Unique Issues for Resettling Refugees from the Congo Wars

Abstract

In recent years, many anthropologists in the United States have become involved with organizations that serve newly resettled refugees, especially as budgets for the agencies have been severely cut since 2017. Here, we reflect on some of our experiences working with Refugees from the Congo Wars (RFCWs) and address some of the challenges we have faced as applied/practicing anthropologists and resettlement support personnel. Juxtaposing a larger southern city—Tampa—with a smaller rustbelt city—Akron—we see many commonalities but also a few differences that likely relate to host city size and existing diversity profiles. Drawing on almost 3 years of research, we offer some shared observations and comparative divergences among populations of RFCWs that shed light on issues of: timing of arrival in the United States, community and class, schooling, gender and family, and food and diet, for people working with this population.

Perceptions of Resettled Refugee Congolese Women: Maintaining Cultural Traditions during Resettlement

“…McElrone et al [ 30 ] elaborate that many Congolese and Burundian refugees desire to continue consuming their traditional foods and will go to great lengths to access them. One of the few studies in Ohio also found that Congolese cherish their traditional foods [ 11 ]. From an integration Acculturation Theory perspective, and also recommended by McElrone et al [ 30 ], we suggest organizations provide Congolese refugees with orientation services to local grocery stores that would offer them opportunities to find local food similar to their traditional foods.…”

“…Findings also suggest that refugees in neighborhoods with a higher percentage of Black residents reported less satisfaction overall. An additional study by Mahoney et al [ 11 ] examined the challenges of Congolese refugees in Akron, Ohio, and Tampa, Florida. They revealed when working with refugees from the Congo Wars and focused on the timing of arrival in the United States, community and class, schooling, gender and family, and food and diet.…”

“…In particular, Congolese refugee women come from historically patrilineal, patrilocal, and patriarchal cultures, in which man dominance controls family decisions and finances [ 11 ]. When couples encounter American gender relationships, such as women learning about legal protections and the ability to divorce, discord can occur, and tensions tend to increase with time spent in the United States [ 11 ]. Single Congolese refugee women encounter even more challenges.…”

“…Single Congolese refugee women encounter even more challenges. These challenges are especially burdensome for unmarried mothers in the Democratic Republic of Congo [ 11 ].…”

“…There are complexities when referring to a singular “Congolese” community due to the numerous languages spoken, which is observed in differing individuals’ and family’s definition of being a member of the ‘Congolese community’ [ 11 ]. Therefore, since communities often have different lifestyle traditions, a challenge is created when describing the customs of Congolese families.…”