Eritrean Resettlement in Indianapolis

Indianapolis, IN

Eritrea's authoritarian government operated by the People's Front for Democracy and Justice holds about 75 of the 150 seats on the National Assembly. Isaias Afewerki, the country's president, has held his position since the country seized its independence in 1993. Eritrea faces a media lock down, and the formation of political parties has been disallowed by the PFDJ. Despite a quiet front on international media, the global community has reached out to Eritrea. Organizations such as Exodus Refugee, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the United Nations have been working to settle political refugees coming from Eritrea. This project will serve as a descriptive case study, and will specifically examine the family structures and lifestyles of Eritrean refugees living in the Indianapolis, Indiana area. Furthermore, this project will serve as a comparative study by analyzing the testimonies of several Eritrean refugees living in Indianapolis, and comparing their living situations between the Indianapolis area and Eritrea.