Between Two Worlds: A Case Study Of Third Culture Identity And Reentry For Unl International Students, John S. Tessalee

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and international students share many commonalities, such as their globalized nature, adaptability, and the adoption of cultural components from their host country versus their home country. However, they contain enough differences to be considered separate groups. Traditionally, people need to be immersed in a culture different from their parents’ culture between the ages of 0 and 18 to be considered a TCK, whereas international students are typically between 18 and 24 years old by the time they attend universities overseas. The cultural absorption of TCKs in their formative years is usually greater than that of international …

Arts & Literature: The Destruction Of Smyrna In 1922: A Conversation With Petros Pourliakas, Author Of Salty Silk, Petros Pourliakas

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

In 1922, the once-cosmopolitan city of Smyrna—modern-day Izmir—was engulfed in flames, marking the end of a centuries-long Hellenic presence in Asia Minor. The catastrophe, which followed the Greco-Turkish War and occurred amidst the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more. In his 2022 book Salty Silk, Greek author Petros Pourliakas recounts the tragedy, focusing on the humanitarian heroism that emerged in the midst of horror. I spoke with Pourliakas about his research, the moral complexities of recounting a national trauma, and the legacy of a …

Factors Influencing Information And Accessibility Of Tuberculosis Prevention Services Among Nomadic Fulani And Host Communities, Nigeria, Abolaji Azeez, Kabiru Salami

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Despite efforts to curtail tuberculosis (TB) in Nigeria, the country has not yet attained the global target. This study explored the dynamics of access to information about TB control and prevention among nomadic Fulani and their host communities. We used a mixed-methods approach and multistage sampling technique to recruit 812 respondents for the survey, and we conducted 18 in-depth interviews across six local government areas. The results indicated generally low access to TB information and services, with only 2% of nomadic Fulani engaging in TB prevention activities compared to 6.7% of host community members. Yoruba respondents had significantly higher odds …

Shining In Times Of Crisis: How Refugee Women Display Leadership And Transform Hardship, Laura Iorg

Capstone Collection

Abstract

There are currently approximately 122.6 million people displaced globally (UNHCR, 2024). This figure includes 43.7 million refugees (UNHCR, 2024). Nearly half of them are women. This qualitative study examined the following questions: How do women manifest leadership and agency in refugee situations? Subquestion: How do women contribute to peace, transformation, and healing through that leadership and agency? Five different individuals who had worked with women refugees for at least two years were recruited for the study. Two data collection instruments were employed: a preliminary survey and a structured interview. The study focused on the lived experiences of refugee women …

Everyday Life In The U.S.: An Intersectional Approach To A North Korean Refugee Woman’S Identities, And Experiences, Lyounghee Kim

Communication ETDs

This dissertation examines everyday experiences of a North Korean refugee woman in the U.S., centering her narratives as sites of critique, resistance, and meaning-making. Grounded in Critical Refugee Studies, Asian American Studies, and Critical Intercultural Communication and framed by intersectionality, it explores how interlocking structures of power shape and are shaped by her life. Rather than focusing solely on trauma or assimilation, this study highlights her digital storytelling, faith, and mutual aid practices as acts of survival, dignity, and moral agency. Using a qualitative, narrative inquiry approach grounded in critical reflexivity, it thematically analyzes her stories to reveal how she …

How Stereotypes And Labor Shortages Lured Asians To The Sunshine: A Brief Historical And Demographic Review Of Asian Americans In Florida., Wenxian Zhang

Faculty Publications

Asians began to arrive in Florida in the years after the Civil War, concentrated mainly in railroad construction, agriculture, and service sectors such as laundry, restaurant, and grocery business. Their population grew very slowly until after World War II, when the discriminatory immigration policies were finally lifted. The 1965 immigration reform act, openings of the Walt Disney World and other tourist attractions, the end of the Vietnam War, the thriving sunbelt economy, and the rapid population growth have all brought numerous new Asian immigrants to the southernmost state in America. Shaped by multiple waves of immigration and various socioeconomic factors, …

Diaspora By Another Name: The Making Of Refugees In Cold War China, Jiaqi M. Liu, Clare Xiaoqian Wan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

By examining China’s refugee policies from 1949 to 1982, this article demonstrates how the Chinese state redefined “return” and “refugee” to serve shifting political objectives. While China is often perceived as a source, rather than a host, of asylum seekers, it hosted over 320,000 displaced migrants—primarily ethnic Chinese from Southeast Asia—during the Cold War. Through a systematic discourse analysis of 382 People’s Daily articles, we identify four state narratives—diaspora, diplomatic tool, ideological sanctuary, and legal duty—that structured how China labeled displaced migrants, interpreted their sentiments, and determined their settlement. These models evolved dynamically: from the 1950s to the late 1970s, …

“Dark” Narratives Of Venezuelan Migrants In Trinidad And Tobago: Voices Of Gratitude And Resilience In A Foreign Land, Susan Chand

Adventist Human-Subject Researchers Association

This study explored narratives of Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad during and post COVID-19 lockdown. Key themes of “gratitude” and “resilience” emerged despite exploitation and discrimination migrants faced in a foreign land. “Dark Ethnography” concept is applied to understand migrants’ lived experiences and the church’s role in integrating to new environment.

The Labor Supply Curve Is Upward Sloping: The Effects Of Immigrant-Induced Demand Shocks, Sigurd Galaasen, Andreas Kostøl, Joan Monras, Jonathan Vogel

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

What is the effect of immigration on native labor-market outcomes? An extensive literature identifies the differential impact of immigration on natives employed in jobs that are more exposed to immigrant labor (supply exposure). But immigrants consume in addition to producing output. Despite this, no literature identifies the impact on natives employed in jobs that are more exposed to immigrant consumption (demand exposure). We study native labor market effects of supply and demand exposures to immigration. Theoretically, we formalize both measures of exposure and solve for their effects on native wages. Empirically, we combine employer-employee data with a newly collected data …

“Redefining The Fortress” Migrant Experiences, Adaptation And Connection Within Serbian Borderlands, Nicholas J. Leone

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract This thesis seeks to examine migrant experiences due to Serbia's geopolitical significance along the so-called Balkan route, and how this is specifically exemplified in the northern autonomous region of Vojvodina. Serbia’s position outside the external border of the European Union has caused it to be a strategic transit point for migrants en route to desired destinations, typically within Western and Northern Europe. However, the European Union’s externalization policies in partnership with Serbian authorities have played an extensive role in migration mobility patterns and humanitarian conditions for migrants traversing within the Serbian borderlands, specifically along the border with Hungary. The …

Global Constructions Of Gender, Sexuality, And Migration: An Analysis Of Five Immigrant Memoirs, Grace Halvorson

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This capstone analyzes five memoirs by LGBTQ+ migrants—Jose Antonio Vargas, Edafe Okporo, Staceyann Chin, Danny Ramadan, and Samra Habib—to explore how governments weaponize gender and sexual orientation to construct national identity and exert control over both citizens and migrants. Their diverse migration experiences highlight how “gender border control” operates across families, communities, and national government systems, reinforcing heteronormative structures that regulate queer identities. My analysis of their memoirs reveals how both formal tools, such as immigration policies, and informal tools, such as social exclusion, make individuals outside heteronormative identity categories susceptible to state and societal violence. These personal narratives shed …

From Australian Influence To Rohingya Refugees: A Systematic Literature Review Of Asylum Seekers And Refugees In Indonesia, Bilal Dewansyah

The Indonesian Journal of Socio-Legal Studies

The fact that Indonesia hosts asylum seekers and refugees attracted not only policy debate and media attention but also academic research. However, no systematic review has been conducted to assess the scholarly literature on this topic. This article is intended to fill this gap by presenting a systematic literature review (SLR) on asylum seekers and refugees in Indonesia. As a result, I found five major themes in the reviewed literature: (1) the focus on the Indonesia – Australia relationship; (2) people smuggling; (3) refugees’ journey and living conditions in Indonesia; (4) Rohingya refugees; (5) legal protection and refugee status. However, …

Placemaking And Belonging In Brooklyn: Bushwick City Farms, Marisa Cigliano

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Since the spring of 2022, New York City has seen an increased rate of newly-arrived migrants from countries in Latin and Central America, Asia, and Africa. In accordance with the city’s “right to shelter” obligation, NYC has provided shelter for migrants by converting hotels, office buildings, and even tents, into make-shift lodging designed for temporary stay. Within a year, anti-immigrant rhetoric from Mayor Eric Adams sparked activism from both immigrant rights organizations and long-term residents who don’t want migrant shelters in their neighborhoods. These shelters lack the necessary food, privacy, social services, and structure that is owed to homeless residents …

Mapping Our Tears: Risd Cry, Yimiao Wang

Masters Theses

RISD CRY is a participatory project empowering the RISD community to share their experiences of emotional vulnerability. The project includes physical sign-in forms in campus facilities, a Google Doc sign-in form, illustrations of participants’ comments, and an online campus map where individuals can mark where they have cried. This multi-format engagement fosters community connection, challenges the stigma surrounding emotional expression, and provides a platform for solidarity among individuals facing stress and burnout.

Beyond its tactical goals, RISD CRY also interrogates the cultural frameworks through which emotional struggle is perceived and processed. It critiques the institutional impulse to measure, diagnose, and …

Determinants Of Integration: Migration Difficulty, Mental Health, And Social Connections Among Eritrean Immigrants, Shewit Woldemichael

Master's Theses

This thesis explores how the experience of migration hardship affects integration outcomes of Eritrean migrants in the U.S. and the Netherlands. Using original survey data and the Immigration Policy Lab’s Integration Index (IPL-24), this paper investigated the intersection of economic, psychological, and social interactions that facilitate integration outcomes. This research finds that migration hardship doesn’t just make people’s lives more difficult; it breaks down the social ties and mental well-being that are essential for economic success measured by integration.

The Chinese American Experience, Katherine Chan Sorensen

2025 Symposium

This paper examines and identifies conflicts of second-generation Chinese Americans, focusing on the interplay of cultural values, gender roles, and societal stereotypes. Through an interview with Connor Chan, a 23-year-old Chinese American, the study illuminates the tension between traditional Chinese patriarchy and evolving American norms. Intergenerational conflicts arising from differing acculturation experiences are explored, highlighting the emotional strain of navigating two distinct cultural landscapes.

The research addresses the persistence of traditional gender roles, where male breadwinners are emphasized, contrasting with Americas idea of female empowerment. This dissonance creates internal and external pressures for second-generation individuals. Furthermore, the paper confronts the …

"La Vida Es Un Carnaval": An Exploration Of Cuban Identity And Nostalgia Through Dance/Movement Therapy - A Community Engagement Project, Maria Fernanda Mendez Mendoza

Expressive Therapies Theses

“La Vida Es Un Carnaval” is a community engagement project and thesis that explores how identity and nostalgic resilience show up through dance/movement therapy with Cuban immigrants living in the United States, specifically Massachusetts. This project brought together six Cuban-born participants, ages 26 to 67, each with their own unique migration stories; from the Rafter Balsero Crisis of 1994, to the “Wet-Foot/Dry-Foot” policy, and family reunification. Through a mix of in-person and online sessions, participants explored their experiences using intermodal activities including dance/movement therapy techniques, conversation, journaling, artwork, and music. Themes of cultural pride, “Cubanía” – Cuban-ness, culture shock, and …

Lack Of Access To Education And Economic Opportunities As Root Causes Of Youth Migration From The Western Highlands Of Guatemala, Alvaro Quinteros Gonzalez

Master's Theses

This thesis examines how the relationship between limited access to education and economic opportunities contribute to the migration of young people out of this region. The qualitative research addresses two main questions: a) What challenges do young people in the Western Highlands of Guatemala face in accessing the education system and employment opportunities? And b) How does the lack of education and economic opportunities influence young people’s decision to migrate? Three focus groups were conducted with young individuals from the western highlands, and six semi-structured interviews were held with stakeholders and organizations working in this region.

The thesis concludes that …

Negotiating Migration In The Mediterranean: A Comparative Study Of Morocco And Italy’S Border Policies And Their Humanitarian Impact On Irregular Migrants, Shennel Ep Henries

Master's Theses

Serving as both a barrier and a bridge that connects Africa and Europe, the Mediterranean is today the focal point of global controversies around migration, where humanitarian interests balance against border policing and meet securitization policies. This thesis examines the questions: How do irregular migrants adapt, interpret, and maneuver around securitized Moroccan and Italian migration policies, and what do their strategies tell us about the relationship between humanitarianism and securitization in Mediterranean bordering processes? Drawing on qualitative evidence, including expert interviews with organization employees and volunteers in Morocco and Italy (Fondazione Solidarietà Caritas, Nosotras Onlus, and Caritas Maroc), field observation, …

‘Casar Public Lecture: 100 Days Of Trump: America, The Middle East, And Beyond’, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

The entire world is literally getting new updates about Trump's internal & external policies almost everyday now....can you imagine that we are still yet to reach 100 days?? USAID cuts, Chinese and Canadian Tariffs, DEI revokes, Gaza War, Ukraine War, the case of Iran, National Economic Emergency in the US, ICE arrests in the US & so much more to discuss.....Trump's policies impact the US as well as everywhere in the world, but what are the repercussions so far?

Speakers: From AUC: Dr. Sean Lee, Assistant Professor, Political Science Department - Amb. Dr.Alaa El-Hadidi , CASAR Adjunct Professor.

The panel …