Prajapati Shaptoka

This poster presentation stems from my dissertation research on environmental citizenship of two cohorts of resettled refugees in Syracuse, NY, the Bhutanese of Nepali ethnicity and the Somalis of Bantu ethnicity. Both groups were living in appalling conditions in refugee camps for 12-18 years until their resettlement in United States. As a result of the US government’s refugee resettlement program, Syracuse is home to more than 2,000 of these former refugees, now as permanent residents and New Americans.

 

The poster through images and photographs features conditions leading to their becoming refugees, their life in the refugee camps and processing of resettlement in an industrialized country. The research comprises semi-structured interviews with Photovoice to help describe some key aspects of environmental citizenship of the new arrivals and their relationships to mainstream America. During the field study of the two communities, randomly selected participants were invited to contribute to the Photovoice method. They were informed of the method of capturing suitable snapshots of their environment. They have shared photographs of their stories of environmental citizenship as they began sinking their roots. From discussions with each participant and the descriptions, one can conclude that these two cohorts of refugees have faced several environmental concerns as a part of environment (in)justice while living as refugees and during their resettlement. Despite various issues of environmental injustice, both cohorts are seen to be integrating into mainstream at their own pace while keeping intact their social and cultural values. Meanwhile they are also learning the American culture while facing language and cultural barriers in their new environment with its own physical, socioeconomic and cultural challenges. 

Work Product: Presentation