As demographics change and the southern American region grows more multicultural, clashes between mentalities and contemporary population realties increase. Somalis in the Neo-South: African Immigration, Politics and Race offers a balanced and insightful look at Somalis in the southern United States. Politically centered, it is a thought-provoking book that presents an essential and positive alternative to the familiar portrayal of Somalis in the United States as terrorists. It explains the U.S. resettlement process and illuminates the civic engagement and entrepreneurship of Somalis in Clarkston, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee.
"Dorian Brown Crosby's groundbreaking book departs from much of the contemporary research that interprets immigration politics through the lens of the Latin American Diaspora. The book demonstrates that Somali refugees have contested American exceptionalism and nativism, while enriching the cultural, social and political milieu of the United States. It offers unique perspectives on how gender, small-town politics, voter and political participation have defined the experiences of Somalis who now call Tennessee and Georgia their homes. This book is a must-read for researchers, politicians, and advocates seeking to understand African immigrants, and specifically Somali refugees, in the U.S. southern context."-Sekou Franklin, Associate Professor of Political Science, Middle Tennessee State University, USA, and co-author of Losing Power: African Americans and Racial Polarization in Tennessee Politics