Cultural Diversity vs. Homogeneity’s Impact on Refugees’ Mental Health, Settlement, and Integration in the Host Country: Syrian Refugees in the United States

This study explores the impact of a host community’s level of cultural diversity on the integration ability and mental health of Syrian refugees resettling into two U.S. States: California and Idaho. This paper addresses the need for effective integration strategies, mainly due to their impact on mental health, given the current pressing conflicts in the Middle East and the global refugee crisis. This paper uses a comparative analysis of existing literature to examine how refugees hosted in more culturally diverse communities, such as California, experience better means of integration and thus have improved mental health than those hosted in culturally homogenous communities, such as Idaho. Additionally, the study concluded that refugees who can assimilate into a community experience fewer mental health issues. The findings provide valuable insight and information for policymakers seeking to improve refugee integration through nuanced strategies. The study suggests further primary research to discover additional impacts of a community’s cultural diversity on refugees’ integration ability.