Meenal Rana

The Lost Boys of Sudan: Coping With Ambiguous Loss and Separation From Parents

The Lost Boys of Sudan were separated from their families by civil war and subsequently lived in three other countries-Ethiopia, Kenya, and the United States. In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 refugees about their experiences of separation from parents and ambiguous loss, and the coping strategies the youth used when they did not know if other members of their family were dead or alive. All of the youth reported using both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping strategies. The youth also discussed the importance of support from peers and elders while they lived in the refugee camps. In addition, they reflected on the psychological presence of parents who were physically absent, and the important role that hope of being reunited with parents played as they struggled with survival issues and ambiguous loss.

Successful adaptation among Sudanese unaccompanied minors: Perspectives of youth and foster parents:

This study explores the adaptation of unaccompanied Sudanese refugee minors resettled in the US. Seven years after resettlement, in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 Sudanese youths and 20 foster parents regarding factors that contributed to successful adaptation. The youths emphasized personal agency and staying focused on getting an education. Foster parents emphasized the contribution of youths’ developmental histories to individual differences in personal attributes that, with contextual supports, influenced their trajectories after resettlement. Parents and youths differed in their views on the role that mental health and cultural obligations to family members in Africa played in successful adaptation.

“My Culture Helps Me Make Good Decisions” Cultural Adaptation of Sudanese Refugee Emerging Adults

The last two decades have witnessed growing research on the experiences of children and youth after migration or resettlement. However, nearly all of this research focuses on children and youth who arrived in the country with their parents. We know little of the unique experiences of refugee youngsters who came to this country without parental company. How do they negotiate the different cultures in the absence of parents? In this article, we draw on in-depth interview data with 19 Sudanese emerging adults who came to the United States as unaccompanied refugee minors to examine issues of acculturation and adaptation. Our findings show that having a strong root in their native culture and identity helped them make good choices, maintain focus, and avoid distractions associated with negative aspects of the U.S. youth culture. Our participants also discussed the importance of learning the new ways. As a result, those who maintained their native culture and combined it with the positive aspect of the U.S. culture were the ones who did best in their adaptation. Our research confirms previous findings on immigrant and refugee youth with parents that a bicultural orientation is the best for adaptation. Our findings also illustrate a more specific and agentic process of cultural appropriation with a flexible orientation.

Sudanese Refugee Youth: Resilience Among Undefended Children

Sudanese refugee youth who were separated from their parents by civil war represent an extreme example of undefended children. James Garbarino (Lost boys: Why our sons turn violent and how we can save them. New York, NY, Free Press, 1999; No place to be a Child: Growing up in a war zone. Lexington, MA, Lexington Books, 1991) has pointed out that children exposed to war and some children in American cities share a common experience of learning early in life that adults around them cannot protect them. Like other children with this experience, the Sudanese youth developed strategies for survival through self-reliance, self-care, and the formation of strong peer groups. However, for the most part these youth found strategies that promoted positive development, unlike many other children facing high levels of risk. In this chapter we will review findings from our research concerning the youth’s own perspectives on the risks they faced and the protective factors that helped them during their lives in Africa as refugees. We address three questions: How did the youth experience separation and ambiguous loss after separation from their parents? From their perspective, what were the risks they faced in Africa during flight and in the refugee camps? What protective factors buffered their exposure to these risks?

Socioeconomic Status and Child/Youth Outcomes in Asian American Families

Decades of research has established the important role of socioeconomic status (SES) in children’s education and psychosocial outcomes. Nevertheless, systematic research on the role of SES in families from immigrant backgrounds remains limited. In this chapter, we review research on the intriguing and complex role of SES in Asian American families. We aim to address: How has family SES been conceived in Asian societies and how may this notion of SES have influenced Asian American families and child/youth educational and psychosocial outcomes? Our review shows that family SES powerfully shapes immigrant family experiences before and after migration. It structures family resources and investment in Asian American families, which has important implications for children’s educational and psychosocial outcomes. Our review also suggests that a number of protective factors including maintaining the traditional Asian perception of the fluid nature of family SES, support from family, and co-ethnic community can buffer the negative effect of low SES on Asian American children’s educational outcomes. We conclude with implications and recommendations for future research.

Pathways of success experiences among the "Lost boys" of Sudan: A case study approach

In recent years, changes in the nature of warfare have increased the risks for children. In the decade 1986–1996, UNICEF (1996) estimates that two million children were killed in wars and one million orphaned or separated from their parents. Statistics on the total number of children separated from their parents are lacking, but in 2003, 12,800 unaccompanied refugee children applied for asylum in developed countries—4 % of total asylum applicants (UNHCR, 2004). These children, living without the support and protection of adults, are a particularly vulnerable group (Hepburn, Williamson, & Wolfram, 2004). Occasionally, it is deemed in the best interest of children without adult support (known as separated or unaccompanied children) to resettle them in another country, especially when their parents are deceased or untraceable and they are unlikely to return to their own country because of continuing conflict. Such was the case for a group of youth known in the media as the “Lost Boys” of Sudan.