The Plight of Somalis in Minneapolis - Essay Example

The Plight of Somalis in Minneapolis The Plight of Somalis in Minneapolis The American citizens and refugees of African Somali descent have their origin from the failed state of Somalia, in East Africa. Being a failed state, with no legitimate government and political structure for over two decades, the country has no single order in respect to managing human rights, democracy, natural resources, and conflict resolution (John, 2010). As such, a big majority of its citizens have become refugees in the neighboring countries, notably Kenya and Ethiopia, where they are congested in squalid refugee camps. The vast majorities of those who remain behind struggle to meet their daily livelihood needs, turning on the natural environment, militia groups like the Al-shabaab, piracy, or engage in illegal trade with the neighboring Arab states of the Middle East across the Indian Ocean. They engage in massive exploitation of forests for charcoal to generate money for survival in the East African country. With markets in the Middle East, notably Yemen, the entire landscape of the Somali republic has a replacement of green lands with bare stony grounds, and large sand dunes as all the available vegetation find its way in the form of charcoal exports to the Middle East (John, 2010). The existence of the Al-shabaab militia further complicates the issue. By locking out aid agencies, citizens have no option than to escape for their survival into the neighboring countries, before they find their way to other parts of the world. Similarly, the failure of the Somalia state cause mass influx of its citizens as refugees in neighboring countries, notably Kenya and Ethiopia (Douglas, 2008). These refugees have been concentrated in refugee over crowded camps over the last two decades, causing serious environmental stresses in those fragile lands. Resource use conflicts with the host populations have also led to increased conflicts and insecurities. As the resource decrease, the militia groups and ordinary citizens encroach to the neighboring countries and the Indian Ocean, causing major economic and security challenges. Piracy is the leading avenue of economic losses and loss of lives in global maritime history. Cases of kidnapping, bombing, and armed robberies have also increased in neighboring counties (John, 2010). In the end, these disadvantaged citizens find their way into the host countries as genuine citizens, from where they can apply for settlement in overseas under a refugee status. This explains the huge influx of Somalis in Minneapolis, who consist of men and women in equal measures. Given the background of their mother country, and the dominant Islamic religion, the Somalis have a very high regard for their traditional and religious practices. The family unit is highly guarded, with very distinct roles, ascribed to every group. A typical Somali family recognizes men as the undisputed leaders of the family, exhibiting a form of communism, which allows for a communal livelihood, according those rights each man within the society. Men practically decide the destiny of the family, with women expected to take a very subservient role. As it is with the vast majority of Islamic faithful, women are a marginalized lot, often taking the role of homemakers. Their activity goes as far as the confines of their compounds, and do not participate in economic, education, social or even sometimes health activities outside their compounds. With this kind of a background, almost all Somali women living in Minneapolis are either semiliterate or illiterate, with no understanding of the prevalent English language. Further, they spend all their time within the compound. It is for this reason why one would mistakenly think that their numbers in Minneapolis is lower than that of men. With all the socio dynamics surrounding the Somalis, they are of particular interest to the security mechanism within the United States. To begin with, they are known to exhibit some form of Islamic extremism and intolerance. With the threat of terror from terrorist organizations like the al-Qaida, the Somalis, especially those living in poverty situations as refugees are an easy target for recruitment. As such, the state keeps a close eye on them, often raising alarms whenever a number of them go missing for a long period. As a result, searches and impromptu visits by the police or the FBI are a common occurrence for the Somali families living in Minneapolis, which focuses at investigating their activities, as a security measure. In simple terms, the security mechanism considers them a potential security threat, hence the need to monitor and manage their activities (Douglas, 2008). Minneapolis is boasts of having the largest Somali population in the United States, totaling close to thirty thousand people, as per the population survey of 2010. These figures predominantly consist of immigrants and the first descendants of the earlier immigrants into the country. Similarly, Somalis are also present in huge numbers in areas like Minnesota, New York, and Kansas City among others. The most notable influence of the Somalis on Minneapolis is the way in which they have invested and created a niche in the local business and commercial activities (Aladdin, 2004). Today, there numerous shops, hotels, butcheries, and souvenir outlets, offering African products, dishes, and Somali influenced consumables. Naturally, one would expect such a white people dominated neighborhood to have nothing of that sort, but the truth is that the Somalis have the most vibrant businesses in this area, and have introduced dramatic changes in testes and preferences, and consumption patterns as well. These hundreds of businesses have bolstered the local economy, providing unique products and services at very affordable prices. One of the few things that the Somalis take credit of is their determination to earn an honest living, devoting all their energy in to doing business. However, live in Minneapolis is not all smooth for the Somalis. As the case with all black people in predominantly white people zones, racial discrimination is a big challenge. Compounded with their Islamic faith, they are subject to greater discrimination and racially inclined mistreatment in schools, work places and even in public service. With the problems of September 11, the Somalis are always a subject of suspicion, from both the public and the law enforcement authorities. Their predominantly Islamic and African traditional culture conflicts greatly with many systems, especially those touching on dressing and general conduct at workplaces. With many of their women being illiterate, and with meager, if any knowledge of the English language, they often land into trouble with employers and the authorities, simply because of lack of understanding. For this reason, it is imperative that employers consider translating all their company communications, and provide interpreters to ensure that conflicts resulting from miscommunication and misunderstanding do not arise (Douglas, 2008). Further, the Somali women find it hard to fit into the secular world, where jobs require people to wear uniforms that do not conform to the Islamic teachings on female dress codes. As such, many of them have a difficult time in addressing such issues, and often play along with such company policies out of desperation for work. Children are also a subject of ridicule and discrimination in their schools, often finding them lonely. However, the state has done considerably well concerning the right to citizenry and fair treatment in work places. However, with time the Somalis get accustomed to the American way of life, in some cases, shedding away all their religious and traditional practices in favor of the American ways to get in to jobs, and other social services (Aladdin, 2004). Recently, the Somalis came under strict scrutiny, especially in the area of banking and money transfers to their families back in east Africa. This development has seen all banks in the areas where Somalis have a huge presence desist from sending money on behalf of a Somali. Incidents of money falling into the hands of terror groups and clan rebels are the major cause of this development, with the government moving in to arrest those who made such transfers. This development has seen many of them restrain from sending money back home, fearing that they may land into problems with the authorities. A recent change in policy by the FBI and the immigration department has seen them further retrieve to their usual quiet lifestyle, to avoid jail time and possible deportation due to such acts. Voluntarily, many Somalis have cooperated with the state whenever investigations into their territories take place, often providing crucial information, to avoid deportation. Although a secular and alien way of life for many Somalis, the American lifestyle is definitely much better than their deplorable circumstances in their war ravaged homeland. As such, they always cooperate with the authorities, and have since been able to avoid compromising encounters with the state law agencies. The Somali community has some very urgent needs, which several organizations have come in to offer a helping hand. Key among these is the lack of English and communication skills among the Somali women. As discussed earlier in the text, Somali women are a marginalized lot, in respect to access to education and other socio-economic services. As such, many of them do not know even the Basic English, which can help them secure and retain a job (Aladdin, 2004). Given the fact that almost no companies offer translation services, it becomes very hard for them to survive in the US, without having to depend on handouts and provision from their husbands and other family members in gainful employment. It is on the realization that several civil society and human rights groups have taken the role of educating these women on Basic English, and job hunting and management skills. Some even go a step ahead to offer interpretation services during interviews, and searching for jobs for them. Their overall goal in all these is to ensure that they have access to basic provisions, and that they can integrate in to the American life and engage in economic and social activities. The recent investigation on the Somali community by the FBI and other security apparatus has created unnecessary fear and tension in the relation between the Somali population in Minneapolis and the authorities. Being suspects for serious crimes like terrorism, the Somalis have an even harder time relating to the general citizens, who have entrenched fear and discrimination against them. Whereas security is of utmost importance to the state and its citizenry, it is also important to avoid situations where security operations lead to further marginalization of an already marginal community. As such, a rift between the Somali population and the FBI operations is slowly spreading to the rest of the populace, who have developed a strong negative perception of the Somalis (John, 2010). Often, the Somalis are synonymous to terrorists in the eyes of the naïve Americans. These issues are cross cutting, not only to the Somali population in Minneapolis, but also to the entire Somali population in the United States. These are some of the pertinent issues, which the government should address with sobriety, to ensure that any terrorist segments of the immigrant Somalis do not harm the general populace, or spread extremism among the American youths. However, as they do these, it is important to maintain fairness, according them the right to fair treatment and proper communication of the underlying motives. Relation experts suggest that proper communication, using bilingual citizens and friends to the Somalis may play a critical role in fostering healthy relations. This will also go a long way in ensuring that the integration process in to the American way of life takes place smoothly, without undue infringement on human rights (John, 2010). In conclusion, the life of Somalis living in Minneapolis, like all other places across the United States offers a whole range of issues to scrutinize and intervene, especially for the law enforcers, civil societies, human rights crusaders, lawyers and international relations students. However, the future is still bright for these immigrants, who have fled hostile situations in the home country. References Aladdin, E. (2004). Silent Victims: The Plight Of Arab & Muslim Americans In Post 9/11 America. New York: Author House. Douglas, R. (2008). The Somali Diaspora: A Journey Away. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press. John, R. (2010). Al Qaeda and Affiliates: Historical Perspective, Global Presence, and Implications for U.S. Policy. New York: DIANE Publishing Read More