Many global communities have seen influxes of immigrants from war-torn areas, such as the Sudan, Somalia, Bosnia, and Kosovo. Often, these immigrants are able to adjust to new cultures with few problems. However, sometimes adolescents do not adjust as easily and may turn to acts of violence and gang activity for acceptance (Hall, 2007). The purpose of this research was to examine the life experiences of a group of refugee high school Kurdish and Somali students and their academic and social integration in the United States, with implications for other countries. In order to understand why some adolescents make decisions to join gangs while others enjoy social and academic success, it is important to identify the relationships the adolescents have with other people and with the institutions they are a part of. Therefore, one goal of this research was to identify elements that contributed to the views Kurdish and Somali students have of themselves and the world around them. Utilizing a critical theoretical model, this study investigated the lives and experiences of refugee high school students living and learning in a state in the southern United States. Theories of identity construction, particularly those articulated by Foucault (1983; 1988) and Holland, Lachicotte, Skinner, and Cain (1998), provided the framework for constructing and interpreting identities. The research was also based on the theoretical framework of figured worlds as expressed by Holland et al. (1998). Holland et al. wrote that figured worlds are a “socially and culturally constructed realm of interpretation” (p. 52). Figured worlds are defined by the artifacts, acts, and interactions which take place within a specific setting, with ramifications for the power and status that people see themselves as having or lacking. According to Holland et al., figured worlds form the background of experiences that shape our self-concepts. Therefore, it is through the experiences of being a student and interacting with others in different settings, that adolescents gain the identities of who they are in the figured world of learning or of other environments. The following questions guided this study: (1) Do prior school experiences shape students’ level of academic success in school? (2) Can prior experiences become reflective lenses used for capturing the lives and struggles of their learning experiences in school? (3) How does the new environment shape the students’ identities?

Data were collected for this qualitative study through multiple interviews with adolescents in Somali and Kurdish communities. Institutional Review Board approval was granted, and data collection began in December 2008. The participants in this study were a group of 11 students, 8 Somali and 3 Kurdish students attending two different high schools. The participants and their parents were contacted through a local mosque, and in keeping with IRB protocol, assent and consent forms were signed before data collection began. Of the participants, two were female, and 9 were male. All were currently attending local state-sponsored high schools. The majority of the interviews were completed by January 2008, and two follow-up interviews were conducted in February and March 2008. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). As data were analyzed, categories emerged and were clustered into themes.

Results identified two major themes: (1) a struggle for continuity and (2) the need for support. Prevalent turnovers in staff and administration were cited as a major limitation in getting participants’ needs met. Next, they felt that their success as students in school and in society was attributed to the level of support they received through teachers, counselors, principals, parents, and their communities. This support became an important element to the ongoing formation of their identities. All students expressed the need for support for their goals. Several students felt that the school they attended offered a level of support sufficient for their academic progress and spoke of a sense of belonging to society at large. However, other students felt that support from administrators and school staff was scarcely available. They failed to connect to their schools and society, expressing a sense of powerless, isolation, and hopelessness.