Shifting space and cultural place : the transition experiences of African young people in western Sydney high schools

How are recently arrived refugee young people from Africa faring in Australian high schools? This paper documents a research project undertaken with 65 young people across three schools in the Western Sydney suburbs of Blacktown and Bankstown. The researchers discuss the roles of schools as sites where African young people experience and relate to the upheaval of forced migration and make transitions toward citizenship and belonging in multicultural Australia. Specifically, this paper addresses how educational settings are responding to the needs of students, teachers, and communities. [Author abstract]