Attention Minn. LJ friends...

[gypsy1969]

I am doing a project for my ESL/ELL/ENL (English as a New Language) class on Somali culture and language for teachers of ELL. (It's due Monday.) I have learned from my research that Minneapolis has a large population of Somali refugees and wondered if any of you have anecdotal stories that might be of general interest that you could write to me

Comments

[naomikritzer]

8. Back in 2001, when R.T. Rybak was first running for mayor, he had a ton of Somali volunteers. Most were relatively recent arrivals who couldn't vote yet because they were not yet citizens; they volunteered for his campaign because they were SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED to be living in a democracy with functioning elections and they just couldn't wait to participate.

9. At his election night party, I saw an elderly woman in a hijab and a long skirt and a t-shirt with an American flag and the words WE STAND TOGETHER on it.

10. Someone somewhere makes green bumper stickers with appealing quotes from the Koran on them. You see these a ton in Minneapolis. One classic is "GOD BLESS AMERICA" with a citation from the Koran underneath. They all express sentiments that Americans generally would get behind. (And once again, I tried to find them online and couldn't. They're probably sold through one of the mosques in town. I really do see them everywhere.)

11. Apparently, the thing to do on Eid, if you are Somali, is to go to the Mall of America. You buy new clothes (I think) and eat dinner and then go on rides until the park closes. Not EVERYONE goes to the MoA, of course, and the Science Museum of Minnesota offers an Eid discount on admission. You do not have to be Muslim to take advantage of it, and incidentally it's a pretty good deal.

Another comment coming, hang on.

[naomikritzer]

12. There is a library on Franklin Ave, right across from the Aldi. It's the only library I've seen that has an actual line outside at opening time, and the patrons are heavily Somali. If educational resources are available, Somalis will use them.

13. A disproportionate number of Somali children born here have autism. (It's mostly full-blown autism.) No one is sure why. One theory that is becoming increasingly popular is vitamin D deficiency in the mothers; dark skin does not absorb vitamin D as well (which is why white skin evolved in the first place, it absorbs sunlight more efficiently at northern latitudes), and Somali women cover most of their skin anyway. Anyway, this has become an issue of major concern within the community. If I were an OB with Somali women as patients I'd be telling them all to take a vitamin D supplement, because they're probably deficient and it'll be good for their bones even if the autism turns out to be something else.

14. I have to consciously remind myself, when I hear people from other parts of the country making scary-sounding generalizations about Muslims, or slinging around the word like it's some sort of insult, that most of these people do not actually know any Muslims. Because the Muslims I interact with every day are not scary people.

They are not secretly plotting armed insurrection; they are working their butts off while going to night school and studying English. The vast majority are incredibly happy to be here and eager to put down roots and become Americans. Muslim Americans.

[gypsy1969]

Thank you so much this is a great help, and if anyone else has stories I'd love to hear them!

[gypsy1969]

BTW does your daughter have any Somali friends?

[naomikritzer]

No; she was friendly with the Somali girl in her Kindergarten class, but they weren't close. Her Somali classmates for the last two years have all been boys.