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Transnational 'Interruptions' in Eritrean Refugee Lives in the Bay Area

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Transnational 'Interruptions' in Eritrean Refugee Lives in the Bay Area The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Master's Theses Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects Spring 5-26-2017 Transnational ‘Interruptions’ in Eritrean Refugee Lives in the Bay Area Meron Y. Semedar Mr [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.usfca.edu/thes Part of the African Languages and Societies Commons, and the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Semedar, Meron Y. Mr, "Transnational ‘Interruptions’ in Eritrean Refugee Lives in the Bay Area" (2017). Master's Theses. 242. http://repository.usfca.edu/thes/242 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses, Dissertations, Capstones and Projects at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. TRANSNATIONAL ‘INTERRUPTIONS’ IN ERITREAN REFUGEE LIVES IN THE BAY AREA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS in INTERNATIONAL STUDIES by MERON SEMEDAR May 26, 2017 UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO Under the guidance and approval of the committee, and approval by all the members, this thesis project has been accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree. APPROVED: Advisor Date Academic Director Date Dean of Arts and Sciences Date TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures .................................................................................................................................. vi DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................... vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................... viii ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... x Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 My Story as an Eritrean Refugee ................................................................................................. 1 Experience in Eritrea ................................................................................................................ 1 Departing Eritrea ...................................................................................................................... 3 Life in South Africa ................................................................................................................... 3 Escape of my Older Brother ..................................................................................................... 4 Arriving in USA ......................................................................................................................... 5 Escape of Younger Brother ...................................................................................................... 6 Chapter I: Background to the Study ............................................................................................... 10 Eritrean Refugees in the Bay Area ............................................................................................. 10 Family Values, Morality & Social Obligations ............................................................................ 13 Definition of Terms .................................................................................................................... 14 Resettlement, Integration and Government Services ............................................................... 16 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 17 Statement of the Problem ..................................................................................................... 17 Purpose of the Study .............................................................................................................. 17 Research Questions ............................................................................................................... 18 Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................................... 18 Methodology .......................................................................................................................... 18 Participants ............................................................................................................................ 19 Data Collection ....................................................................................................................... 19 Limitations of the Study ......................................................................................................... 20 Significance of the Study ........................................................................................................ 21 Chapter II: The Eritrean Background .............................................................................................. 22 ii A Short History of Eritrea ........................................................................................................... 22 Location and Geography of Eritrea ........................................................................................ 22 Climate and Topography ........................................................................................................ 23 Religion .................................................................................................................................. 23 Ethnicity ................................................................................................................................. 24 Economy................................................................................................................................. 24 Traditional economies ........................................................................................................... 25 The Diaspora and the economy ............................................................................................. 27 Colonial Era: Italy, WWII: 1985 - 1962 ................................................................................... 28 Struggle for Independence/State Formation; 1961 - 1991 .................................................... 28 First Eritrean Migration 1961 - 1991 ...................................................................................... 29 Second Ethiopian-Eritrean War: 1998 - 2000 ........................................................................ 30 Start of Dictatorship: 2001 ..................................................................................................... 31 Second Migration: 2001 – present......................................................................................... 32 The National Service: 1994 - present .................................................................................... 33 Human Rights as a reason of plight ....................................................................................... 34 The Eritrean Diaspora and the home land/Transnational ..................................................... 35 Chapter III: Literature Review ........................................................................................................ 37 A. Refugees ................................................................................................................................ 37 B. Reception and Hosts .............................................................................................................. 38 C. Integration ............................................................................................................................. 40 D. Trauma ................................................................................................................................... 43 E. Migration, Diaspora and Diasporic Identity ........................................................................... 45 F. Transnationalism; Transnational Economies; Remittances ................................................... 46 G. Interruptions .......................................................................................................................... 48 H. East African values, morals and obligations .......................................................................... 50 Chapter IV: Data Interviews and Fieldwork ................................................................................... 52 A. Trauma and PTSD ................................................................................................................... 54 B. Religion and Morality ............................................................................................................. 56 C. Cultural and Ethnic Identity ................................................................................................... 57 D. Social Obligations and Family Bonds ..................................................................................... 58 E. Reproducing the
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