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Refugees in Vermont: mobility and acculturation in a new immigrant destination

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  • Bose, Pablo S.

Abstract

This paper explores the idea of mobility for recent refugees who have resettled in a non-traditional immigrant destination in the northeastern U.S. It is based on a multi-year qualitative study of travel behavior, preferences, and needs amongst these new arrivals in a small city in the state of Vermont. As a result of their experiences of both forced displacement from their home as well as stasis within camp settings and the refugee determination process, refugees are an example of what some have called “a dialectic of movement/moorings” (Urry, 2003: 125), both on the move and trapped in place. Their resettlement in the U.S., as this paper illustrates, may represent a further extension of this dialectic—placed by government agents in new immigrant reception areas not of their own choosing, forced to commute long distances and into unfamiliar environments for work and limited in their abilities to access healthcare, education and employment (amongst other services) due to a range of transportation barriers. I argue in this paper that refugee mobilities in a new settlement site are about more than inconvenience: barriers to movement may constitute obstacles to acculturation, integration, self-empowerment, and community building.

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  • Bose, Pablo S., 2014. "Refugees in Vermont: mobility and acculturation in a new immigrant destination," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 151-159.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jotrge:v:36:y:2014:i:c:p:151-159
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2014.03.016
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    2. Beine, Michel & Bertinelli, Luisito & Cömertpay, Rana & Litina, Anastasia & Maystadt, Jean-François, 2021. "A gravity analysis of refugee mobility using mobile phone data," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    3. Michel Beine & Luisito Bertinelli & rana Comertpay & Anastasia Litina & Jean-François Maystadt & Benteng Zou, 2019. "Refugee Mobility: Evidence from Phone Data in Turkey," DEM Discussion Paper Series 19-01, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    4. Yu, Shaolu, 2016. "“I am like a deaf, dumb and blind person”: Mobility and immobility of Chinese (im)migrants in Flushing, Queens, New York City," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 10-21.
    5. Farber, Steven & Mifsud, Anika & Allen, Jeff & Widener, Michael J. & Newbold, K. Bruce & Moniruzzaman, Md, 2018. "Transportation barriers to Syrian newcomer participation and settlement in Durham Region," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 181-192.
    6. Shirgaokar, Manish & Nobler, Erin, 2021. "Differences in daily trips between immigrants and US-born individuals: Implications for social integration," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 103-114.
    7. Bindu Panikkar & Qing Ren & Fosca Bechthold, 2023. "Transportation Justice in Vermont Communities of High Environmental Risk," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, January.
    8. Smith, Chandler & Myadar, Orhon & Iroz-Elardo, Nicole & Ingram, Maia & Adkins, Arlie, 2022. "Making of home: Transportation mobility and well-being among Tucson refugees," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    9. Michel Beine & Luisito Bertinelli & Rana Cömertpay & Anastasia Litina & Jean-François Maystadt, 2020. "The Gravity Model of Forced Displacement Using Mobile Phone Data," DEM Discussion Paper Series 20-13, Department of Economics at the University of Luxembourg.
    10. Kyle Anne Nelson & Christine Marston, 2020. "Refugee Migration Histories in a Meatpacking Town: Blurring the Line Between Primary and Secondary Migration," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 77-91, March.
    11. Allen, Jeff & Farber, Steven & Greaves, Stephen & Clifton, Geoffrey & Wu, Hao & Sarkar, Somwrita & Levinson, David M., 2021. "Immigrant settlement patterns, transit accessibility, and transit use," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    12. Doody, Brendan J., 2020. "Becoming ‘a Londoner’: Migrants’ experiences and habits of everyday (im)mobilities over the life course," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).

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