Factors Impacting Refugee Identities in Higher Education: Voices of Syrian University Students in Turkey

Forced migration has a massive impact on people’s lives and sense of identity. Little attention has been paid to this impact on Syrian refugee youth. This chapter explores how Syrian refugee university students experience their sense of cultural identities in Turkey and examines the factors affecting their cultural identities. To achieve these aims, we interviewed 20 Syrian university students at one university in Turkey. Following thematic analysis, the main findings showed that though refugee students developed different cultural identities, ethnic identity was dominant. Various factors led to these results, mainly academic and social isolation, perceived discrimination, linguistic subordination, and identity hiding. In addition, socioeconomic challenges and their impact on integration are also discussed.