Abstract
Refugees from Burma have comprised the largest group of refugees resettling in the United States over the past decade, with nearly 90,000 people, and 19 percent of the total refugee population. However, very little literature exists that describes the cultural context and displacement experiences of this population. This article addresses that gap in the literature by examining historical, social, political, and cultural dimensions relevant to social work practice with Burmese refugees. Practice with Burmese refugees should be informed by knowledge of refugee policy, refugee resettlement, and social services delivery systems; the Burmese historical and political context; the community's specific strengths, needs, and cultural diversity; and human rights and social justice issues. Strong community partnerships between social workers and indigenous community leaders, between resettlement agencies and ethnic community-based organizations, and between different Burmese refugee groups are important to meeting short-and long-term social services needs and fostering successful adaptation and community integration.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 127-135 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Social Work (United States) |
| Volume | 61 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Apr 1 2016 |
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Keywords
- Burma
- Burmese
- displaced people
- refugees
- resettlement
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Sociology and Political Science
Cite this
"the Pain of Exile" : What Social Workers Need to Know about Burmese Refugees. / Fike, D. Christopher; Androff, David.
In: Social Work (United States), Vol. 61, No. 2, 01.04.2016, p. 127-135.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - "the Pain of Exile"
T2 - What Social Workers Need to Know about Burmese Refugees
AU - Fike, D. Christopher
AU - Androff, David
PY - 2016/4/1
Y1 - 2016/4/1
N2 - Refugees from Burma have comprised the largest group of refugees resettling in the United States over the past decade, with nearly 90,000 people, and 19 percent of the total refugee population. However, very little literature exists that describes the cultural context and displacement experiences of this population. This article addresses that gap in the literature by examining historical, social, political, and cultural dimensions relevant to social work practice with Burmese refugees. Practice with Burmese refugees should be informed by knowledge of refugee policy, refugee resettlement, and social services delivery systems; the Burmese historical and political context; the community's specific strengths, needs, and cultural diversity; and human rights and social justice issues. Strong community partnerships between social workers and indigenous community leaders, between resettlement agencies and ethnic community-based organizations, and between different Burmese refugee groups are important to meeting short-and long-term social services needs and fostering successful adaptation and community integration.
AB - Refugees from Burma have comprised the largest group of refugees resettling in the United States over the past decade, with nearly 90,000 people, and 19 percent of the total refugee population. However, very little literature exists that describes the cultural context and displacement experiences of this population. This article addresses that gap in the literature by examining historical, social, political, and cultural dimensions relevant to social work practice with Burmese refugees. Practice with Burmese refugees should be informed by knowledge of refugee policy, refugee resettlement, and social services delivery systems; the Burmese historical and political context; the community's specific strengths, needs, and cultural diversity; and human rights and social justice issues. Strong community partnerships between social workers and indigenous community leaders, between resettlement agencies and ethnic community-based organizations, and between different Burmese refugee groups are important to meeting short-and long-term social services needs and fostering successful adaptation and community integration.
KW - Burma
KW - Burmese
KW - displaced people
KW - refugees
KW - resettlement
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U2 - 10.1093/sw/sww005
DO - 10.1093/sw/sww005
M3 - Article
VL - 61
SP - 127
EP - 135
JO - Social Work (United States)
JF - Social Work (United States)
SN - 0037-8046
IS - 2
ER -