Abstract

This review essay critiques Johann van Rooyen's The new great trek: the story of South Africa's white exodus. It asserts that there are problems with the book's title, structure, and theoretical foundation. This essay contends that there is a problematic reiteration of the rhetoric of crime grounded in a racial dichotomy. It discusses the rhetorics that link whiteness with normalcy and South Africanness, as well as van Rooyen's inappropriate use of terms such as ‘exiles’, ‘victims’, and ‘diaspora’ for these white emigrants. It offers a further analysis of van Rooyen's extended discussion of crime in one section of the book. The essay concludes by offering brief comment on other weaknesses and strengths of the book.

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