Communication is socialization: understanding family socialization patterns across three generations of Somali-American refugee families

This qualitative study examines racial and ethnic socialization (RES) in multigenerational Somali refugee families, emphasising communication as a key mechanism for navigating identity, trauma, and intergenerational dynamics. Guided by Family Systems Theory and Family Ethnic Socialization Theory, the study draws on interviews with participants across three generational positions. Findings reveal three core communication patterns: (1) communication as a means of parental control and cultural transmission, (2) communication that maintains family homeostasis, and (3) communication as child agency and systemic feedback. These patterns underscore the dynamic, bidirectional nature of RES shaped by migration history, trauma, and racialisation in the U.S. This study fills a gap in the RES literature by centreing refugee families, often overlooked in mainstream discussions, and highlighting the complexity of identity development across generations. It also points to the emergence of adolescent-driven RES and the need for culturally humble, trauma-informed therapeutic practices that support communication and identity work within refugee family systems.