"Sometimes My Mind, It Has to Analyze Two Things": Identity Development and Adaptation for Refugee and Newcomer Adolescents

As the global population of refugees continues to expand, a growing body of literature is seeking to understand the impact of resettlement on children and families. Extant research has been divided between the risk factors created by conflict induced migration and protective factors associated in developing a bicultural identity. The current article provides data from a qualitative study of 18 young adults who arrived as newcomers in the United States before the age of 16. Participants responded to a semistructured, biographical interview exploring the policies, programs, people, and practices that impacted their development and cultural adaptation. In recounting their experiences of migrating as children and adolescents, these adults wove complex narratives about the family, educational, community, and cultural influences they faced as young people. Ultimately, the results point to the development of a unique newcomer identity that emerged from negotiating living in multicultural environments.