Naturalization of the Refugee South Sudanese Lost Boys in the Greater Kansas City Area.

Abstract

Abstract Granting American citizenship to immigrants by the United States Government remains to be the most significant indicator of apparent assimilation, other than marrying an American. In the past, the American political structure has promoted assimilation of immigrants into the mainstream society. For the refugee Sudanese Lost Boys in this study, some have either acquired permanent residency or U.S. citizenship by naturalization. During and after the interviews with the participants in this study, I was struck by the process and pattern under which these Boys acquired permanent residency or citizenship though resettled nearly the same time. The study found, one of the most important factors that influenced acquisition of citizenship was social/economic. After more than a decade of resettlement, there was significant reverse trend in terms of acquisition of social/economic capital of those resettled as minors over those resettled as legal adults. The impact of their arbitrary assigned ages (minor’s vs Legal adults) proved problematic for most of the Boys; younger Boys did not enter the job market at a “low” level. The legal adults started earning an income, to the envy of minors who were not allowed to work at the time of their resettlement but as time went by there started to emerge a reverse trend of acquisition of capital.