Falling Through the Cracks: Stress and Coping in Migration and Resettlement Among Marginalized Hmong Refugee Families in the United States

Abstract

The marginalization process of refugees during resettlement has rarely been explored empirically due to the challenges in identifying and accessing the population. To understand how stress and coping throughout the migration and resettlement processes can result in marginalization in refugees resettled in the United States, this study conducted in-depth individual interviews with 16 homeless Hmong refugee families. The findings revealed how cumulated adversities eroded coping resources and how impeded coping capacity fuels social isolation and marginalization. In addition, an enclosed family support system tends to limit types of available help and social interactions and thus frustrates the use of diversified coping strategies that are critical to healthy acculturation. This study underscores the importance of expanded resettlement services that promote both formal and informal social supports and enhance balanced social integration of the refugee community.