Refuge - by Heba Gowayed (Hardcover)

About the Book

"As the world confronts the largest refugee crisis since World War II, wealthy countries are being called upon to open their doors to the displaced, with the assumption that this will restore their prospects for a bright future. Refuge follows Syrians who fled a brutal war in their homeland as they attempt to rebuild in countries of resettlement and asylum. Their experiences reveal that these destination countries are not saviors; they can deny newcomers' potential by failing to recognize their abilities and invest in the tools they need to prosper. Heba Gowayed spent three years documenting the strikingly divergent journeys of Syrian families from similar economic and social backgrounds during their crucial first years of resettlement in the United States and Canada and asylum in Germany. All three countries offer a legal solution to displacement, while simultaneously minoritizing newcomers through policies that fail to recognize their histories, aspirations, and personhood. The United States stands out for its emphasis on 'self-sufficiency' that integrates refugees into American poverty, which, by design, is populated by people of color and marked by stagnation. Gowayed argues that refugee human capital is less an attribute of newcomers, than a product of the same racist welfare systems that have long shaped the contours of national belonging. Centering the human experience of displacement, Refuge shines needed light on how countries structure the potential of people, new arrivals or otherwise, within their borders."--

Book Synopsis

How states deny the full potential of refugees as people and perpetuate social inequality

As the world confronts the largest refugee crisis since World War II, wealthy countries are being called upon to open their doors to the displaced, with the assumption that this will restore their prospects for a bright future. Refuge follows Syrians who fled a brutal war in their homeland as they attempt to rebuild in countries of resettlement and asylum. Their experiences reveal that these destination countries are not saviors; they can deny newcomers' potential by failing to recognize their abilities and invest in the tools they need to prosper.

Heba Gowayed spent three years documenting the strikingly divergent journeys of Syrian families from similar economic and social backgrounds during their crucial first years of resettlement in the United States and Canada and asylum in Germany. All three countries offer a legal solution to displacement, while simultaneously minoritizing newcomers through policies that fail to recognize their histories, aspirations, and personhood. The United States stands out for its emphasis on "self-sufficiency" that integrates refugees into American poverty, which, by design, is populated by people of color and marked by stagnation. Gowayed argues that refugee human capital is less an attribute of newcomers than a product of the same racist welfare systems that have long shaped the contours of national belonging.

Centering the human experience of displacement, Refuge shines needed light on how countries structure the potential of people, new arrivals or otherwise, within their borders.

Review Quotes

"A truly excellent ethnography with rich data, a robust theoretical framework, clear language, impressive narration, and an ambitious political and ethical stance. . . . Anyone working in immigration must read Refuge."---Aysegul Balta Ozgen, Contemporary Sociology

"I firmly believe that Refuge is a book that everyone interested in migration studies and refugees' lives in the host countries needs to read. Gowayed's salient skills in storytelling make the book fluent to read."---William D Bowman, International Journal of Comparative Sociology

"The writing is lucent and aimed at engaging spirited debate."---David Scott FitzGerald, Social Forces

"[A] highly accessible and enjoyable read that sets the stage for a conversation on equal footing: not about refugees but with them."---Elke Winter and Aiki Mekerian, American Journal of Sociology

"Winner of the Oliver Cromwell Cox Book Award, Racial and Ethnic Minorities section of the American Sociological Association"

"Winner of the Mirra Komarovsky Book Award, Eastern Sociological Society"

"A concisely written, enjoyable read. . . . It is important that a wide audience reads books like this."---Alfons Fermin, Journal of Urban Affairs

"[Gowayed] urges a global reckoning with the violence . . . that our obsession with national boundaries brings."-- "The Christian Century"

About the Author

Heba Gowayed is the Moorman-Simon Assistant Professor of Sociology at Boston University. Twitter @hebagowayed