| Summary: | In this article, the narrations of three return migrants from East Africa to Yemen provide the setting for a discussion on the part they play in bringing about new social dynamics – or social remittances – within Yemeni society. Migration to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries as well as immigration from the Horn of Africa are currently the main migration routes. However, in order to properly to estimate the relative impact of returnees from Eastern Africa on social dynamics in Yemen, all migration routes to and from Yemen have to be taken into consideration, including return migration from Eastern Africa which primarily occurred in the latter half of the 20th century. In these returnees' narratives, gendered practices and ideals are pointed out as a factor for differentiation, setting the returnees apart from the general Yemeni population. The approach behind this analysis is based on "ontological narrativity", according to which identity and meaning are constructed narratively, and thus imply a guide for action. This article posits receptiveness of Yemeni society to social remittances depends on the social status of the transmitter, the transnational migration system in general and power relations between sending and receiving countries.
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