A Comparison of the Integration Experiences of Two African Immigrant Populations in a Rural Community

Abstract

Most U.S. migration research compares very distinct groups, such as Mexicans and Asians, and virtually ignores the small, but growing number of African immigrants. In contrast, this study describes and compares the integration experiences of two Black, East African refugee populations in a small town in the Midwestern United States. We demonstrate that Muslim Somalis and Christians from southern Sudan encounter similar structural obstacles to social and economic integration, but that their religious affiliations lead to sharply different opportunities and cultural strategies. This paper ends with a discussion of the implications of these findings for social work practice and the potential role of social workers as cultural brokers between new immigrant groups and the general public.

Key Words:

• Immigration
• immigrant integration
• religion
• language
• meat packing
• refugees
• research methods
• Sudanese
• Somalis
• African Diaspora