Religious influences on integration within U.S. refugee resettlement

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

ABSTRACT This study examines how religion influences integration among refugees resettling to Utah, in the western United States (U.S.). In-depth interviews were conducted with 88 refugees an average of 11 years post-resettlement. Qualitative analyses led to identification of key themes, including: 1) belief in a higher power guided integration and 2) religion influences services and relationships in Utah. Additional themes emerged regarding how religion informs integration over time, including: 3) religious conversion, 4) coping with racial exclusion, and 5) embracing religious pluralism. Findings have implications for incorporating attention to religious coping and religious freedom among displaced populations adapting to new environments.