2019 Annual Conference

Women’s Issues, Status, and Education

Shared Concurrent Session (Approx. 12 or 20 minutes)

This session discusses how Asian refugee youth simultaneously experience three transitional phases in their lives as they learn to transition into higher education, into adulthood, and into local US society. Session participants will gain a deeper understanding of the transitioning, educational learning, and identity (re)construction of Asian refugee youth.

The target audience for this session includes adult educators and graduate/post-graduate education students interested in learning about the successes and challenges Asian refugee youth face as they transition into higher education and adulthood. 

As a result of attending this session, participants will develop a deeper understanding of how Asian refugee youth simultaneously experience three transitional phases in their lives through the lenses of educational learning and identity (re)construction. The audience will also develop a better understanding of the challenges Asian refugee youth face as they transition to higher education and to identify strategies for overcoming these challenges. Finally, information gathered from this presentation will help adult educators, institutions of higher learning, and policy-makers develop a better sustainable environment for immigrant and refugee youth in education.

Approximately 151,000 Asian refugee youth have resettled in North America in the past ten years (Zong & Batalova, 2016). The literature on the migration of immigrant and refugee youth suggests that this population may face significant social, cultural, and economic challenges which can affect their experiences of resettlement, employment, well-being, civic engagement and identity (re)constructions (Bajaj & Suresh, 2018; Shields & Lujan, 2018). Fewer studies, however, focus on the complex practice and meaning of transition among Asian refugee youth. Through in-depth qualitative interviews, this session explores how eight Asian refugee youth transitioned to higher education, while also negotiating their adult identities, and integrating into the local society of the United States. This presentation will contribute to a deeper understanding of how Asian refugee youth simultaneously experience three transitional phases in their lives through the lenses of educational learning and identity (re)construction. Information gathered from this presentation will help adult educators, institutions of higher learning, and policy-makers develop a better sustainable environment for immigrant and refugee youth in education.

This session will be organized into three oral presentations. Each presenter will present for approximately 8 minutes. Following these presentations, there will be a 10 minute interactive activity and 10 minute Q&A session. The presenters will use Power Point for demonstrating major theories, data, and findings.  Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and make comments throughout the session.