Negotiating Identity and Displacement among the Somali Refugees of Cape Town

Abstract

Somalis form a growing proportion of the Cape Town refugee population. Forced to contend with poverty, xenophobia, unemployment and displacement, their stories offer a perspective on concepts of identity and belonging among refugees. Spatial displacement and the violence and fear that is behind it often leads to disruption of one's sense of home and belonging, the loss of family or family structures, and a change in lifestyle, all of which are central to one's construction of identity. This article explores the way in which Somali refugees create a collective identity that incorporates their nationality and their clans as well as their refugee identity. The ways in which they prioritise these three aspects is influenced by their current circumstances and their individual histories.

Keywords:

• Somalia
• refugees
• refugee identity
• nationality
• clan-ism
• displacement
• memory