Refugee Integration Into Diasporic Society: A Case Study of Somali Bantu Refugees Living in Boise, Idaho

For decades Somalia has been affected by catastrophic events that have left millions of its people displaced. Among the events that have caused these tremendous displacements of Somalis is the civil war that intensified in the early 1990s. Many of these displaced people still live in refugee camps across east African countries, notably Kenya. Some, however, have sought asylum and been accepted by many industrialized nations such as Canada, United States, Norway, and Australia. The resettlement of Somali refugees to these diasporic nations has come with extensive challenges related to starting over a new life. Difficulty in assimilation to their new society has widely been speculated as the cause of delay towards the process of becoming self-sufficient. This exploratory study intends to investigate the assimilation difficulties to contemporary American lifestyle faced by Somali Bantu refugees resettled in Boise, Idaho. This refugee population has not become self-sufficient even after being in the United States for a period of three years, in contrast to refugees from other countries who become self-supportive within as little as six to eight months.