In this evocative memoir, traversing more than three decades, the author recounts a life moulded through his experiences as a refugee, and then cab driver, and finally, the domain of academia as a professor in Norway. Much ink has been spilled, and careers – both academic and political – piggybacked, on writing about refugees, non-western minorities, integration, and the purported threat they face to western culture. Seldom are refugees given a voice to articulate their own perspectives. This memoir is the voice of the subaltern inspired by the postcolonial genre of the empire writing back. Personal reflections are intertwined with critical analysis in offering a distinctive outlook on the challenges and successes confronting people of colour.
On a deeper level, the memoir is crafted as a “no holds barred” navigational tool for minoritized youth caught in the crossfire of political and social skullduggery. “A Somali-Norwegian Saga: My Journey from Refugee to Cab Driver to Professor”, weaves sociological theories into the narrative and serves as a call to broaden and accommodate new and emerging hybrid identities in what has been called the ‘browning’ of the western demographic, openly addresses the conflicts posed by certain minority cultural practices misaligned with universal democratic ideals, and ultimately suggests that success is within reach despite the enormous hurdles. It is a tribute to the fortitude and resilience of countless, nameless refugees who took on the challenges of being outsiders and enriched the diverse fabric of Norwegian society.
About the author
Paul Thomas, University of South-Eastern Norway, Drammen, Norway.
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