The Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex (DFW) serves as a diverse resettlement location for globally displaced refugees. While research examines how the nation impacts refugee resettlement, studies that examine the role of the city and community in placemaking are still lacking. In city resettlement investigations, research often focuses broadly on advocacy and political movements rather than the impacts of local-level structures and policies. In this paper, I develop an evaluation model using Jenny Phillimore's categories for successful refugee resettlement that examines how structural barriers, community interactions, and resource accessibility affect space and place for refugee populations. Through an ethnography of Chin and Rohingya refugee communities in DFW, I explore the differences between community-settled and state-settled refugee groups and the idea of an integrated resettlement program. Additionally, I argue that refugees who choose their settlement location in the United States are empowered and thus have a stronger connection to their host community than state-settled refugees. For example, in interviews, the Chin emphasized their ownership of Lewisville and feelings of home, while the Rohingya expressed feelings of placelessness and dispossession in Dallas. As governments push towards an entirely privatized system of refugee resettlement, this research argues for an integrated method that draws upon federal resources and community connections. Through the experiences of Lewisville's Chin community, this research demonstrates the potential of such a program in the United States.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:unt.edu/info:ark/67531/metadc2137599 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | Stewart, Kaitlin Victoria |
| Contributors | Fry, Matthew, Wolverton, Steven, Ho, Phoebe, Nelson, Andrew, Kang, Wei |
| Publisher | University of North Texas |
| Source Sets | University of North Texas |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | Text |
| Rights | Public, Stewart, Kaitlin Victoria, Copyright, Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved. |
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