Cultural Citizenship and Refugee Integration: The case of African youth in Australia

This chapter sheds light on the cultural citizenship of refugee-background Black Africans in Australia. Specifically, it elaborates on cultural citizenship as an analytical framework, outlines recent multicultural policy provisions in Australia, and highlights how conservative politicians and media personalities racialize youth violence and stigmatize Black Africans as dangerous criminals. Then the chapter proceeds to explain why racialized moral panic undermines the integration of African refugees. It argues that public humiliation emasculates self-efficacy, leading to youth disengagement. Second, the deprivation of cultural citizenship diminishes refugee youth's sense of affiliation. Third, public racial disparagement reinforces interpersonal racial prejudice and discrimination. Fourth, racial stigmatization perpetuates socio-economic disadvantages of refugee communities, durably positioning them on the margin of society. In light of these points, it is argued that a claim for equal respect and dignifying representation is a demand for full citizenship.