Home- and Future- Making in the Ethiopian Diaspora

Overview & Synopsis

The Ethiopian diaspora is a comparatively new phenomenon, but like the population of Ethiopia itself, it is growing at a rapid pace and spreading to more and more regions of the world. There are neverending reasons to emigrate, such as wars or conflicts and environmental or economic motives. Emigration is increasing the number of Ethiopians living in the diaspora: that is, the destinations they have dispersed to. This collective book is based on six case studies (two from the US, three from the Middle East, and one from Germany), and reveals how Ethiopians are building a home and a future in the countries to which they emigrate. The circumstances they find in the host countries new opportunities such as freedom of expression and/or jobs, but also new hurdles such as immigration restrictions, and racism play a significant role in their home- and future- making efforts and practices. In our discussions on home- and future- making, we put a special focus on the ideas of a ‘good life’ that Ethiopians bring with them from their homeland or develop in their new surroundings, and on indigenous practices that help them build a new home and future in their new environment.