Chapter 7: Refugee Families with Young Children in U.S. Schools: A Review Reflecting Resilience and Cultural Capital

In the last ten years, the number of displaced people across the world has doubled (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 2020). Over 26.6 million individuals are currently experiencing forced displacement from their homes due to life-threatening situations. Many have been forced to leave their home countries, sought asylum in other countries, experienced displacement within their own country of origin, and/or became refugees (UNHCR, 2021). Refugees have been formally resettled in the United States (U.S.) for decades. The U.S. defines a refugee as

The U.S. has historically been one of the top developed countries to resettle government-sponsored refugees who are referred by the UNHCR (Monin et al., 2021). The U.S. has also prioritized the admission of refugees with physical and intellectual disabilities (Mirza, 2010). World events (e.g., COVID-19, terrorist attacks) and priorities of political leadership at the federal level have impacted the number of refugees permitted to resettle in the U.S. annually (Adams & Santos, 2021a). For example, in 2020, there were 80% less refugee and asylum seekers than anticipated in both North and South America due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic (UNHCR, 2020). While there was a downturn in refugee arrivals in the past few years, the U.S. recently announced an increase in refugee admission for upcoming years (UNHCR, 2020). The current federal administration’s plan to increase refugee resettlement has been evident with the recent admission of Afghan refugees in response to conflicts in the region (Ferris, 2021; U.S. Department of State, 2021b).