Persistence: Model Asylum Narratives, and a Recognizable ‘Transgenderness’

B Camminga

doi:10.37050/ci-33

Persistence: Model Asylum Narratives, and a Recognizable ‘Transgenderness’

B Camminga

School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

45 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In recent years, autobiographical narratives by transgender migrants and refugees from Africa have emerged, such as Farah Abdi’s Never Arrive, Neo Sandja’s Right Mind, Wrong Body, and Rizi Xavier Timane’s An Unspoken Compromise. This chapter examines these texts’ geographical focus and the resurgence of the ‘wrong body’ trope, considering what the transgender asylum narrative offers to the ‘trans travel narrative’. A key difference is the lack of a safe return — what I term the ‘unsafe return’.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Breaking and Making Models
Editors	Christoph F. E. Holzhey, Marietta Kesting, Claudia Peppel
Place of Publication	Berlin
Publisher	ICI Berlin Press
Chapter	5
Pages	133-154
Number of pages	21
ISBN (Electronic)	9783965580862
ISBN (Print)	9783965580855 , 9783965580848
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.37050/ci-33
Publication status	Published - 1 May 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Research Groups and Themes

Gender Research Group
Gender and Sexualities Research Centre

Keywords

transgender Africa
transgender migrants
trans autobiography
transgender refugees
transgender studies
LGBT rights

Access to Document

10.37050/ci-33Licence: CC BY-SA

Full-text PDF (final published version)Final published version, 721 KBLicence: CC BY-SA

Handle.net

Persistent link

1 Chapter in a book

Ourbih’s Legacy: Transgender Forced Displacement, Legal Boundaries, Lived Realities, and the Struggle for Recognition
Camminga, B., 22 Jul 2025, The Oxford Handbook of Intersectional Approaches to Migration, Gender, and Sexuality . Yurdakul, G., Beaman, J., Mügge , L., Scuzzarello, S. & Sunanta, S. (eds.). Oxford: Oxford University Press
Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter in a book

Cite this

@inbook{2b317572e2a240e3aa600c418aa6416d,

title = "Persistence: Model Asylum Narratives, and a Recognizable {\textquoteleft}Transgenderness{\textquoteright}",

abstract = "In recent years, autobiographical narratives by transgender migrants and refugees from Africa have emerged, such as Farah Abdi{\textquoteright}s Never Arrive, Neo Sandja{\textquoteright}s Right Mind, Wrong Body, and Rizi Xavier Timane{\textquoteright}s An Unspoken Compromise. This chapter examines these texts{\textquoteright} geographical focus and the resurgence of the {\textquoteleft}wrong body{\textquoteright} trope, considering what the transgender asylum narrative offers to the {\textquoteleft}trans travel narrative{\textquoteright}. A key difference is the lack of a safe return — what I term the {\textquoteleft}unsafe return{\textquoteright}.",

keywords = "transgender Africa, transgender migrants, trans autobiography, transgender refugees, transgender studies, LGBT rights",

author = "B Camminga",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "1",

doi = "10.37050/ci-33",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783965580855 ",

pages = "133--154",

editor = "Holzhey, \{Christoph F. E. \} and Kesting, \{Marietta \} and Claudia Peppel",

booktitle = "Breaking and Making Models",

publisher = "ICI Berlin Press",

}

TY - CHAP

T1 - Persistence

T2 - Model Asylum Narratives, and a Recognizable ‘Transgenderness’

AU - Camminga, B

PY - 2025/5/1

Y1 - 2025/5/1

N2 - In recent years, autobiographical narratives by transgender migrants and refugees from Africa have emerged, such as Farah Abdi’s Never Arrive, Neo Sandja’s Right Mind, Wrong Body, and Rizi Xavier Timane’s An Unspoken Compromise. This chapter examines these texts’ geographical focus and the resurgence of the ‘wrong body’ trope, considering what the transgender asylum narrative offers to the ‘trans travel narrative’. A key difference is the lack of a safe return — what I term the ‘unsafe return’.

AB - In recent years, autobiographical narratives by transgender migrants and refugees from Africa have emerged, such as Farah Abdi’s Never Arrive, Neo Sandja’s Right Mind, Wrong Body, and Rizi Xavier Timane’s An Unspoken Compromise. This chapter examines these texts’ geographical focus and the resurgence of the ‘wrong body’ trope, considering what the transgender asylum narrative offers to the ‘trans travel narrative’. A key difference is the lack of a safe return — what I term the ‘unsafe return’.

KW - transgender Africa

KW - transgender migrants

KW - trans autobiography

KW - transgender refugees

KW - transgender studies

KW - LGBT rights

U2 - 10.37050/ci-33

DO - 10.37050/ci-33

M3 - Chapter in a book

SN - 9783965580855

SN - 9783965580848

SP - 133

EP - 154

BT - Breaking and Making Models

A2 - Holzhey, Christoph F. E.

A2 - Kesting, Marietta

A2 - Peppel, Claudia

PB - ICI Berlin Press

CY - Berlin

ER -

Persistence: Model Asylum Narratives, and a Recognizable ‘Transgenderness’

Abstract

UN SDGs

Research Groups and Themes

Keywords

Access to Document

Handle.net

Fingerprint

Research output

Ourbih’s Legacy: Transgender Forced Displacement, Legal Boundaries, Lived Realities, and the Struggle for Recognition

Cite this