Neveu Kringelbach, H; (2016) The paradox of parallel lives: immigration policy and transnational polygyny between Senegal and France. In: Cole, J and Groes, C, (eds.) Affective Circuits: African Migrations to Europe and the Pursuit of Social Regeneration. (pp. 146-168). University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL, USA.

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Abstract

In Dakar, everyday conversations are filled with entertaining stories about the adventures of returning migrants. One common theme involves the visit of a Senegalese man who has returned from Europe with a foreign spouse. The most entertaining part of the story comes when the man’s family and friends go to great pains to conceal the existence of another wife and children in Senegal. In one version, the Senegalese wife is introduced to the European one as the husband’s “sister” or “cousin,” thereby deceiving the European wife into believing that the children in the household are her husband’s nieces and nephews whereas in fact they are his own children (see also Salomon 2009). The most appreciated elements of the story are usually the tricks deployed by various family members to maintain the illusion of a biological relationship between the husband and his “sister.” The truth is finally revealed when, for example, a child, a family member, or a jealous rival reveals who really is who.

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