A Phenomenological Study Investigating the Experiences of Refugee Adolescents' Transition into the Culture of the United States of America

Refugee adolescents have experiences that affect their social identities and shape their abilities to successfully acculturate into a new society (Sirin, Ryce, Gupta, & Rogers-Sirin, 2013). The dual pressures of acculturation and serving as a link between their family and their new country magnify these adolescent refugees' difficulties in adjusting to school and work (Porte & Torney-Puerta, 1987; Sack, Angell, Kinzie, & Rath, 1986, as cited in Lese & Robbins, 1994). This study, which highlights how the transition may affect adolescent refugees' abilities to form sustainable and meaningful relationships, is intended to be a stepping stone upon which counselors and researchers in both the education and clinical fields can build. Social identity theory, social constructivist theory, and cultural identity theory will serve as a framework for inquiry.