We Thought It Would Be Heaven

Refugees in an Unequal America

Blair Sackett, Annette Lareau

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Print ISBN:
  9780520379046
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780520976504
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Immigration Policy
• Index: Social Sciences

Resettled refugees in America face a land of daunting obstacles where small things—one person, one encounter—can make all the difference in getting ahead or falling behind.
 
Fleeing war and violence, many refugees dream that moving to the United States will be like going to Heaven. Instead, they enter a deeply unequal American society, often at the bottom. Through the lived experiences of families resettled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Blair Sackett and Annette Lareau reveal how a daunting obstacle course of agencies and services can drastically alter refugees’ experiences building a new life in America.
 
In these stories of struggle and hope, as one volunteer said, “you see the American story.” For some families, minor mistakes create catastrophes—food stamps cut off, educational opportunities missed, benefits lost. Other families, with the help of volunteers and social supports, escape these traps and take steps toward reaching their dreams. Engaging and eye-opening, We Thought It Would Be Heaven brings readers into the daily lives of Congolese refugees and offers guidance for how activists, workers, and policymakers can help refugee families thrive.

Table of contents

• Imprint
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of Tables
• Introduction
• 1.  Journeys to America: Lots of Red Tape
• 2.  Hurdles and Knots Everywhere: Honoria Kimenyerwa
• 3.  Problems Reverberate: Malu Malu and Mariamu Mahamba
• 4.  How Cultural Brokers Help: Joseph and Georgette Ngoma
• 5.  The Power of People Doing Their Jobs: Alain and Vana Msafiri
• Conclusion: Refugees in an Unequal America
• Acknowledgments
• Appendix A: Tables
• Appendix B: Key Ideas in More Depth
• Appendix C: How We Did the Study
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index