“It’s Almost Like We Were Sold”: Burundians with Refugee Status and Educational and Economic Inequity in the U.S.

In this article about Burundians with refugee status in the U.S., I represent Burundian experiences of resettlement and critique the scant provisions the US government and resettlement agencies provide. I note that as a result of their experiences Burundians feel betrayed and isolated: they find that they are “tracked” into the least desirable, low-wage work with no provision for training or education to improve their economic situation. They report how the education of their children takes place in U.S. schools that are populated by other equally marginalized and poor students, who have also been left behind in the inadequately funded schools. In noting how the official rhetorical aims of the U.S. government agencies and faith-based organizations involved with resettlement frequently cloak the realities of families with refugee status, I argue that both the policies and practices in place precipitate educational and economic inequity. In short, it can be argued that is it more accurate to understand this phenomenon as a form of structural violence, rather than as humanitarian aid.