A Resilience Perspective on Newcomer Youth: Multicultural Programming and Capacity Building

I began by asking the group a simple but difficult question: What do you miss most about Syria?

Immediately, I felt an upsurge of overwhelming silence.

As I looked over to Maryam, I noticed that she had a curious smile on, perhaps to disguise the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She responded, “my family, of course.” Rasha, who was sitting next to her, comforted her with a hug, wiping her tears away; she blushed trying her best to hold her own tears back.

As a researcher, I felt guilty for provoking such an emotional response. In what started off as a fun and uplifting conversation between myself and five vibrant young refugees from Syria and Lebanon, quickly became an awkward and uncomfortable space.

I situated my research at a Multicultural settlement services agency in Mississauga, ON, where I conducted semi-structured interviews, facilitated a focus group, and conducted ethnographic observations. Multicultural Services of Peel (MSP) is an organization that helps newcomers and refugees overcome the pre- and post-arrival barriers they experience as they transition into their new environment. The Youth Community Connections Program (YCC) serves around 500 youth ages 13-24 annually. The YCC program allows youth to participate in activities such as the job-search workshop, homework clubs, baking and art activities, field trips, sports, and games.

When I began my research, I started with the intention of gaining an understanding of how Syrian refugee youth perceive the settlement process and the mechanisms that are available to them to cope with pre and post-arrival factors. Some of these factors include – but are not limited to – mental health concerns, social exclusion, limited social ties, bullying, and language difficulties.

Through my research, it is clear that one of the primary functions of YCC programs is to bring youth together and create a space for them to socialize in a positive and open environment.

As I sat down with Jahida, a participant of the YCC program, she shared:

“It’s a good step for them [MSP] to take us to various places, and then to make us play different games… you know in games […], you’re making friends, you’re doing fun… so yeah I played a lot of games of there. Like card games and stuff, and volleyball. So, […] you connect with people and have fun! It’s beyond your studies and beyond your competitive environment… it’s more fun.”

Leah, a volunteer of the YCC program, later confirmed this as she explained:

“It’s a safe space, I mean there are certain friend groups that hang out together, but it’s never like four corners, everyone kind of intermixes in their own way, in their own time. But it is definitely a nice safe, a social space where they can hang out with their friends or talk to other people in their language and not feel like a teacher is over their shoulders or something.”

It became clear to me that the YCC program was instrumental in fostering an open and barrier-free environment where youth felt comfortable interacting and socializing in a group setting.

Another finding that struck me was that access to formal capacity-building initiatives was made through informal programs and activities. As I sat down with Katzia, the YCC program coordinator, she clarified that through informal programs, such as games, workshops and homework clubs, newcomer youth became aware of formal supports and information.

“They’ll find out about something like kids help phone, what does it do, who can contact it?… so they are aware that there are resources. Because as you know, as a newcomer settlement organization, maybe I can’t deal with certain issues, but they will learn about services that are available to them… so kids help phone is one of those, mental health services… I made sure that I have those resources here as well, information about those resources … and then things like information about the educational system, that’s one that we have a lot of questions about, as well as looking for a job, and how to prepare your resume and things like that.”

Similarly, Jahida, a user of the services, confirmed she would often discuss University and career goals with staff such as Katzia and Sergio. She also shared that the program was instrumental in helping her to enhance her English communication skills.

She stated: “I started to talk there, I used to be a really shy sort of person… and then in my university, it was a hard time for me… because you would have participation marks… […] so it was really hard for me to talk in front of 50 people… so MSP I used to talk there… it’s a communication thing for me.”

This indicated that the YCC Program promoted inclusion and a sense of belonging. It also encouraged intercultural dialogue amongst youth, which led to the formation of social ties.

The most predominant theme in my research was that they still hold career and educational aspirations, despite the fact that refugee youth experienced a lot of pre- and post-migration barriers. I admired their strong sense of resilience as they shared their aspirations to enroll in College and University training. They had desires to become police officers, doctors, and teachers.

For instance, Jahida was excited to share her desire to start up her own NGO. She stated: “I want to run my own business by the way! So, I want to have a business background. My ultimate aim is to run an NGO in Pakistan… Because there are a lot of poor people in Pakistan… Like here, it’s mostly mediocre, and they are living a good life. But in Pakistan, they are like… I don’t know… maybe more than half of the population is just trying to afford their basic needs. So, I want to help them and make employment opportunities for them or do good for the society.”

It was at this point that I realized that the youth in my study developed a strong sense of resilience as a proactive response to the adversity that they faced. Specifically, the youth’s career and educational aspirations were strongly linked to their desire to give back to society and make a difference.

My research contributes to the existing body of literature that examines how newcomer youth negotiate their educational and career aspirations in the post-migration context. My findings suggest that specialized programming for newcomer youth are highly effective in helping them overcome post-migration barriers, and gain access to capacity-building initiatives. The significance of better understanding how newcomer youth perceive these forms of social support cannot be underestimated. Without understanding the mechanisms that assist newcomers in their new contexts, we fail to meet their needs adequately, specifically in how they can maneuver through systemic barriers.

Shelita Yacoob is a passionate young woman aspiring to start an NGO to assist victims of human trafficking, domestic abuse, and sexual violence. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Toronto with a double Major in Socio-Legal Studies and Political Science. Shelita has spent six years working with a diverse range of NGOs and has become proficient in the field of fundraising and community development.