An Analysis of Refugee Resettlement Patterns in the Great Plains

Authors

John Gaber, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Sharon Gaber, Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Jeff Vincent, University of California, Berkeley
Darcy Boellstorff, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Date of this Version

Fall 2004

Comments

Published in Great Plains Research Vol. 14, No. 2, 2004. Copyright © 2004 The Center for Great Plains Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Used by permission.

Abstract

Great Plains communities have been experiencing an influx of refugees but many communities are unaware of the international and national context for refugee resettlement. This article explores patterns impacting US Great Plains communities. This leads to three specific questions: (1) How many refugees have been resettled since 1983 in the US, in comparison to the Great Plains region, and where are they? (2) What are the patterns of the refugees resettled in the US versus the Great Plains region? And, (3) What are some of the economic benefits that can be anticipated in the resettlement of refugees in the Great Plains? The goal of this article is to answer these three questions in order to get at the larger question of how Great Plains communities can make sense out of the migration of the world's refugees to their communities.