Refugee Resettlement in the United States: Investigating History and Policy, and Exploring the Experiences of Congolese Refugees in Baltimore

Abstract

The experience of Congolese refugees in Baltimore is deeply affected by the history of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the evolution of refugee policy. In this theses I contextualize the modern refugee crisis in the Congo in its colonial and post-colonial roots in Congolese history, using Franz Fanon, Edward Said, and Thandika Mkandawire. Next, I analyze refugee resettlement policy in the United States through Immanuel Wallerstein's symbiotic pairing of universalism with racism and sexism, Bourdieu's forms of capital and symbolic violence, and Lily Cho's examination of the racist implications of place of birth requirements on passports. Finally, I collaborate with three refugee families from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to highlight their unique experiences through familial narratives told using portraiture methodology and evaluate the extent to which they feel refugee resettlement policy has served them in their transition to the United States. I conclude that changes in refugee policy should be more fully contextualized in colonial history and reflect the longer term cultural needs of refugees as they navigate the sometimes convoluted cultural landscapes of their adoptive countries.