Accessing Educational Resources and Support: Newcomer Refugee Mothers’ Challenges and Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged many students and their families to adapt to new ways of learning and to find support for their educational needs. This study explores newcomer Turkish mothers’ perspectives on accessing educational resources and support. It addresses educational inequities and highlights inclusive practices building on the cultural wealth that newcomer refugee students and parents possess. With seven newcomer Turkish mothers from refugee backgrounds from the Northeast, Northwest, and West Coast of the U.S., qualitative findings indicated that despite the variety of resources provided to all families and students, the need for tailored support and resources for newcomer refugee parents was often overlooked. As a sustainable practice, we analyzed the findings through the lens of Yosso’s (2005) Cultural Community Wealth theory, which reveals that newcomer refugee mothers bring multiple capitals, including linguistic and resistance, social and familial, and navigational and aspirational. This study offers insights to formulate comprehensive strategies to sustain equity in accessing resources and support for newcomer refugee mothers by stressing the importance of schools reaching out to the families, addressing socialization needs in learning designs, and involving parents and children in the school community for a smoother transition and integration. Underscoring the critical need for sustaining educational equity for newcomer refugee families during and after the pandemic, this study offers implications for school policy and practices.