ABSTRACT
Although refugees come from different home countries with dramatic variations in culture, customs, beliefs, values, social practices, and religion, they also have shared pre-and postmigration experiences. When examining premigration experiences, economic hardship, social and environmental dislocation, language and cultural adjustments, and acculturation processes, it is evident that there is a great extent of commonality in the refugee experience (Berrol, 1995). Shared premigration experiences include the exposure to the atrocities of war and other traumatic and stressful life events; forced or involuntary migration with little or no planning, preparation, or choice; refugee camp experiences; and a profound loss and separation from culture, community, friends, and family. Refugees carry these premigration experiences with them to their resettlement country, which has an impact on postmigration adjustment.
