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They are descendants from slaves and have always been considered as second-class citizens in their home country, Somalia. During the civil war of 1991-92, the Somali Bantus were forced to leave their country because of the increased oppression they suffered. For ten years, they survived in refugee camps in neighbouring Kenya, hoping to find a new land to welcome them. Their wait is now over: the United States has decided to resettle these 12,000 Somali Bantus, a whole people, on its soil, giving them a work permit and, in five years, American citizenship. Used to mud houses, they will soon be renting air-conditioned apartments in Arizona, Utah or Texas. But before they leave the Kenyan refugee camp, they have to learn the basics of modern living.