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‘We walk, we laugh, we dance’: refugee experiences of older Chin women in Kuala Lumpur

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 November 2018

Nicole Lamb Open the ORCID record for Nicole Lamb [Opens in a new window]  and
Gerhard Hoffstaedter
Nicole Lamb*
Affiliation:
Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
Gerhard Hoffstaedter
Affiliation:
School of Social Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Older persons are among the most vulnerable of refugees seeking protection in Malaysia, yet seldom are they the focus of the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, local charities or non-government organisations. In-depth ethnographic research with a group of older Chin women in Kuala Lumpur demonstrates both the vulnerability and resilience of older refugees in urban environments. Older refugees play a crucial role in sustaining families and communities. They provide much-needed support to refugee communities who struggle to meet the needs of everyday life in the absence of protection protocols.

Keywords

ageingrefugeeslife narrativeolder migrantsurban refugees
Type
Article
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 40 , Issue 5 , May 2020 , pp. 1021 - 1038
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018

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