Labors of the Heart: Experiences of Refugee Resettlement Organization Workers

Refugee resettlement organizations (RROs) within the United States are a necessary resource for individuals relocating with refugee status as they provide services to support long-term financial stability and independence. This thesis explores the impact that resettlement work has on RRO staff, focusing on how they continually navigate organizational realities, work culture, emotional management, and boundary setting. Semi-structured interviews with four direct care workers, participant observation of a resettlement agency’s education department, and online worker resources and testimonies, offer insight into how their personal and professional lives become entangled. I argue that with the volatility of refugee policies and the expectation for passion and flexibility within the field of resettlement, RROs rely heavily on the abilities of workers to be resilient, knowledgeable, and emotionally equipped. At the intersection of the sociology of work and occupations, medical anthropology, and international refugee law, this qualitative research offers an analysis of the sustainability of working for refugee resettlement organizations.