independence and creativity. It is a proud mark of distinction from migrant-receiving societies, one that manifests itself in the performance of cultural practices (clothing, marriages and so on) and in sanctioned behaviours in various domains (domestic, work and so on). Many Somalis express pride at their nomadic heritage, describing their migrant journeys as extensions of pastoralist mobility across a grander scale – an ongoing search for greener pastures. Like narratives of nomadism, cultural practices and structures (such as clan
refugee and, at worst, a depraved ‘terrorist’. Representations of Somalia often portray the country as the epitome of disorder and violence: the ‘failed state’ of the 1990s blurs into the rise of al-Shabab extremists in 2006 and the headline-making Puntland pirates after 2008. Such simplistic representations are often pinned on Somali refugees, regardless of their personal history or current reality. For many Somalis, however, ‘Somaliness’ (Soomaalinimo) evokes a culture of 12