The loss of social networks, customs, rituals, relationships, authority structures and institutions, through which forced migrants had previously engaged and negotiated their sense of self on a daily basis, is key to an understanding of the experiences of migration and, in particular, its impact on personal well-being. This paper reports on oral history interviews undertaken with Ethiopian forced migrants in London, about the traditional Buna (coffee) ceremony. The study indicates that the Buna ceremony plays a significant role in the construction of identity and in determining well-being in exile. © 2010 The Folklore Society.

[No Keywords available]

[No Keywords available]