Refugee Children's Post-Migration: Needs and Barriers to School Adjustment In the United States

Background and Purpose: This study explores the needs and barriers experienced by Burmese refugee students in adjusting to school life in the Midwestern United States. Given that children constitute more than half of the global refugee population (UNHCR, 1994), understanding their unique challenges within educational settings is both timely and essential. The primary goal of this study is to amplify the voices of Burmese refugee children, allowing them to articulate in their own words the obstacles they face and the support they require to successfully integrate into the American school system.

Methods: This study employed in-depth individual semi-structured interviews as the primary method of data collection. Purposive sampling was conducted through a refugee resettlement organization to recruit Burmese refugee children who met the following inclusion criteria: (1) resettled in the United States as a refugee, (2) currently enrolled in a U.S. school, and (3) able to communicate in English and Burmese. The final sample consisted of four female Burmese refugee participants (n=4), all aged 17, born in Burma, with an average length of U.S. residence of 9.25 years. All interviews lasted between 60 and 90 minutes and were audio-recorded and transcribed. Descriptive analysis was used to summarize demographic data, while thematic analysis was applied to analyze the narrative data.

Results: The analysis revealed two overarching categories: barriers to school adjustment and needs for school adjustment. Three sub-themes emerged as barriers: language difficulties, experiences of racism, and cultural differences. Three sub-themes were identified as needs: access to information about education-related resources, translator services within schools, and diversity education programs. All participants indicated that religious persecution of Christians in Burma was the primary driver of their families' decision to flee, with freedom of religion and access to education cited as the main motivations for resettlement in the U.S.

Conclusions and Implications: Refugee children identified information about educational resources, translator services, and diversity education as essential needs for their adjustment. They encountered significant barriers including language difficulties, racism, and cultural differences, and reported experiencing racist comments directly from American classmates in both school and social settings. Despite these challenges, all participants expressed strong satisfaction with life in the United States and spoke positively about the American education system. Notably, Burmese refugee families identified their children's education as their primary concern, underscoring the central role that schooling plays in the resettlement experience. The findings carry meaningful implications for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. For social workers in community-level settings, the results point to actionable interventions, including culturally responsive support systems and advocacy for institutional policy change. For policymakers, this study provides evidence-based direction for improving refugee resettlement programs and educational policies that better serve vulnerable student populations.