About the Webinar

The 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina left 150,000 people dead and more than two million displaced, many of whom became refugees across the world, including the United States. Despite the negative sequelae from war trauma, displacement, and relocation, the reception of Bosnians in in the US has been very positive, particularly in large metropolitan areas where pockets of Bosnian community reside, such as St. Louis, MO. The Bosnian community in the US makes for an interesting case study provided that in terms of social, cultural, and economic adaptation, the Bosnian story is considered an immigrant success story. Drawing on research conducted over the last 20 years, this presentation overview the experiences of Bosnian refugees resettled in the US, including the adaptation challenges of second-generation Bosnian-American youth struggling with their ‘American’ and ‘Non-American’ identities. The presentation highlights how ethnic identity influences one’s feelings of belongingness and affiliation with both the ethnic and host culture and community.