Bridges and Bonds: An Applied Study on the Importance of Friendship for Successful Resettlement and Educational Resilience of Former Refugee Youth in Aotearoa

Aotearoa New Zealand has been resettling refugees for over 100 years. Yet, there is limited understanding about the diverse histories and resettlement success of this group, especially Youth from Refugee Backgrounds (YRB). Past field work has demonstrated that children and youth are most susceptible to the impact of war since they are still in their developmental years. While education is crucial for all young people, particularly for refugee youth, education protects from sexual exploitation and violent extremism. However, access to education during conflict is rare. As a result, YRB arriving to post-resettlement countries, like Aotearoa, have disrupted learning histories and complex learning needs. However, once in Aotearoa, the structural violence YRB face within the education system (e.g., being invisible in the system) exacerbates the negative effects of their pre-existing challenges. Refugee-background families rely on education as a primary pathway to success; yet it is unclear if and how YRB are achieving educational success in Aotearoa. This thesis sought to fill this gap by using a mixed-method approach to illustrate the experiences that contribute to the educational, and broader resettlement success of this group.

In Study 1, I aimed to explore the school-based experiences, quality of relationships, and well-being of YRB in comparison to their Pākehā peers, the majority group in Aotearoa. To do this, I used the largest adolescent health data set available, Youth19, that surveyed YRB (n = 87) and Pākehā (n = 3094) predominantly between 12-19 years living in the North Island of Aotearoa. Quantitative analysis showed that YRB reported positive experiences in school (e.g., increased school connectedness and care from teachers), comparable to their Pākehā peers. However, they also experienced relatively poorer quality familial relationships and friendships, and increased depressive symptomology. Additional findings showed that these less supportive relationships, partially explained poor well-being. Together, findings from this study demonstrated that YRB were generally doing well in school, but relational factors were negatively impacting their mental health.

In Study 2, I aimed to explore Study 1 findings further by exploring the school-based experiences that facilitated educational success for YRB. I conducted interviews with eight female YRB between the ages of 19-24 years from diverse ethnic backgrounds who had spent at least one year enrolled in a high school in Aotearoa. To understand educational success through a holistic perspective, I inquired about experiences in their native countries, during transmigration, and finally in Aotearoa. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), I developed three main themes: Determination for an education, The nature of refugee-background families, and Connection as a precondition to successful resettlement. Together, these themes illustrated the educational resilience of YRB, the complexities present in their familial relationships because of migration, and the importance of ‘bonding’ and ‘bridging’ relationships in educational achievement, mental health, and a sense of belonging to Aotearoa. These themes highlighted that educational achievement was only one part of the more significant concern of resettlement success, and that acquiring supportive relationships, above all, were instrumental in ensuring successful resettlement for YRB.

Finally, in Study 3, I developed and tested a card game resource that was based on my primary findings from Study 1 and 2: supportive relationships effected positive outcomes for YRB. This resource was based on intergroup contact theory and aimed to build awareness, empathy, and connection between migrant youth (the broader category YRB belong to in Aotearoa) and their non-migrant peers. Quantitative and qualitative preliminary evaluation of the game indicated promising results. That is, by playing the game migrant youth and their non-migrant peers showed an awareness of each other’s unique backgrounds, extended empathy towards their personal and shared struggles, and ultimately felt connected. While only future research could confirm the longevity of these positive outcomes, this study showed that resources like the card game, when played in the right contexts, could encourage cross-cultural friendships. This is important as the card game demonstrated the potential to aid the host community in supporting the integration of migrants in Aotearoa.

Together, the studies that comprised this thesis provided substantial evidence for the importance of supportive relationships (bonding and bridging) in facilitating positive resettlement outcomes for YRB. Within a context like Aotearoa where there is a severe lack in national policy that supports YRB’s resettlement, these relationships become far more important. Therefore, migration researchers along with the host community must support the well-being of resettling young people by developing evidence-based local services while also advocating for policy reform. Ultimately, only through micro- and macro-level changes will YRB find true refuge in Aotearoa.