This dissertation research project will allow a graduate student in cultural anthropology to study refugees in Costa Rica. The tensions between documented and undocumented refugees and the host community, on the local, regional and national level, will be analyzed. The role of international foreign policy, socio- economic status, and local socio-political structure will be analyzed to explain variations in host-refugee relations. This research is important because there are increasing numbers of refugees in the world, and understanding of the dynamics of their relationship with their host communities is essential if policy makers are to minimize problems.