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Social Capital Matters for Older Bhutanese Refugees’ Integration

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Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Older and younger refugees have different experiences integrating into host countries. In the U.S., older Bhutanese refugees may face additional barriers when integrating, due to limited ability to adapt to a new language and cultural shifts. Social capital, however, has shown to be supportive of refugees’ integration, which may be important for older Bhutanese refugees. This study’s aim is to examine the effect of social capital and age on integration for Bhutanese refugees living in the United States. A cross-sectional moderated multiple linear regression analysis examined the effect of social capital and age on integration outcomes for 244 Bhutanese refugees in the United States. Higher social capital may contribute to higher levels of integration for older adult Bhutanese refugees’ integration. These findings bring recommendations for policy and practice, including more targeted resettlement programs for older refugees.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Dr. Kimberly C. Brimhall for her dedicated and valuable support and guidance. Thank you to Dr. Lichtenstein and Dr. Puma for making this research possible, and developing such a powerful CBPR model of data collection. Thank you to refugee agencies around the world, who work every day to make the world a better place. Above all, thank you to refugees for their courage and bravery. This research is dedicated to you.

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I confirm there is no conflict of interest regarding funding. There is no attached funding for this research. This current study was not funded.

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  1. College of Community and Public Affairs, Binghamton University–State University of New York, PO Box 6000, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA

    Justine L. Lewis

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Correspondence to Justine L. Lewis.

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Lewis, J.L. Social Capital Matters for Older Bhutanese Refugees’ Integration. J Immigrant Minority Health 22, 1295–1303 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-01057-8

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