Review: Somalis in the Neo-South: African Immigration, Politics and Race, by Dorian Brown Crosby

Abstract

In Somalis in the Neo-South: African Immigration, Politics and Race, Dorian Brown Crosby has written a timely and important analysis of Somalis in America. As she points out in the introduction, the book is a must-read because it explains the experiences of a group that is little- known in America. Somalis are almost always portrayed in a stereotypical manner (which Brown Crosby characterizes as “negative labeling”) (7). Such superficial portrayals fail to take into account the many challenges faced by Somalis, both in seeking to emigrate to America and then in adjusting to American life.In this comprehensively researched book, Brown Crosby conducted semi-structured interviews during a two-year period from 2016–18. She discovered potential interviewees through the “snowball sampling” method in which community residents suggested individuals for interviewees. By using a “political sociological framework” (6), the author tackles a number of questions that make this book useful in American, African, African American, urban, rural, and comparative history and politics courses, such as: “If Somalis are denied or inhibited from gainful employment, decent housing, job skill preparation and attainment, accessible transportation, affordable daycare, transferring of existing skillsets to the U.S. marketplace, and other critical resources, how do they become self-reliant? If Somalis perceive their transition into U.S. southeastern states and neighborhoods is filled with prejudice, how do they access resources and reach self-sufficiency?” (6).Somalis in the Neo-South traces the factors that encouraged large waves of Somali immigrants, beginning in 1969, to move to the United States. Others fled Somalia after a 1991 civil war seeking political freedoms and economic opportunities in America. Many lived in refugee camps before arriving in America. Some settled in small rural towns while others moved to predominantly Black neighborhoods in cities. Most were confronted with prejudice and hostility in their new land, portrayed by Americans as “criminals, savages, and enemies of the United States” (15). As a result, some Americans felt no shame when discriminating against them. Somalis, especially Somali men, also are affected by “crimmigation,” which “racially identifies them as black and labels them as criminals and terrorists” (23).The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the ratification of the Patriot Act only intensified hatred toward Somalis. As Brown Crosby points out:From 2001 until today, Somalia remains defined by the United States as a terrorist country. That definition means that the United States claims Somalia harbors, supports, and dispatches Somalis to carry out violent acts in Somalia, the United States, and other countries aligned with the West or backed by the United States. Labeling the country and its citizens as supporters of terrorist and terrorists themselves laid the foundation for the U.S. media to continue that negative narrative until today. (16)In addition, Brown Crosby discusses the January 27, 2017, executive order from then-president Donald J. Trump that imposed a ninety-day ban on immigrants from countries with large Muslim populations: Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Iraq. Trump claimed that many terrorists emigrated into the United States from these countries because of inadequate vetting processes (49–50). Although a US district court blocked this travel ban on February 2, 2017, Trump issued additional bans on March 6, 2017, and September 24, 2017. These bans not only prohibited people of Somali descent from traveling to America but also exacerbated the tendency to stereotype Somalis as terrorists.As a scholar of Southern politics, I was particularly impressed with the information about the Somali residents of southeastern states like Georgia and Tennessee. Many of these residents settled in small, rural “Old South” towns (71). Unlike the Somali residents in cities like Minneapolis, these Southern residents live in red states with extremely conservative, if not white supremacist, political climates.For the most part, the book is a well-researched and interesting read that is useful for scholars, students, and laymen alike, informing us about a group of which we still know very little. She provides both a history and an analysis of their political behavior, with insight into the ways in which Black immigrants adjust to both predominantly white and Black communities, grapple with blatant prejudices because they are thought of as “the other,” and assimilate into American life while also maintaining and celebrating their culture. In sum, Dorian Brown Crosby’s Somalis in the Neo-South: African Immigration, Politics and Race is an excellent example about the need for and importance of qualitative political research. She extensively cites relevant literature in a comprehensive theoretical framework that educates us about the persistence of prejudice, the ability of a maligned group to overcome it, and finally the need for us all to combat the racism endured by Black immigrants in America as they pursue political and economic parity.