Refugee Integration and Maps: Learning from Lived Experiences to Connect People and Resources

Refugees are forced to flee their homelands in search of safety and a future. For the one percent of refugees who are resettled in countries such as the United States, integration into the local community and host country society is vital. Integration is a multifaceted process, and this study explored the geographic experiences of resettled refugees in the Salt Lake City, Utah, area. Through semi-structured, qualitative interviews and sketch mapping exercises, I sought the perspectives of eight recently resettled individuals in the Salt Lake City area on their daily lives and how to best explain this place to someone who is new. Findings include 1) maps can be useful to resettled refugees as a means of exploration, a wayfinding tool, and a way of not being lost; 2) social capital must accompany and can enhance such maps; 3) refugee map provision should be customized to the individual or family; 4) map education is also needed and 5) a list of places to include on these maps emerged from the study data. Recommendations include making and distributing these maps, providing map education via orientation classes, and customizing the maps by using GIS data and applications.