Tag Archives: 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 … Continue reading