Professors of Economics Paul Hagstrom and Stephen Wu and Assistant Professor of Economics Javier Pereira are the co-authors of an article appearing online in the Journal of Refugee Studies.
“The Happiness of Refugees in the United States: Evidence from Utica, NY” presents the results of a study of determinants of happiness among local refugees from more than 30 countries.
In their research involving some 600 refugees, the authors found that the factors contributing to happiness vary between groups. The results showed that English-language skills are important to some while for others, having friends from their own ethnic group was a key ingredient for happiness.
The results also showed that among the Utica refugees overall, income was not a primary component of happiness and that those with children tended to be happier than those without.
