Excavating the Layers of Trauma in Homelands and Hostlands: Supporting Political Refugees in U.S. Schools

Abstract

This article details how a newly arrived Turkish refugee student navigates schooling in the United States. It highlights the trauma purged Turkish families experience in their home country and their challenges as newcomers unfamiliar with their new country’s dominant culture, language, and education system. The case narrative provides insight into how children of Turkish political refugees are often overlooked in the context of U.S. schools, where teachers lack adequate training and supports. By illuminating one refugee family’s experiences in U.S. schools, the case calls for leaders to develop holistic supports and teacher education focused on the needs of refugee students.