Sophia Balakian
Anthropologist and author focused on migration, kinship, and humanitarian policy; author of Unsettled Families, which examines refugee resettlement, DNA testing, and the politics of kinship through fieldwork in Kenya and the U.S.
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Jan 22, 2026 • 0sec
Refugees, Humanitarianism, and the Politics of Kinship
Sophia Balakian, an anthropologist who studies migration, kinship, and humanitarian policy, discusses how refugee resettlement hinges on narrow ideas of family. She explores DNA testing, vetting practices, and the racialized norms that define who counts as a family. The conversation follows her long-term fieldwork in Kenya and the U.S., reflecting on methods, ethics, and what kinship politics mean for displaced people.
