Somalis in USA
Somalia has a long history of war, violence and famine. Thousands of people are killed every year because they are caught in the cross fire between warring clans. People are kidnapped and held for ransom, and Somali pirates have control over the coast of Somalia. 300,000 people have died because of famine and malnutrition. Town watering holes often dry up and Somalians can not gain access to vital resources that are necessary for survival. As a result of this brutal history, many Somalis have chosen to immigrate into the United States. Currently, the United States has the seventh largest Somali population in the world. Countries that contain a larger Somali community include Ethiopia, Kenya, Canada and the United Kingdom. A Somali American is a resident of the United States who has gained citizenship and who was born in or who has ancestors from Somalia. In the 1920s Somali sailors came to the United States and settled in New York. These were the first Somalis to come to the United States. Somali immigration began to increase in the 1970s. After the Somali central government was overthrown and the Civil War began in 1991, a great deal of Somalis began to arrive to the United States.
Minneapolis and Saint Paul contain the highest population of Somalis in the United States. Approximately 25,000 Somali immigrants live in the state of Minnesota. Minneapolis has many Somali run stores and businesses. New York City, Kansas City, Washington DC, San Diego, Seattle and San Francisco also contain high concentration of Somalis. Other states that have large Somali communities are Ohio, Texas, Georgia, Washington, California and Arizona. Somali Americans have found a way to maintain their religious practices and their culture despite being separated from their home land for many years. Somali Americans have experienced a great deal of discrimination in the United States, the majority of the discrimination based on their race and their religious beliefs. Many Somali woman find it difficult to live in the United States, where Islamic law does not require women to cover their heads and their bodies. Many jobs require women to wear uniforms, often uniforms that are not appropriate for women to wear under Islamic law. Six Somali women in Minneapolis were threatened with termination from their jobs if they refused to cooperate with uniform policy. Like many African Americans, American Somalis have experience discrimination at work and at school. They have frequently been refused employment and housing. After the attacks of September 11, 2001 on the twin towers, discrimination against Somalis increased due to their faith. There are organizations in many cities throughout the United States that have been created to aid Somalis in America. One such organization is the Minnesota International Health Volunteers, which have instituted a unique family planning program aimed at fitting the cultural needs of the Somali community. Programs such as these seek to make the transition to the United States and American Culture easier for Somalis who have come to this country as a means of escaping daily violence and brutality.