In the research about the educational experiences of refugee students, few articles describe how recently-arrived refugee students and their families make their transition to public schools in the U.S. and how they negotiate success in a formal schooling environment. In order to illuminate these processes, the author conducted an in-depth study of how Somali Bantu male high school students and their families adapted to U.S. public schools during the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years. Specifically, his research question for the study was "What are the socio-cultural factors that influence and constrain the success of Somali Bantu male high school students?" Primary emphases for this research project have been on the contexts of reception for Somali Bantu male students at Central City High School (a pseudonym) and in the local communities into which they have settled, the social networks they use to help them gain information and succeed in school and after school, and how the cultural capital they possess is valued or under-valued by teachers and other service providers in Central City (also a pseudonym). (Contains 1 note.)