Collective Dreaming: Black Girl Refugees from Burundi and Their Aspirations for STEM College Education
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| Title: | Collective Dreaming: Black Girl Refugees from Burundi and Their Aspirations for STEM College Education |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Meseret F. Hailu, Pempho Chinkondenji (ORCID |
| Source: | Gender and Education. 2026 38(1):36-52. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Sponsoring Agency: | National Science Foundation (NSF) |
| Contract Number: | 2045306 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Refugees, Females, Secondary School Students, Student Attitudes, Self Concept, Occupational Aspiration, STEM Education, STEM Careers, Intersectionality, Decision Making, Racial Discrimination, Career Pathways, Racial Identification, Family Influence, Parent Aspiration |
| Geographic Terms: | Burundi, United States |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09540253.2025.2576818 |
| ISSN: | 0954-0253 1360-0516 |
| Abstract: | We explored how Burundian refugee girls and women in the United States perceive and describe their identity and how these perceptions shape their aspirations to pursue higher education and careers in STEM fields. This study was guided by two key questions: (1) How do Burundian refugee girls and women describe their intersecting identities, and (2) How do Burundian refugee girls and women make decisions around STEM education and future careers? To answer these questions, we analyzed interviews conducted with eight Black Burundian refugee families consisting of parents and their children in grades 7-12, participating in a larger grant-funded university-community organization partnership. Our findings show that the younger generation of Black Burundian girls, while aware of racism, resisted the idea that race should be a basis for discrimination against them. Burundian youth (and their parents) also recognized the potential of STEM careers to economically and socially enhance the trajectory of their careers and lives, and described how this aspiration had been molded both individually and collectively. Finally, the participants in this study described the importance of both their individual aspirations and the collective aspirations of their parents and African community when considering STEM higher education and related careers. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1503443 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | We explored how Burundian refugee girls and women in the United States perceive and describe their identity and how these perceptions shape their aspirations to pursue higher education and careers in STEM fields. This study was guided by two key questions: (1) How do Burundian refugee girls and women describe their intersecting identities, and (2) How do Burundian refugee girls and women make decisions around STEM education and future careers? To answer these questions, we analyzed interviews conducted with eight Black Burundian refugee families consisting of parents and their children in grades 7-12, participating in a larger grant-funded university-community organization partnership. Our findings show that the younger generation of Black Burundian girls, while aware of racism, resisted the idea that race should be a basis for discrimination against them. Burundian youth (and their parents) also recognized the potential of STEM careers to economically and socially enhance the trajectory of their careers and lives, and described how this aspiration had been molded both individually and collectively. Finally, the participants in this study described the importance of both their individual aspirations and the collective aspirations of their parents and African community when considering STEM higher education and related careers. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0954-0253 1360-0516 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/09540253.2025.2576818 |
