Resettled Refugees and African Americans in the Same Neighborhoods: Insights for Intergroup Dynamics and Multicultural Community Building

Abstract

After resettlement, refugees are situated to navigate new environments and social relationships with nonrefugee residents in the United States. This study focuses on the intergroup dynamics between refugees and native African American residents with whom refugees often share spatial boundaries in urban neighborhoods. Based on 30 in-depth interviews in Albany, NY and Clarkson, GA, our findings suggest that both groups share the experiences of social marginalization and disadvantageous neighborhood factors. On the other hand, each group differed in their views on the police and the type of poverty that they deal with. Although two groups rarely collaborated, solidarity was deemed possible and desirable. Several suggestions for community building were made, including cross-cultural activities for youth and neighborhood activism for adults. Future research can examine the space-making and rights-seeking processes of resettled refugees in the context of urban poverty and in their relation to other locals.