“Come, ‘Mek’ We Sing King Alpha’s Song in We Home Land”: Rastafari Youths and Young Adults in Ethiopia Speak on Identity, Views on “Foreign,” and Contested Spiritual and Temporal Space in Shashemene, Ethiopia

Based on this article’s early research and more recent interviews conducted in Shashemene and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, this article explores the expressions of belonging, resilience, and rejection experienced by the youthful generation of Rastafari residing in this East African country. Primarily viewed as foreigners by Ethiopian citizens, they range in age from twelve to thirty-four years, and most were either born in Ethiopia or moved there from the Caribbean, England, or the US with their parents. Their parents are either Caribbean-born or of mixed heritage, where one parent is an Ethiopian national. Expressing down-to-earth plans for the present, they tenaciously hold onto their faith as Rastafari youths while navigating spiritual and temporal challenges in their adopted African home. Their views are a testament to the power of youths in claiming their spiritual roots, even when regarded as sojourners by a government that withholds their full recognition as citizens.