Race-ing Fargo: Refugees, Citizenship, and the Transformation of Small Cities

by Jennifer Erickson

Tracing the history of refugee settlement in Fargo, North Dakota, from the 1980s to the present day, Race-ing Fargo focuses on the role that gender, religion, and sociality play in everyday interactions between refugees from South Sudan and Bosnia-Herzegovina and the dominant white Euro-American population of the city. Jennifer Erickson outlines the ways in which refugees have impacted this small city over the last thirty years, showing how culture, political economy, and institutional transformations collectively contribute to the racialization of white cities like Fargo in ways that complicate their demographics. Race-ing Fargo shows that race, religion, and decorum prove to be powerful forces determining worthiness and belonging in the city and draws attention to the different roles that state and private sectors played in shaping ideas about race and citizenship on a local level. Through the comparative study of white secular Muslim Bosnians and Black Christian Southern Sudanese, Race-ing Fargo demonstrates how cross-cultural and transnational understandings of race, ethnicity, class, and religion shape daily citizenship practices and belonging.

282 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2020

Reviews

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erickson skillfully adds to the discourse of refugee resettlement by giving a deeper context to the social, economic, and political challenges New Americans face in Fargo, North Dakota. She uses her own ethnographic research and builds upon the findings of others to break down our current approach to diversity. Her personal experience as a former case worker and her interviews with refugees, welfare workers, and case aides provides the reader with insider knowledge on how the current resettlement system functions. She promotes the need to better facilitate social justice for the New American population, which requires a more effective focus on commoning.

It is vital that US citizens gain understanding of the power structure inherent in our culture, especially when considering the impact of neoliberalism. Her quote "language is power, and history matters" inspires the reader to acknowledge white privilege and color blind racism and act as a receptive member of the community to all forms of diversity.

I recommend this book for stakeholders, volunteers and employees of resettlement agencies or nonprofits that serve the refugee community!

[Bryan Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read exploring the institutions and organizations that are involved in refugee resettlement in Fargo. The stories of caseworkers, Fargo residents, and New Americans are told well and it is interesting to hear how a city like Fargo handles the idea of citizenship with a mix of people from various backgrounds. Hearing this history of Fargo as a destination for refugee resettlement brings to light all of the factors that go into refugee settlement and takes a behind-the-scenes look at the processes and sometimes challenges within various institutions that must work together in order to help New Americans upon arrival. As the author was my professor in graduate school, it was amazing to read this final product after her many years of research.