The Refugees in Towns project is pleased to publish this case report as part of its Race and Refugees research program. Both the Mobile, Alabama, USA and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA case reports explore the historical, cultural, and political contexts in addition to the lived experiences of refugees grappling with the U.S. construction of race. Both reports have been adapted into StoryMaps, allowing readers to interactively explore Mobile and Pittsburgh while showcasing RIT's reflexive and localized methodology. View the StoryMaps here: Mobile, Alabama, USA and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Case Report
Tibet 1 2023
This report tells the story of a Tibetan refugee living in Sarnath, India (pseudonym Thubten Dawa), who works for the Sarnath International Nyingma Institute (SINI). Later, in summer 2022, the author traveled to India to work at SINI, where he developed a closer relationship with Thubten Dawa. On numerous occasions, Thubten Dawa expressed his aspiration that by reading this story, “others will understand the importance of pure motivation and necessity to prioritize the welfare of others rather than one’s self.”
Gaborone, Botswana
Drawing from his own experiences as an immigrant and his interactions with refugees and immigrants in Botswana’s capital, Gaborone City, Felix Tapilira Chilumpha explores life in the Dukwi Refugee Camp. Located over 500 kilometers away from Gabarone, Dukwi Camp is isolated from much of Botswana’s population and resources, including education and jobs. In his report, Felix focuses on Botswana’s policies that impact refugees' and immigrants’ mobility, employment opportunities, and education.
Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
In this gorgeously written piece, Joseph Zorokong teases out the critical role more established immigrant communities have in supporting newcomers, reflecting on his family’s own refugee experience in Lowell, Massachusetts. In this diverse city, Zorokong examines the small but growing African community, their unique challenges in reaching resources and integration, and the process through which they tend their dual identities as immigrants and Americans.
Kampala, Uganda
Personal relationships and understanding between refugees and their hosts can often be the basis for sustainable integration of refugees. In this report, author Nyende Keith Mark discusses an arts-oriented project in Kampala which brought together refugee artists living in Nakivale settlement and Ugandan artists to build relationships and share skills, creating dialogue between refugees and hosts and aiding in refugee integration.