Somali Migration to the United States: Understanding Adaptation Through Digital Stories

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to further understand the psychological process of migration through an interdisciplinary (psychology, history, and digital humanities) collaboration that examines the experiences of Somali refugees in the United States. Method: The sample consisted of 26 Somali American emerging adult and older adult refugees who created digital stories as part of the Immigrant Stories Project (https://immigrantstories.umn.edu/). Stories were analyzed through an examination of narrative structure and content. Results: The structure of the authors’ stories was primarily progressive or stable, with very few regressive stories. Although the distribution of these story structures did not differ for emerging adults and older adults, there were important variations in content. Emerging adults’ stories reflected a struggle to find self-continuity across time and place, whereas older adults’ stories indicated attempts to find meaning and optimally adapt to their current situations. Moreover, none of the stories took on a redemptive structure, a type of story that has been identified as culturally prevalent in U.S. culture but seldom examined across diverse populations. Conclusions: The findings highlight the varieties of paths toward successful immigration and the importance of taking a collaborative, participatory approach to understanding migration experiences.