How do people whose entire way of life has been destroyed and who witnessed horrible abuses against loved ones construct a new future? How do people who have survived the ravages of war and displacement rebuild their lives in a new country when their world has totally changed? In Making Refuge Catherine Besteman follows the trajectory of Somali Bantus from their homes in Somalia before the onset in 1991 of Somalia’s civil war; to their displacement to Kenyan refugee camps; to their relocation in cities across the United States; to their settlement in the struggling former mill town of Lewiston; Maine. Tracking their experiences as "secondary migrants" who grapple with the struggles of xenophobia; neoliberalism; and grief; Besteman asks what humanitarianism feels like to those who are its objects and what happens when refugees move in next door. As Lewiston's refugees and locals negotiate coresidence and find that assimilation goes both ways; their story demonstrates the efforts of diverse people to find ways to live together and create community. Besteman’s account illuminates the contemporary debates about economic and moral responsibility; security; and community that immigration provokes.
#729265 in Books Duke University Press Books 2002-10-15 2002-10-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x 1.42 x 6.13l; 1.72 #File Name: 0822328453568 pages
Review
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful. Enlightening history of South America and MexicoBy AkcloudwomanI bought this book to learn about the Incas; but it is so much more. The author covers Inca and Aztec history as told from witnesses in the 1600's. It is told through the lens of a Catholic from northern European decent; and is a very interesting interpretation of local Mexican and South American culture. The author gives vivid descriptions of everything from plants and animals to the people and architecture. It is not a book to read in one setting - I have been working on it a little at a time for several months. Anyone interested in natural history and/or culture will enjoy this book. A fascinating view of what the world was like and what people thought the "inferno tropics" was like!
