Unisa Press

The Strangers of New Bell

Immigration, Public Space and Community in Colonial Douala, Cameroon, 1914–1960

Author: Lynn Schler
Published: October 22, 2009
ISBN: 978-1-86888-489-6
Number of pages: 159
This book is not available in electronic format

About the book

This book studies a community of African immigrants – or ‘strangers’ – designated to quarters in New Bell, Douala, in Cameroon, during the colonial era. New Bell was created in 1914 as part of an extensive urbanisation and relocation plan intended to reserve the Douala city centre for Europeans. New Bell housed thousands of migrants converging on Douala from Cameroon and the entire west coast of Africa. Though never completely evading colonial economic and political agendas, this vastly diverse and sometimes strife ridden community forged alliances, solidarities, and common experiences in response to its immediate needs and long terms goals. Schler focuses on the ability of Africans to bridge differences in culture and experience, and live as neighbours in cultural and political spaces, transcending post-colonial political boundaries.

Table of content

ONE

Introduction 1

TWO

The strangers of New Bell: An overview

THREE

Membership fees: Money, consumption and immigrant participation

in urban public spaces

FOUR

Crime and community

FIVE

Sharing a drink: Alcohol and urban popular culture

SIX

Nationalism and ethnicity in the struggle against marginalisation:

The final years of the colonial era

SEVEN