Somalis in the Neo-South

Review
“Dorian Brown Crosby’s groundbreaking book departs from much of the contemporary research that interprets immigration politics through the lens of the Latin American Diaspora. The book demonstrates that Somali refugees have contested American exceptionalism and nativism, while enriching the cultural, social and political milieu of the United States. It offers unique perspectives on how gender, small-town politics, voter and political participation have defined the experiences of Somalis who now call Tennessee and Georgia their homes. This book is a must-read for researchers, politicians, and advocates seeking to understand African immigrants, and specifically Somali refugees, in the U.S. southern context.”―Sekou Franklin, Associate Professor of Political Science, Middle Tennessee State University, USA, and co-author of Losing Power: African Americans and Racial Polarization in Tennessee Politics
“This nuanced and fine-grained qualitative study of Somali refugee migration to the United States, grounded in political sociology, the sociology of race and ethnicity, intersectionality, and transnational feminism, is an important contribution to the literature on the Somali diaspora and forced migration studies more generally. This book’s engagement with race, racism, and discrimination, in the southern United States, broadens its reach and makes it a particularly timely and compelling work that helps us to understand not only migration, but the ever-changing fabric of U.S. society.”―Dianna Shandy, Professor of Anthropology, Macalester College, USA
“This is the most objective portrayal of our community by an outsider that I have seen/read. This book will be an immensely helpful guide to all who wish to study the Somali Diaspora in the United States. Dr. Crosby’s insights, through her rigorous research and communications with our community, illustrate a deep understanding of our story. The root causes for fleeing the motherland, the sheer determination to seek better lives, the obstacles as well as achievements in education, business and participation in politics, viewed by many Somalis as the ‘ultimate integration’.”―Zahra A. Shirwa, Former Executive Director, Global Somali Diaspora
As demographics change and the southern American region grows more multicultural, clashes between mentalities and contemporary population realties increase. Somalis in the Neo-South: African Immigration, Politics and Race offers a balanced and insightful look at Somalis in the southern United States. Politically centered, it is a thought-provoking book that presents an essential and positive alternative to the familiar portrayal of Somalis in the United States as terrorists. It explains the U.S. resettlement process and illuminates the civic engagement and entrepreneurship of Somalis in Clarkston, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee.