondary Source Reports
I. Source
Nawyn, Stephanie J., et al. “Linguistic Isolation, Social Capital, and Immigrant Belonging:” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, vol. 41, no. 3, Jan. 2012. pp. 255-82. journals.sagepub.com, doi:10.1177/0891241611433623.
II. Thesis
“While migration scholars have focused predominantly on how linguistic social capital can be exchanged for other forms of capital… we argue that it is also important to recognize the noneconomic value of linguistic social capital. By examining the experiences of linguistically isolated immigrants, we highlight how language serves as a source of social capital that shapes noneconomic outcomes” (Nawyn et al. 256).
The experiences of linguistically isolated refugees demonstrate that language skills influence aspects of social capital other than economic factors, including access to resources and feeling confident and respected in one’s community.
III. Description and analysis of the structure of the article
The authors outline their thesis that, in contrast to previous sociological studies about language skills and social capital, researchers should see that lack of English proficiency for refugees pose more problems than simply economic ones. Effects such as “(1) feeling respected and valued in their receiving communities and (2) developing social ties in those communities that could provide them with essential information” are examples of noneconomic elements of social integration that language skills can provide in an immigrant community (Nawyn et al. 256). The authors summarize the efforts of previous theorists to define social capital before providing their own definition of social capital as “…social networks that have the potential to provide either material or nonmaterial resources (including achieving physical and mental health, a sense of personal safety, and feeling integrated into a community and valued by others in that community)” (257). Next, they identify that scholars studying immigration have neglected to pay adequate attention to “the relationship between language skills and feelings of belonging or exclusion for immigrants and refugees,” and present their research conducted with 36 recently resettled Burundian and Burmese refugees in Michigan, explaining how lack of social capital exacerbates refugees’ linguistic isolation (257). On the individual level, the refugees were more concerned about how their lack of proficiency in English limited their access to basic information than they were concerned about how it limited employment opportunities. The authors found that the Burmese refugees found opportunities through their churches to develop weak ties with other immigrants who had been settled in the U.S. for a longer time, while the Burundian refugees lived in communities “with only a few bilingual elites and no members who had been in the United States more than a year,” meaning fewer ties and less social capital (273).
The authors conclude that their data shows “a lack of linguistic social capital within receiving and immigrant communities introduces uncertainty in their lives that itself is a source of anxiety,” particularly as the prevalence of linguistic isolation in one’s community compounds that individual’s isolation (275). They conclude with three implications from their study. First, policy must change to spread more information concerning the available resources for immigrants in the United States. Second, the authors argue that there must be a clear definition of social capital within sociological research. The third and final implication of their research is that social capital theory is too often embedded in rational choice theory and reductive neoliberal models. To reduce refugee experiences to that of individuals navigating a market of economic assets is to promote an incomplete view endemic to the neoliberal model.
IV. Rhetorical Strategies
Nawyn et al. repeat their conclusion throughout the article without stating it in the same words, reinforcing their main points naturally. The authors also use anecdotes effectively, devoting a section of the article to include examples from interview participants, illustrating their findings from the interviews. Finally, the authors provide an overview of the research participants’ immigration histories in the “Migration Histories” section, outlining the differing circumstances Burundian and Burmese refugees faced abroad and in the United States. They demonstrate how to examine each refugee’s story with enough generality to understand their circumstances for migration without assuming all faced similar challenges.
Work Cited
Nawyn, Stephanie J., et al. “Linguistic Isolation, Social Capital, and Immigrant Belonging:” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, vol. 41, no. 3, Jan. 2012. pp. 255-82. journals.sagepub.com, doi:10.1177/0891241611433623.
Pledged – G.P.
Sam Browning
Brown, Anastasia, and Todd Scribner. “Unfulfilled Promises, Future Possibilities: The Refugee Resettlement System in the United States.” Journal on Migration and Human Security, vol. 2, no. 2, June 2014, pp. 101–20. SAGE Journals, doi:10.1177/233150241400200203.
Thesis:
“This paper argues for specific reforms that would allow the resettlement system to live up to its unfulfilled promise and that would realign it with the vision set forth in the Refugee Act of 1980. Beginning in the post-World War II period, federal refugee resettlement programs became increasingly intertwined with the work of nongovernmental, humanitarian agencies. The passage of the Refugee Act signified a high point in this progression and delineated the roles and responsibilities of the federal government and private organizations in the resettlement process. At the core of the Act is the goal of helping refugees become self-sufficient. However, self-sufficiency has become narrowly defined and, in any event, the system has failed to provide the necessary resources to further this objective. In addition, breakdowns in coordination and information sharing on multiple levels have undermined the program.” (103)
In this thesis, Brown and Scribner state that a public-private relationship in the field of refugee resettlement has existed for a long time, eventually culminating in the Refugee Act of 1980, and while this Act has certainly helped the US resettle millions of refugees, time has made apparent problems which can now be addressed to bolster the American resettlement system.
Structure:
The authors begin by hooking the reader with a staggering statistic estimating roughly 15.4 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2012. They then provide background on refugees and the resettlement process and introduce the history of resettlement and legislature in the US before asserting their thesis. Next, they give a history of refugee policy in the US from World War II to the Refugee Act of 1980 and subsequently dive into the issues they allude to in their thesis: the link between early employment and self-sufficiency, the insufficient role played by federal programs, a lack of proper funding, crowding from secondary migration, and poor coordination and information sharing by the federal government. Brown and Scribner employ many studies and statistics throughout their discussion, then synthesize the data to analyze the issues and propose potential solutions. Finally, they conclude by reminding resettlement agencies that they too must continue to work to improve the system and themselves, as well as restating that the current legislation has undoubtedly been beneficial in addressing the refugee crisis, but there are some problems that demand attention for the creation of a better resettlement system in the US.
Rhetorical Strategies:
Three strategies from Brown and Scribner’s work that I would like to apply to my own are ample use of evidence, clear division of sections, and the creation of an argument and discussion of problems without dismissing the current system. They cite an incredible number of studies, statistics, legislature, and organizations, and it gives their arguments a good deal of credibility. Also, by clearly dividing and titling the sections of their paper, they prepare the reader for what information is coming next, group ideas together for easier retention and better flow, and make it easy to find specific information during subsequent readings. Finally, they also are very fair in their discussion; they build their argument for changes to be made and clearly address problems, but they still acknowledge the good that has come from the current system.
Annelise Claire
Citation:
Scribner, Todd. “You Are Not Welcome Here Anymore: Restoring Support for Refugee
Resettlement in the Age of Trump.” Journal on Migration and Human Security, vol. 5, no. 2, June 2017, pp. 263–84. SAGE Journals, doi:10.1177/233150241700500203.
Thesis:
“This paper will try to make sense of the restrictionist logic that informs the Trump administration’s worldview, alongside some of the underlying cultural, philosophical, and political conditions that inspired support for Trump by millions of Americans. This paper contends that the Clash of Civilizations (CoC) paradigm is a useful lens to help understand the positions that President Trump has taken with respect to international affairs broadly, and specifically in his approach to migration policy” (265).
Scribner’s piece attempts to explain why so many Americans embrace Trump’s anti-immigrant/anti-refugee rhetoric and where those ideas that inform his words and policy come from. Specifically, Scribner argues that much of Trump’s policies and ideologies come from a belief that cultures (such as Muslim Middle Eastern cultures and Western, Christian cultures) do not and should not mix.
Structure:
Scribner’s piece begins with a compelling hook intended to draw his readers in at once. He opens with an account of Trump’s first attack on Mexican immigrants, beginning his campaign against immigration from certain parts of the world. The hook effectively engages the reader’s attention at once and sets the stage for Scribner’s ensuing argument. Scribner then divides his piece into several sections with headers in order to communicate each section’s purpose (one section for historical background, one section for Trump’s campaign, etc.). Each section adds another layer to his argument with background information, specific examples of Trump’s ideologies and actions throughout his administration, analysis, and so on. The use of historical background especially assists Scribner’s argument as it puts his claims in context. He traces anti-immigration sentiments and refugee resettlement attempts in the US back to World War II and continuing through the Cold War and 9/11 to explain the sentiments and programs that currently exist in the US. In addition, Scribner provides copious footnotes and references throughout the piece to back his claims and to point his readers to additional resources.
Rhetorical Strategies:
I would like to take the above three strategies that I listed – the hook, historical background to support the main argument, and headings to divide the different sections – and use them in this project. The hook, or some engaging statement, would be a great way to open our project on the about page of the website, for example. A page providing historical background will be necessary; we will need to contextualize the current refugee resettlement situation in the US using historical information, and doing so should help our readers understand where they fit into the broader issue of refugee resettlement in the context of US history. Finally, headings help with readability, especially where a lot of text is involved. If we have a lot of information about the history of refugee resettlement, for example, or if our interview transcripts are lengthy, we will need to divide up and categorize our chunks of text to improve readability.
Epilogues Content Draft
You can access our content draft google doc here.
Strategic Plan for Epilogues
Annelise, Grady & Sam
Research, Writing, Design, and Outreach Goals
Goal: Construct sitemap & wireframe
- Look at other models for inspiration
- Pen & paper – sketch it out
- Select design theme
- Build web prototype (frame w/ no content)
- Title of site
- Menus
- Widgets
- Pages
Goal: Conduct interviews
- Write interview questions
- Reach out to refugee support agencies
- Reach out to ~3 interviewees directly
- Contact T&I about cameras and recording equipment
- Schedule interviews
- Meet with interviewees, record interviews, and take pictures (if consent is given)
Goal: Synthesize information from interviews
- Transcribe pertinent information from interviews
- Weave together narrative
- Talk to Jessica Cottle about process & how to best present oral narratives
- Divide up interview drafting process (one interview per person)
- Come together again to edit drafted narratives
Goal: Literature review (due 3/19)
- Select sources to use for lit review
- Assign secondary sources to group members
- Complete Secondary Source Reports
- Synthesize one post from the separate reports
- Draw map & include in post
- Edit and submit!
Goal: Draft content (due 3/26)
- Use sources from lit review to write an “about resettlement” page
- Statistics
- Process of getting documentation
- Draft an “resettlement agencies” page
- Do we need to connect with agencies we will use on our website?
- Take information from “about” pages of agencies and write up blurbs about each one
- Draft interview presentation (this will be the main section of the website)
- Decide on format and narrative construction of interviews (audio and video clips included?)
- Will we gather photographs from areas where refugees live in Charlotte if we can’t photograph them specifically?
Goal: Construct Prototype 1 (due 4/2)
- Build web pages from content we have drafted
- Copy documents from google docs (from the content draft) and paste in web pages
- Change/fix formatting of drafted pages
- Insert images & audio/video clips
- Build works cited page
- Add hyperlinks to works cited, images, and agency websites
Goal: Outreach & Sustainability (due 4/9)
- Research 3 – 5 individuals/groups each
- Narrow down to best 3 – 5 to reach out to
- Become famous
- Email professors/local sources
- Create social media account for the project
- Discuss and identify long-term goals for site
- Who will maintain site (if project will continue?)
- How long will the site remain live?
- Who will handle comments and interactivity?
Goal: Prototype 2 (due 4/23)
- Add in any remaining interviews
- Add changes based on professor/peer feedback
- Is the site intuitive? Easy to click through? Content clear/presented well?
- Send prototype to RSS (or any other participating agencies) and ask for feedback
- Made changes based on their feedback
Goal: Submit Final Project (due 5/5)
- Last edits
- Check hyperlinks
- Check for standardized format, consistency, repetition, alignment, position
- Polish for VMC presentation
Goal: White paper (due 5/11)
- Divide sections of white paper among group members
- Meet to discuss drafts
- Edit
- Submit
Schedule
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Emails, coordination, will sustain project after semester ends – Annelise
- Editor, social media outreach – Grady
- Design – Sam
- Meeting notes/process blog – Sam/Grady (whoever remembers)
- Each person will choose at least one source report to incorporate into Lit. Review
- Each person will transcribe one interview
- Each person chooses and writes a page about one organization
Pledge AC, SB, GP