Document Type

Thesis - University Access Only

Award Date

2005

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Geography

First Advisor

Charles F. Gritzner

Abstract

In the late 1980s, thousands of Sudanese children fleeing Muslim soldiers in the country's religious civil war left their homes and sought protection from hostilities in refugee camps. The male children came to be known as the "Lost Boys" of Sudan. The "Lost Boys" were forced to move from one refugee camp to another, with most ending up in Kenya. Many who started the torturous journey fell victim to gunfire, disease, predators, and starvation. The United Nation's International Organization for Migration found repatriation inappropriate for these refugees. Nearly 300 "Lost Boys" were relocated in South Dakota. Among those, 150 found homes in Sioux Falls. The objective of this study was to analyze the distinguishable traits that affected their resettlement such as relocation, cultural adjustment to a new environment, and spatial dimension. The study used a series of personal and group interviews, census data, and maps to identify solutions that are economically, culturally, and technically feasible for both the forced immigrant and the community in which the immigrant has moved.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Sudanese -- Cultural assimilation -- South Dakota -- Sioux Falls
Refugees -- South Dakota -- Sioux Falls
Children and war -- Sudan

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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Rights Statement

In Copyright