"The United States can fulfill its promise of being a beacon to those fleeing persecution only by heeding this book's lessons." — León Rodríguez, Former Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
"This extraordinary book is not just exhaustively researched and theoretically rich, but urgent and actionable." — Donald Moynihan, McCourt Chair at the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University
“This beautifully written but heartrending book tells what happens when refugees needing rescue from violence come to America. Eye-opening." — Roger Waldinger, Distinguished Professor of Sociology, UCLA
"Sharply analyzed, richly detailed, and intricately humane, We Thought It Would Be Heaven exposes the bewildering maze of rules and regulations that trap refugees in Kafkaesque fashion. Highly recommended." — Cecilia Menjívar, Dorothy L. Meier Social Equities Chair, UCLA
“A must-read for anyone looking for an understanding of the dismal state of US refugee admissions and for fresh ideas on what can be done to improve the outcomes.”— Helen B. Marrow, Associate Professor of Sociology, Tufts University
Resettled refugees in America face a land of daunting obstacles where small things—one person, one encounter—can make all the difference in getting ahead or falling behind.
Fleeing war and violence, many refugees dream that moving to the United States will be like going to Heaven. Instead, they enter a deeply unequal American society, often at the bottom: channeled into grueling, low-wage work and segregated neighborhoods. Through the lived experiences of families resettled from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Blair Sackett and Annette Lareau reveal how a daunting obstacle course of agencies and services can drastically alter refugees’ experiences building a new life in America.
In these stories of struggle and hope, as one volunteer said, “you see the American story.” For some families, seemingly small organizational errors create catastrophes—food stamps cut off, educational opportunities missed, benefits lost. As families navigate a complex web of social service organizations, problems in one arena can reverberate, creating new problems in new organizational spheres. Other families, with the help of volunteers and social supports, escape these traps and take steps toward reaching their dreams. Engaging and eye-opening, We Thought It Would Be Heaven brings readers into the daily lives of Congolese refugees and offers guidance for how activists, workers, and policymakers can help refugee families thrive.
Media Coverage
NPR’s The Indicator from Planet Money
When refugees arrive in the U.S. the clock starts ticking. They usually have up to 90 days to get a job and become 'self-sufficient'. Blair Sackett, co-author of We Thought It Would Be Heaven: Refugees In An Unequal America, says that that's simply not enough time for refugees to acclimate to a totally new country and culture and find work. She argues that current policy essentially resettles refugees into poverty. Today on the show we explore that 90-day policy and potential solutions to help refugees find their financial footing.
Leonard Lopate at Large on WBAI Radio in New York
In these stories of struggle and hope, as one volunteer said, “you see the American story.” For some families, minor mistakes create catastrophes—food stamps cut off, educational opportunities missed, benefits lost. Other families, with the help of volunteers and social supports, escape these traps and take steps toward reaching their dreams. Engaging and eye-opening, We Thought It Would Be Heaven brings readers into the daily lives of Congolese refugees and offers guidance for how activists, workers, and policymakers can help refugee families thrive. Join us when authors Blair Sackett and Annette Lareau dive into stories of resettled refugees in America and the daunting obstacles they face on this installment of Leonard Lopate at Large.
What People Are Saying
“This deeply humanist ethnography follows four Congolese families as they fight their way through bureaucratic circles of hell to make a new American life.”
— David Scott FitzGerald, coauthor of The Refugee System: A Sociological Approach
“We Thought It Would Be Heaven’s captivating and often heartbreaking accounts of families’ struggles reveal how American institutions meant to help any family in need can end up hurting families.”
— Leslie Paik, author of Trapped in a Maze: How Social Control Institutions Drive Family Poverty and Inequality.
“Theoretically innovative and insightfully argued, this book highlights how institutional barriers can derail courageous struggles for dignity and stability among the 'lucky few' as they rebuild their lives in a new land.”