With and Beyond Museums: Cultural Heritage Work in the Somali Diaspora

This article looks at how new diaspora communities are carrying out heritage
work both within and outside museums. Based on a multidisciplinary theoretical
framework, extensive research materials and long-term collaboration with
Somalis who have been involved in museum and exhibition projects in Finland,
this ethnographic study illustrates how Somalis cherish and talk about their
cultural heritage in diaspora. Our analysis reveals the complexity of diaspora
communities’ cultural heritage and how Finnish museums have – or have not
–recognized the rapidly growing Somali diaspora. It also shows the extent of
independent cultural heritage work that Somalis do outside of the museum. Our
findings contribute to discussions on inclusive museum work.