Pathways to Refugee Integration: Predictions from Longitudinal Data in Colorado

In this study, we examine whether and how the success of refugee integration varies over time and the factors that facilitate successful integration. Using data from the Refugee Integration Survey and Evaluation (RISE), we assess the integration of 467 newly resettled refugees in Colorado over three consecutive years, beginning in 2011. We find that that integration significantly increases with more time in the United States, and that age, gender, and education in one’s home country explained approximately half of the variance in overall integration three years postarrival. The integration pathways we derive from the data explain a sizable component of the variance, and we find differences in the integration process across the population subgroups that we examine.