Between myth and madness: The premigration dream of leaving among young Somali refugees

Many young Somali refugees experience long premigration waits and a poorly delimited transition period in a succession of countries before reaching th eir final destination. During this difficult passage, a myth dealing with d eparture and exodus is collectively constructed, and it serves as a dynamic , mobilizing dream that orients individual strategies. This substitution of "dream travel" for real travel during the transition period, especially if it is prolonged, may cause Somali youths to lose contact with reality and eventually to slide into madness. The authors' approach is based on three a ssumptions: (a) that pastoralism predisposes the Somali to value travel as a way of maturing, (b) that age-based peer groups create special migratory dynamics, and (c) that an ethic of solidarity involves many people in the a dventure of a migrant youth. When trapped in an indefinite transition perio d, young men share What-chewing sessions during which they relate success s tories and dreams of leaving. Many grow frustrated with the delay, and if t heir departure plans fall through, the "dream trip" often becomes "dream ma dness." Actual cases illustrate how some young Somali get lost in their dre ams. A young Somali's vulnerability is heightened when he extricates himsel f from the system of reciprocal obligations or when the liminal stage ends with the mourning of the impossible dream. In the universe of madness visit ed by some young Somali migrants, the boundaries between the real and the i maginary are poorly marked. The paper is based on fieldwork carried out in the Morn of Africa and in Canada, interviews with Somali immigrants and mem bers of the community, and clinical psychiatric data collected in Montreal.