According to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, held by world governments in Geneva in 1951, a refugee is someone who “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.”

Refugees arrive in the United States from many different source countries, bringing diverse backgrounds and experiences, possessing a variety of strengths, and encountering a myriad of challenges as they adjust to their new life in the United States.

Resources in this section will enable you to learn more about refugees in general, explore background information and resource packages regarding specific refugee populations, and hear from resettled refugees speaking about their own experiences of resettlement in the United States.