Newcomer Refugee Youth as ‘Resettlement Champions’ for their Families: Vulnerability, Resilience and Empowerment

Abstract

Due to experiences of forced migration, a large proportion of resettled refugee families arrive in resettlement countries with low levels of education, limited official language fluency, fractured family relationships, and less than optimal physical and mental health. These pre-migration determinants intersect with systemic barriers in ways that make it extremely difficult for refugees to secure employment/income security, access health and settlement services, and pursue their educational and other goals. This chapter discusses the role that newcomer refugee youth play in helping their families resettle in response to systemic post-migration barriers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved). (chapter)