Ghosts and Shadows: Construction of Identity and Community in an African Diaspora

Thomas S. Abler is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Waterloo and the author of A Canadian Indian Bibliography, 1960-1970.

Noting that the Horn of Africa “has for decades been one of the
world’s main refugee-producing areas,” this study argues that ghosts
and shadows of the past and present political and ethnic divisions
continue to have a major impact on the lives of refugees from the region
who have settled in Canada. The concern is with refugees from Ethiopia
and Eritrea, and the focus is on the ethnic and political divisions that
divide those who have fled the region racked by famine and war. From
Abyssinia there come the long-dominant Amarhas and Tigrayans, while a
large portion of the peasants of southern Ethiopia were Oromos. In
Eritrea, “nine ethnic groups are officially recognized” and the area
includes both Coptic Christians and Muslims. In addition, there are the
Falashas, the Ethiopian Jewish community.

Each of these brings a variant view of the history of the region.
Ethiopia is seen as either an ancient kingdom dating back to biblical
times or a recent Abyssinian expansion exploiting an indigenous
population. Eritrea is seen as either a distinct entity or a region
artificially severed from Ethiopia by Italian colonialism. These
diverging views have led to the founding of diverse political and
revolutionary parties, designated by a bewildering collection of
acronyms. The authors list 21 acronyms to help guide the reader, but
this reviewer found at least half a dozen more not listed that play an
important role in the text.

The book is the product of research conducted over more than a decade,
growing out of research conducted in Eritrea and through continuing
involvement with the Eritrean Relief Association in Canada. Interviews
were conducted with refugees from Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg,
and Calgary. Additional data come from publications of various political
groups in North America and sites created by members of the communities
on the Internet. The authors focus on the views held by participants in
the diaspora, illustrating these views with quotations from their
interviews and from public statements by members of the community. The
focus is almost entirely on the relationship between the refugees and
their homeland, however that homeland is interpreted. The position of
the refugees here in Canada is largely ignored, except for a lengthy and
telling exposition on perceptions of racism as experienced by the
refugees. The study makes frequent reference to the literature on
refugees and on ethnic liberation movements, stressing the experiences
that refugees from Ethiopia and Eritrea have in common with refugees
from elsewhere in the world.