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Immigration - new material (63)

01 March 2003

Somali and Kurdish refugees in London - new identities in the diaspora, David J. Griffiths. Ashgate Research in Migration and Ethnic Relations Series, pp. 230, £42.50 (hardback), ISBN 0 7546 1701 7. Based on interviews and detailed political and social background information on Somalia and Kurdish regions in the Middle East, this research gives an insight into the formation of refugee identity in London. Rather than portraying a romanticised notion of identity however, the author recognises the interaction between the politics and social structure of the countries of origin and the country of resettlement. It includes theoretical discussions on refugee studies and identity and although the academic form becomes slightly overbearing at times, the detailed nature of the empirical evidence and explanatory use of interview quotations gives a real insight into the complexities and difficulties of life in exile and reflects a balanced approach to a politicised subject matter. The author points out that increased public awareness of refugees and asylum seekers has not been matched by improved understanding, but rather by growing hostility. The lack of "voice" and social and economic power of marginalised communities often lies at the heart of dominant ignorance and as such this book attempts to redress the balance. From: www.ashgate.com