Date of Award
2025-05-18
Degree Name
PhD Leadership Studies
Keywords
Burmese-Catholic Youth Refugees, Integration Struggles, Burmese-Catholic Ethnic Communities
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Myanmar, previously known as Burma, generates a significant yearly refugee exodus stemming from ongoing ethnic conflicts, political instability, human rights violations, and the targeted persecution of Christian minority groups. Individuals seek shelter and improved opportunities in other nations. From 2011 to 2023, for example, Burmese refugees represented the largest group among U.S. refugee arrivals, accounting for 18 per cent.
Presently, there is a lack of knowledge about what the Burmese-Catholic youth refugees experiences during their integration journey into the US society. This qualitative study aimed to shed light on how the larger socio-cultural and religious environment intersects with Burmese-Catholic youth identity to influence their integration experiences. Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological System Theory, as well as Intersectionality Theory, were used as the conceptual frameworks to examine how various factors intersect and affect the experiences of Burmese-Catholic youth refugees.
Nine participants were selected from Kansas, Indiana, and Minnesota to share their life stories pre- and post-resettlement in the US. Multiple semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with each interviewee. The central research questions were:
- How do cultural, social, economic, and religious factors support or challenge the integration experiences of Burmese-Catholic youth refugees into US society?
- In what ways, if any, does gender identity affect Burmese-Catholic young refugees as they integrate into US society?
- In what manner do Catholic parishes and dioceses, as well as other organizations, influence the process of integration for Burmese-Catholic refugees into US society?
Key findings include a) identification of socio-intercultural and socioeconomic hurdles; b) limited access to Catholic education; c) females normally deferred to men; d) parishes, dioceses, and faith-based organizations provided support but support was often inadequate; e) youth had many recommendations to improve their situations. The study results show that participants, despite facing the difficulties of managing socio-intercultural transitional identities, facing limited access to Catholic education, and dealing with marginalization in a new setting, exhibited resilience driven by their faith. Their experiences underscore how Catholic educational resources and aid from Catholic institutions have profoundly influenced integration, community relationships, and the enhancement of both their human and social capital.
Keywords: Burmese-Catholic Youth Refugees, Integration Struggles, Burmese-Catholic Ethnic Communities
Document Type
Dissertation: Open Access
Department
Leadership Studies
Digital USD Citation
Shwe, Nant Thazin, "The Integration Struggles of Myanmar/Burmese-Catholic Youth Refugees in the United States" (2025). Dissertations. 1073.
https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/1073
Copyright
Copyright held by the author
