Depending on the country they are from, American culture may seem very strange and confusing to refugee parents, and if they don’t have family or friends nearby, they may feel isolated and lonely.
The challenges facing refugee parents are to adapt and find reasonable strategies to support cultural expectations in view of the greater likelihood that their children will be affected and changed by the new host culture.
Often cultural clashes can occur when children take the host culture sooner or more wholeheartedly than their parents. There are often disagreements on what language to speak at home, how to dress, work, school, with whom the child spends time, dating, respecting elders, issues of rights and freedoms, and many more.
Some of these disagreements may be a result of the differences between their native culture and the new culture. Children want to fit in with their peers, and so they may more easily adopt American culture than their parents.
This program is devoted to helping refugee community fathers in adjusting to living in the United States, specifically in Vermont, and in giving them the support and resources they need to continue being strong and positive role models for their children.
We provide monthly meetings in which fathers are given the opportunity to voice their concerns about parenting and to explore various themes and questions associated with fatherhood as it relates to the refugee experience in the United States. While the program is devoted to new fathers, it continues to support fathers throughout the year and welcomes return participants.
