Fearism and Racism: Investigating Middle Eastern Refugee Youth's Lived Experiences in the United States.

Dilek Kayaalp
University of North Florida, College of Education and Human Services

Abstract

In this study, I explore the social and educational experiences of Middle Eastern refugee youth in Florida, US. Sixteen young people from Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria aged 15 to 31 participated in this research. Hall’s conceptualization of representation, Ahmed’s cultural politics of emotion, Cohen’s moral panic, and Fisher’s fearism, proved to be useful theoretical tools to examine refugee youth’s experiences of marginalization and racism in the US. To explore the refugee youth’s lived experiences, I conducted a critical ethnographic inquiry. I conducted my fieldwork (in-depth interviews and participant observations) in Florida, for one year, from 2018 to 2019. The interview data indicate that racist narratives and misrepresentation of refugee youth affect young people’s experiences and participation negatively. In response, this study suggests the investigation of the interplay between representation and fearism and decoding the cultural codes and discourses of state to provide alternative forms of participation for refugee youth.

Presentation