Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

This paper will compare the resettlement and ability to recreate religious identities of refugees from Uganda and Cambodia. The specific religious identities of focus are Ugandan South-Asian Ismaili Muslims and Cambodian Khmer Theravada Buddhists, and their resettlement in Ontario, Canada. This paper will argue that the three predominant factors that have made Ugandan Ismailis more successful in their integration into Canadian society than Cambodian Buddhists are; leadership, pre-migrational skills for adaptation and integration, and transnational connections. It is apparent through the findings of this paper that pre-migrational characteristics and experiences as well as leadership and transnational connections serve to assist in optimal societal integration.