Essence and Contingency in the Construction of Nationhood: Transformations of Identity in Ethiopia and Its Diasporas

The African Diaspora in Canada

“…Beyond the racialized imagining of the African Other, then, Oromos stir Western imagination in yet another layer through unique images of Ethiopia. Sorenson (1992) identifies two more othering discourses: anti-communism and Christian mythology. While anti-communist discourses project the image of communist Ethiopia as war-ravaged and a famine-stricken land of poverty and starving children, they have also provided sanctuary for Oromo refugees fleeing from the horrors of communist Ethiopia.…”

“…Zooming in on the experiences of Oromo refugees, studies range from those examining political factors in Oromo refugeeization (Abdi 1987;Bulcha 1988Bulcha , 2002Clay and Holcomb 1986) to those exploring issues of identity in Oromo refugees (Gow 2001(Gow , 2002Sorenson 1996). Other works whose main focus is on other groups also discuss experiences of Oromo refugees as asides (Matsuoka and Sorenson 2001;Sorenson 1992Sorenson , 1993. Reflecting the wider polarization, however, this body of literature is also permeated with a dichotomous depiction of Oromo identity.…”

“…Reflecting the wider polarization, however, this body of literature is also permeated with a dichotomous depiction of Oromo identity. While some present a strong nativist depiction (Bulcha 1988(Bulcha , 2002, others hotly dispute this and paint a strong constructionist picture instead (Sorenson 1992(Sorenson , 1996. Furthermore, like their cohorts in the wider discourse, these works fail to explore the intimate interwovenness of identity, cohesion, and be-longing.…”