
Contents
Cite
Extract
Many Cameroonians took time out of their busy schedules to tell me about their lives, hopes, and struggles. I am forever grateful for their warmth and openness. Out of respect for their anonymity, they must remain unnamed. In almost all cases, they have chosen their own pseudonyms, at times with enormous wit. I remember many instances of raised eyebrows, winks, and rolling laughter when a woman said, “Aw, then let me be called . …”
The stories these Cameroonians share among themselves and with me connect tellers and listeners to people, places, and ideas. They also help me tell a story, one among many possible stories about African migration and family making in Europe. I have striven to attend to diversity among “Cameroonian migrant mothers,” to the uniqueness of their life histories and desires, all patterned by a common set of conditions.
Other stories have been told about migration and the search for well-being. Most anthropologists aim to show the humanity and agency of those most disadvantaged and marginalized. Anthropologists make a strong moral argument for deservingness of basic rights and services in the face of over-whelming global inequalities. In migration research, this has led many scholars to focus on the plight of irregular migrants, those who move across international borders without the security of visas, residence permits, and work permits. I have been inspired by much of the nuanced, sensitive work on “access denied” in the anthropologies of migration and health care. Unwittingly, though, this research may be marginalizing other types of migrants from the master narrative. The danger is that a well-intended research focus may end up reinforcing stereotypes of the migrant, especially the African migrant, as illegal(ized), impoverished, and in need of help.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
November 2023 | 1 |
August 2024 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.