Monday, April 26, 2010

Somali Strengths

Hi everyone. I am sad to say this is our last post for the semester (of course who ever wants to keep posting and following are welcome to do so) but before we go I wanted to leave everyone with a more positive strength based approach to informing you all of the Somali population. After all we are social work professionals now :) Anyway, as an experiment I did some google research and, as I predicted, I was bombarded by negative things about the Somali population. The good news, though, is that when I began to weed through I found some pretty incredible stories about the good things the Somali population is doing and also good things communities are doing to accept our new neighbors who, in my opinion, bring strength, culture, wisdom and diversity to a country that is in need of all those things. So, if you can take a moment please look at some things I have found. There is more, too, that I did not include. Many more positive things-if you just look. And if we all keep looking to the strengths I bet we will see much more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Eb2ppDffVA&feature=related



United Somali Women of Maine http://www.uswofmaine.org/
MISSION:

The mission of United Somali Women of Maine (USWM) is to promote empowerment and a multi-cultural environment that rises up the strength of Somali women and girls by serving as cultural brokers, barrier reducers, skill enhancers and problem solvers.

HISTORY:

· Formed in 2001, by director Fatuma Hussein, to respond to the arrival of a significant population of Somali refugees and secondary migrants (refugees originally resettled to a different location in the United States who then subsequently moved to Maine).

· USWM achieved 501(c) (3) status in December 2005 and is poised to serve our community as an independent non-profit organization.

· USWM is a Somali-directed Women’s Center serving as a safe space that is respectful of gender and cultural practices of the Somali and East African community and serves as a bridge between African families in Lewiston-Auburn and Portland and service providers (the schools, social service agents, employers, police and medical community).



Somali Community Access Network
SomaliCAN
"Changing lives for the better"

About SomaliCAN:

Somali Community Access Network-SomaliCAN- is a 501 (c) (3) community-based non-profit organization headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, which has the second largest Somali population in the United States. SomaliCAN provides culturally and linguistically competent behavioral health and community support services to bridge the gap in access and utilization of services and eliminate barriers to self-sufficiency. .

Our target population is the Somali community in Ohio. The members of this community are very hardworking and determined to continually improve the quality of their lives. All of them are optimistic about the future and what it holds for them. However, most of them have had traumatic experiences in Somalia during the civil war. They lost family members and friends, land and property and were forced to run for their lives. They also face adjustment issues in America due to language barriers, cultural differences, parental-child conflicts, isolation, and overall poverty.
SomaliCAN provides family-focused treatment, prevention and community support services to people with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities and other barriers. We help clients to become self-sufficient by facilitating their active participation in community life and economic production.
Client satisfaction and service to the community are our top priorities.
Check out our various community support services by clicking on the tabs. If you need interpretation or translation services, select the page for providers.


MISSION:

Changing People's Lives for the Better through Culturally Competent Services and Resources. SomaliCAN provides culture-specific behavioral health and community support services to the Somali community to maximize the potential of each individual.

http://www.somalican.org/home


And please watch this short news brief...
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/africa/04/08/somalia.fashion.twins/index.html

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Gay Somali

It is illegal to be Homosexual in Somalia, but because someone can't not be homosexual, homosexual acts are punished by lashing, being ostracized from the family and communities, and death. Gays and Lesbians of Somalia have to live secret lives, or they must conform to the laws and live "normal" lives (http://www.somaligaycommunity.org/content/view/13/28/). According to the Somalia Penal Code, Article 409 sexual intercourse with someone of the same sex is punished by imprisonment from three months to three years. In Article 410 it states that security measures can be added to ensure that the person does not commit the homosexual acts again. Also in some cases the Islamic Sharia Law can be applied in some way to the case, usually ending in stoning (http://www.glapn.org/sodomylaws/world/somalia/somalia.htm). As well as laws against being Gay there are no laws that protect a Somali man or woman from being discriminated against or sentenced to death because they are Gay.

In this article two women were sentenced to death by stoning for being Lesbians: http://www.afrol.com/News2001/som002_lesbians_sentenced.htm

After searching around on the internet I couldn't find any website that suggested that Maine has a group for LGBT Somalian community. Yes there is there is the LGBT community in Maine, but Somali people have had to deal with different types of discrimination and hate than others. It isn't that I am saying that they are more important, I myself am a part of the LGBT community being a lesbian, but I never had to live with the threat of being stoned because of who I am. I think that the Somali LGBT community first need there own community to talk about and relate to each other, before they can become a part of the larger community in Maine. They have to feel a part of the Portland/Maine community first, then find allies and others who are LGBT, then they will be able to make the transition. What are some things that can be done to help this? If Somali people are afraid to come out because of the laws they've experienced, what could help them understand they have more freedom here? Maybe USM could have not just a Multicultural Center and a LGBT Center, but a Multicultural LGBT Center as well. That way people of different races and cultures, as well as sexual orientation, can come together comfortably and at their own pace. If they know it is there they will use it and its resources. I think it will help them connect with others, especially other people from different cultures that have experienced the same type of hate and persecution that they have as well. Any other ideas?

Sunday, April 11, 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmkLZgJLzWk&feature=PlayList&p=8F4BBB59120E3220&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=49

Above posted in a short film on the difficulties of those who live in Lewiston are having with the changes that have taken place by the new immigration of Somalis. Included are a brief history of Somali and Lewiston, which helps to explain the animosity that exists between some of those belonging to each culture. There are also commentaries and diverse opinions regarding the changes that have taken place in Lewiston.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Even though this article was published in 2006, I think it has some very valuable information.

First of all, it is interesting to note that Maine was one of the first States to make learning English mandatory in order to receive benefits or to apply for a job. You can see by reading the different scenario's how it worked differently for different people. To me, this is certainly forced assimilation.

What do you think? Do you think it is right to force people to learn the English language? and do you do think is right to sanction/punish them by taking away jobs or services if they don't?

Another note is the contradiction between this weeks article and last weeks. This article is from the Washington Post. I consider this to be a reputable paper. However, the point is the power the media has over WHAT we see and HOW we view things. If one were to read a lot of articles like the one posted last week, one would get a completely different idea of how immigrants are treated in Maine than if they were to read many articles like the one posted this week.

March 2, 2006

Five years after Somalis migrated to Lewiston, Maine USA

The Washington Post

Instructor Ann Breau works with Somali girls in an  English-as-a-second-language class at a school in Lewiston, Maine.

LEWISTON, Maine — Sahra Habib still speaks English in short bursts, with pronouns missing and verb tenses sometimes mangled. But after a job search in which she was rejected by four employers, there is at least one Americanism she can now repeat from memory.

“Don’t call,” she said it goes, “We’re going to call you.” “Don’t call,” she said it goes, “We’re going to call you. “Hers is the story of Lewiston today, as sky-high unemployment among the city’s 2,500 Somali refugees is adding a difficult new chapter to one of the most unlikely stories in U.S. immigration.

Five years after African immigrants began flocking to this former mill town, city officials say they still are not qualified for many of the jobs the city has to offer. In response, Lewiston is enforcing one of the country’s most aggressive

policies aimed at speeding assimilation: Somalis here often must take English classes, or risk losing some welfare benefits. “ESL,” said assistant city administrator Phil Nadeau, summing up the city’s English-as-a-second-

language philosophy, “is everything. “The city’s Somali influx began in 2001, when refugees who had fled a brutal civil war in Africa began migrating again, leaving larger American cities in search of safer streets and cheaper housing.

They found both in Lewiston, a city of almost 36,000 in Maine’s lower midsection. In late 2002, after the Somali population had reached 1,000, then-Mayor Laurier T. Raymond Jr. set off a national controversy by asking

Somali community leaders to stop the influx. “Pass the word: We have been overwhelmed,” he wrote. Since then, Somalis have continued to flow into Lewiston: The most recent arrivals are about 300 Somali Bantus, members of

an ethnic group from the same region. The African immigrant community’s presence shows up here in colorful hijabs worn by female passersby and in the Mogadishu Store and the Red Sea restaurant, which face each other across

downtown’s Lisbon Street. But, for all that has changed about this struggling old town, one thing has not. “Without English, no job,” said a woman who gave her name as Salima Maalim A., 20, and who was talking with Habib, 30,

in the Mogadishu Store. Indeed, Lewiston is too small and too poor to have many of the landscaping, construction or housekeeping jobs that immigrants take in larger cities. The Bates bedspread factory, which gave generations of

French-speaking Canadian immigrants their first paychecks, is closed, leaving only a hulk at the edge of downtown. Instead, what Lewiston can offer is employers such as TD Banknorth, a financial services company that has moved

into part of the old Bates building. There, even filing work requires employees to read the names on the files. Out of its more than 1,000 employees in Lewiston, about six are Somali, a bank spokeswoman said.

To the south, in big-city Portland, officials say the jobless rate among Somali immigrants is less than 10 percent. In Lewiston, “it’s easily over 50 percent,” Nadeau said. He said the city does not have an exact figure because it has

trouble tracking the demographics of the Somali population. The solution, city officials think, is to compress the traditional arc of an immigrant family’s assimilation — from low-skill jobs to English fluency and the service economy

– into a single generation. To that end, Somalis who apply for “General Assistance” — a few hundred dollars a month in local funds for housing, food and other expenses — are usually required to take English classes.

“If they don’t do it, they’re not eligible,” said Sue Charron, who administers the program. She noted, however, that exceptions are made for those who cannot attend classes because of disabilities or having to care for young

children. She said only a few Somalis have been taken off for noncompliance.

Other welfare programs around the country require participants to work, perform community service or attend employment-related training. But immigration experts say it is rare for any jurisdiction to have an across-the-

board English requirement, and they question how much good such a program would do. “For most people, solitary English language acquisition is not the way to get them into work quickly,” said Jonathan Blazer, a lawyer at the

National Immigration Law Center. He said it is more common to require vocational training, instead, or to teach job skills and English together.

Many Somalis interviewed in Lewiston recently said they welcome the English requirement. But others questioned whether it works as intended. Ismail Ahmed, 33, said many students went just because they had to, and learned

little. “They are just coming to pass time,” said Ahmed, who is an indicator of Lewiston’s difficult job environment. He said he received a master’s degree in leadership studies from the University of Southern Maine — and then had to

move to Baltimore early this year because he still could not find a job he wanted in Lewiston. The difficulties of the path that Lewiston has chosen for itself are nowhere more evident than in the English classes themselves. One

recent morning at the town’s bunkerlike Adult Learning Center, teacher Kate Brennan was going through the basics of English sentence construction. She asked Weheliye Ali, 21, to make a sentence out of “I” and “grow” in the past

tense. “I grew up,” Ali said after a pause. “Where did you grow up?” Brennan asked, looking for a slightly more complex sentence. “I grew up in Somalia,” replied Ali, who said later that he wanted to learn English because he had

found it hard to understand his boss at a local hotel. At times, Brennan’s students seemed to be firmly on the track that Lewiston officials have in mind for them, talking about plans to work as a nurse, become a shop owner or

even earn a doctorate. Asked to form a sentence using the word “GED,” meaning the high-school equivalency General Educational Development test, one student came out with “The GED is on the way to higher education.”

But then came the next vocabulary word, “scared,” and another sign of the huge adjustment that Lewiston is hoping these students can make in one lifetime. When Brennan asked the class, “What makes you feel scared?” one

student responded, “When I see the lion. “Brennan looked puzzled. Then, from across the room, another Somali student spoke up. “In Maine,” she told her classmate, “is not lion.”

Monday, March 22, 2010

The Media's Influence



Newsweek published this article in January of 2009. I think it is a great article addressing Somalis in Lewiston because it describes the influx in the population as having a positive impact on the state’s energy, economy, and diversity. I thought this was an important article to address because most references to the Somali immigrant population in Maine have cited only the negative impacts of their arrival.
While I was researching for my post I stumbled upon a Wikipedia article on the “Somali and Bantu migration in Maine.” This too had a negative outlook on the impacts of the new populations particularly concerning the welfare system (however, I don’t know how accurate this information is). I found it odd that Wikipedia had an entry on this subject.


Most of the stories and headlines dedicated to the topic of Somali immigration to Maine have negative undertones. Either the articles cite resources consumed by the new Somali residents (such as welfare and housing) or the stories describe discrimination and prejudice Mainers have displayed. Two of the most publicized news stories concerning this social issue in Maine were the Lewiston mayor’s letter blaming Somali immigrants for the town’s economic problems and the vandalization of a Mosque with a severed pig’s head which was meant as a prank but fueled racial tension. Both events were heavily reported on and are reoccurring as I research this topic. The vandal in the pig’s head prank later committed suicide which further added to the local controversy. A more recent story consists of listing violent attacks on whites by Somali youth. I found an entire article listing dates, times, and locations of attacks last summer. The article failed torecognize the long list of hate crimes committed by whites on Somali immigrants in the past year. It seems as though each negative news story surrounding this social issue takes a “side” and vilinzes the other party.
However, more recently, reporters have begun to take a positive stance on Somali immigration in Maine. This has lessened some of the public tension surrounding the perceived effects of this new population. Organizations and policies have also been formulated to aid Somali residents. The Center for Preventing Hate in Lewiston has received a three year $500,000 grant to prevent immigration bias and promote well-being among the Somali community in Maine cities. Furthermore, the establishment of Somali-operated businesses has brought a new economic force to Lewiston. The Lewiston community has become much more peacefully integrates in more recent years and community events have bridged some of the gaps between the cultures. I think the more positive reporting this social issue receives, the more the people of Maine will embrace their new neighbors and accept their culture.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Hi all. This week I decided to post a blog on an interview I had with a worker at DHHS--Social Services-Refugee program a few months ago. We had extensive conversation about the refugee population and the Somali population. I would like to note that this man was great and inspiring and he had strong opinions based on his observations and work with the refugee population and, even though I can respect all he had to say, his words in some aspects may not necissarily reflect my values and opinions.

The man I interviewed was named Efrem Wel. He is a Human Services Counselor at the Refugee Services Program, Health and Human Service Department. Efrem asked me to come in for an interview and I asked him all about what I needed to know from someone who has worked with refugees since October of 1992. He said that the refugees go through their agency when they come to Portland and he believes he has a pretty accurate knowledge of the community.

The geographic profile of the Somali community in Portland, Efrem explained, is mostly in the housing authority projects such as Kennedy Park, Sagamore Village and Riverton and in subsidized housing complexes on Munjoy Hill, Danforth Street and Saint John Street. They live among a mix of refugees not all of Somali origin. The average economic status of Somalians in Portland is, unfortunately, low. He told me that where most came from was rural backgrounds and they may have been farmers or laborers definately living in a whole different culture. Then they were moved to Portland or as secondary immigrants were move somewhere else in the U.S. and moved themselves to Portland because their family or friends were here. Now in Portland they do not have the skills and education to make livable wages because it is all completely different from their lifestyles, cultures and living situations back home.
This brings me to explain one of the major social problems affecting the risk population: why many refugees seem to end up in the criminal system. Efrem says that he sees most of refugee cases where, because of the above scenario, parents are forced to work many hours for unlivable wages and the kids are left without structure and parenting so many hours a day. They observe this living style and become easily influenced by drugs/alcohol and other peers doing illegal things and they begin to realize that drug dealing, stealing and other illegal activities will get them what they want faster than working for it and also they believe they have no choice because they do not think they can ever have the opportunity to rise above it.

Another major social problem involving Somali refugees in Portland, according to Efrem, is dropout rates. Because the parents are working so much and because they do not know the lessons being taught in American schools, the kids have a hard time getting good grades. They may not be able to get into college and they end up dropping out of school and staying at home. These are other instances when they may be influenced to get into trouble because they watch T.V., get ideas, and want to make money fast and now. The only option, because they have dropped out of school, is to get a minimum wage job, or make lots of money the easy way they have learned from media or the streets and that is to sell drugs and hustle.

The Portland Somali refugee population, I found out through my interview with Efrem, is not as oppressed as I thought they may be. He told me that in his 27 years of working with refugees in Portland he has observed that in general all refugees “have been well received by American government. They have been highly welcomed and well coordinated with government, state, hospitals and social workers.” Of course there are always the same biases, racism and discrimination by some in the community who feel that the Somali population are causing trouble and live off "the system".

Now I will move onto the most important part of the interview: The strengths of the Somali population and how their strengths might contribute to their empowerment. According to Efrem many Somalians are Muslim and Muslims are made up of all strengths. He explained to me that the social problems I described earlier dealing with the refugee community is few and far between when we deal with Muslims. Efrem exclaims “those who speak English well are extremely hard workers, they hate crime. They don’t want to be involved in criminal activities. They are honest, peaceful and motivated. Most Muslims in Portland are educated and very willing to learn and go to school. Because of the religion they are ethical people who teach religion and values to their children; don’t steal, be respectful to elderly, don’t do drugs, etc.”

Efrem goes on to explain that a lot of Somalian refugees are taught culturally that when they grow up it is their responsibility to take care of their family and elder parents so most stay focused and work hard to send money back to their parents and family in other countries. He says “Many refugees are wholly family oriented, culturally. There is no system in the U.S. like the this system". And about the Somali Muslims he says "America has the highest crime, divorce and single parent rate in the world; this is very little in the community of Muslim Somalians.”

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Somali Women

In Maine we have the United Somali Women of Maine. A group that is dedicated to the empowerment and multi-culture environment giving strength to Somali women and girls."Several women's groups in Mogadishu, Hargeisa (Somaliland), Bossasso (Puntland), and Merka (Lower Shabelle) actively promoted equal rights for women and advocated the inclusion of women in responsible government positions(U.S. Department of State, 2006). In 2005 there were reports of rape at refugee camps in Kenya. Bandits that crossed the border committed the majority of the rapes, while the security forces and police committed the other. Usually the rapes were followed by looting attacks, occurring while the women /girls left the camps to do their basic chores. Many of these rapes resulted in pregnancy. There are laws prohibiting rape, but they are not enforced. Sexual violence in the home is a serious problem as well as gender discrimination, and frustrated husbands that take out their anger on their wives. In relation to this there were no laws against spousal rape. Somalian women obviously do not have the same rights as men.

Tuesday November 19, 2009 the publication of the story of a Somali woman being stoned to death took place. She was charged with adultery, a 20-year-old DIVORCEE. After confessing to having sexual intercourse with a 29-year-old unmarried man, she was killed in front of a crowd of 200 people. She was buried to her waist and stoned, while her boyfriend received 100 lashes. If the man is married he too will be stoned, if he is single, the p
unishment is 100 lashes. Tell me whether that is fair, considering the woman was divorced and not involved with anyone besides the man who received the lashes. Another stoning took place in November of 2008 when a 13-year-old RAPE victim was stoned for the accusation of adultery.

October of 2009 Al-Shabaab dispatched men with whips to carry out punishment of women who were not following the Islamic law. Some women, as reported, were flogged for not wearing socks, not wearing veils (for the reason that they were to poor to purchase one, 600,000 shilling, or about $23 in American money), and for wearing bras. Somalia, having had no central government for ten years, is now faced with no leader at the terrorism of Al-Shabaab who is said to have connections to Al-Qaeda. With ties like these Al-Shabaab is a reported terrorist group, as well as killings that have been connected to them, suicide bombings, and alleged terror plots. With the on-going battles in Somalia and the mistreatment of women and young children, it is understandable that they should come to the United States. We offer equality, jobs, security, and we are human. (In most senses of course, this could always be argued from different views.) There are some Women's Rights Activists in Somalia, but they can't do too much, but in all regards they do their best. With everything going on it is hard to get a word out and help these women see what rights they truly have. Women being raped by officers and bandits. Women being raped by their own husbands with no laws to protect them. Women having no say and unjust rulings against them. They are the underdogs of Somalia. So many women not getting the education they need because they are being taken out of school to be married, given away or sold to rich men as if they were merely property rather than human beings. They are afraid to speak out against the heinous crimes against them, for fear of the punishment that THEY will receive, rather than the ones who committed the crime. Unaware of the rights that they hold, the women do not speak up for themselves, but there is support for them. Both in Somalia and in Maine, should they come here.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Article on Female Circumcision

copyright 1996 The Seattle Times Company
Local News : Sept. 13, 1996
Harborview debates issue of circumcision of Muslim girls
by Carol M. Ostrom
Seattle Times staff reporter
It started simply enough: a pregnant Somali patient and a doctor
in an examining room at Harborview Medical Center. The doctor asked
what she thought was a routine question: "If it's a boy, do you
want him circumcised?"
"Yes," the Somali woman replied. "But what if it's a girl?"
The refugee woman's question and its implications sent doctors and
administrators at Harborview reeling. Circumcision for girls? Surely
no doctor would ever consider performing removing healthy tissue,
a procedure dubbed by some accounts from Africa and other Third
World countries as "female genital mutilation."
And yet, these were women of another culture, a culture the doctors
believed they should respect. Soon, some began to listen. And what
they heard convinced them that as strongly as a Jewish mother
believes her son must be circumcised to be a member of the faith,
so do some Somali Muslim refugees in Seattle believe that their
daughters' genitals must be cut to comply with their religion and
demands of their culture.
The question facing Harborview: Was there any alternative to cutting
away healthy genital tissue that would satisfy what some Somalis
believe is a religious and cultural requirement?
"It's very important for the Somalian people, because it's a very
old culture," says Fardosa Abdullahi, speaking through a translator.
Her head and upper body draped in a black hijab, a traditional
Muslim covering, Abdullahi insists that each of her three young
daughters must be cut. "It's important for her health; it's important
for religion. We have to keep the religion."
How important is it? Enough to go back to Africa or to another
country to get it done, enough to offer bundles of money to native
"midwives" to do it, the Somali women say. "It's important enough
to take your three kids and get a ticket, $1,500 for each person,"
says Kadija Ahmed, a Somali woman with three daughters.
A Harborview committee chaired by Dr. Abraham Bergman, chief of
pediatrics, found that there was something called a "sunna"
circumcision, which, as envisioned, would entail no more than a
small cut in the prepuce, the hood above a girl's clitoris. It
would remove no tissue and leave only a small scar. The Somali
women say it would fulfill their religious and cultural needs.
Dr. James LoGerfo, Harborview's medical director, has sent the
committee's recommendation to the state's attorney general for
legal review. No doctors at Harborview have done the procedure,
nor is there any plan to do anything before a communitywide discussion
of the issue is held, LoGerfo says.
None of that has placated those who say that even talking about
cutting female genitals legitimizes a barbaric practice, one that
disempowers women and serves to keep them out of the American
mainstream.
Mimi Ramsey, a 43-year-old Ethiopian who heads Forward International,
a California-based group working to stop genital cutting, said she
was mutilated when she was six years old and would do anything to
stop doctors from cutting girls' genitals.
"This is the most horrible, horrible thing that is happening to
children. This is the sort of pain they want to create for the
helpless little girls that are Americans. They are born in this
country. They have a right to protect their bodies."
"This is barbaric," agrees Diane Dupuy, a local member of the group.
"I can't imagine doing this to girls; this is taking away their
rights."
On the contrary, says LoGerfo, the compromise may be the only
available ethical, legal and humane alternative "short of throwing
the kids and the mother in jail for 20 years to make sure nothing
happens to them."
Bergman says outsiders should be careful when making judgments
about the cultures of others. "It behooves us to show some respect,"
he says, adding that decisions should not be made without thorough
information.
As for the mothers who asked the Harborview doctors if their
daughters could be circumcised, they, too, find themselves trying
to understand a strange culture.
Most of them were cut in Somalia, the majority in ways that removed
much tissue and sewed together what was left. In procedures called
"infibulations" or "Pharaonic" circumcisions, most lost their
clitorises and surrounding flesh, becoming scarred in ways that
sometimes cause pain and difficulty in childbirth and can make
intercourse painful. But they say that such cutting was a mark of
a respectable family that cared about its daughter, a guarantee of
her virginity, a sign that the girl was a good Muslim.
Many Somali women are shocked to find that, in this country, some
people think cutting young girls' genitals amounts to child abuse.
Without circumcision, a girl would feel embarrassed, says one
28-year-old Somali woman, a mother of three. If other girls knew,
they would laugh at her, and she would feel shamed. If her daughters
are not circumcised, she says, no man will want to marry them.
"He will think he is getting a girl already used," she says.
Circumcision, even a tiny cut, she says, will somehow help her
daughters avoid what she sees as the American disease: "Girls 13,
14, 15 get pregnant, go wild, get welfare." It won't prevent a girl
from having sex, she concedes, but it would be a sign that "she's
trying to control herself."
Like other Muslin women, she says her religion requires girls be
circumcised. She and others who have studied the issue say female
circumcision is not spelled out in the Koran, but is mentioned in
the Hadith, the collection of oral religious teachings.
Ahmed Scego, a 29-year-old Somali man who has been in the U.S.
since 1988, worries that if mothers take their daughters back to
Africa, there is more chance that a grandmother who believes in
the old way, the Pharaonic circumcision, will call the shots. "I
know a lot of people who are saving their money to take their
daughters somewhere," he says.
These women already have moved from being radically cut themselves
to wanting only a virtually symbolic cut for their daughters, he
says. Somalis are a proud culture, he says, and they don't change
easily.
According to studies, Somalia has one of the highest rates of female
circumcision, which is practiced in more than 30 countries in the
world, predominantly in Africa. In some countries, including Somalia,
over 80 percent of the women are cut.
A teenager from Togo was recently given asylum amid a rash of
stories depicting screaming girls being held down by relatives as
their flesh was scraped away.
The World Health Organization says that the more severe forms have
caused infections, tetanus, bleeding, shock, hemorrhage and even
death. A woman who survives all that may have difficulties in
childbirth, scarring and pain.
Estimates place the Somali population in the Seattle area at about
3,000. Other states with relatively large populations of immigrants
from African countries that practice female circumcision - Rhode
Island, Tennessee, Minnesota and North Dakota - have outlawed the
practice. A similar bill in California has passed the legislature
and is awaiting the governor's signature. In Congress, a bill
introduced by Rep. Pat Schroeder of Colorado would outlaw the
practice.
Some doctors at Harborview don't like the idea of a national law.
In fact, says Dr. Leslie Miller, an obstetrician-gynecologist, a
sunna circumcision of girls would be a good deal less drastic than
what is done to boys during circumcision, a common and accepted
procedure.
Miller says she can understand why the refugees are confused. "We
will cut the whole foreskin off a penis, but we won't even consider
a cut, a sunna, cutting the prepuce, a little bloodletting (on a
girl)," she says.
Medical doctors in this country also do cosmetic surgery on genitals,
Miller notes.
"We're not discussing circumcision with (the Somalis) because we
want to mutilate their daughters' genitals; it's because it's a
reasonable request," says Miller.
Not all Somali women want to have their daughters circumcised,
Miller says. But perhaps doctors should consider doing sunna
circumcisions if such a procedure would help make the transition
from the generation with radical circumcisions to one where no
cutting at all would need to be done, she suggests.
Not all Muslim countries practice female circumcision, and the
procedure appears to be dictated by culture and tradition as much
as by religion. Tradition also dictates the age at which a girl is
cut: In Somalia, a girl is typically 6 to 8 years old. In this
country, such a young girl would not be considered able to give
consent, noted LoGerfo. If any such procedure were ever done,
LoGerfo says, age 12 would be the minimum.
At Children's Medical Center, medical director Dr. John Neff says
only procedures that are deemed medically necessary are performed.
But he concedes there is debate as to the medical necessity of
circumcisions for boys. "Male circumcision is a controversial
issue," he says. "Female circumcision, as far as we're concerned,
is not a controversial issue. It just should not be done."
Kadija Ahmed says she knows Americans find it difficult to understand
her religion and culture, the underpinnings of a country where she
was married at 13 to a much older man who paid her parents 100
camels for his beautiful young bride.
"Everything we do comes from religion - how we eat, how we dress,
how we talk to people," she says.
Fardosa Abdullahi says Allah spells out what is right, and she and
other Muslims must follow.
"Anyone who thinks this is wrong or weird is not respecting my
culture or my religion or who I am," she says, "and they should be
educated."
Citation:
Carol M. Ostrom. Seattle Times, Seattle, Washington, 13 September 1996.
(File revised 6 September 2004)
Home Page
http://www.cirp.org/news/1996.09.13_SeattleTimes/

Sunday, February 21, 2010

We don't want to inundate everyone with lots of information this first week, but below please find some statistics for the State of Maine, and also; if you hadn't already heard about the controversy between the City of Lewiston's Mayor and the Somali population, this post will tell you a little bit about that.


Immigration Impact:
Maine

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State Population (2006 CB estimate)

1,321,574

State Population in 2000

1,277,483

Average Annual Change 2000-2006

0.6%

Foreign Born Population 2006 1/

40,805

Foreign Born Share 2006

3.0%

Foreign Born Population 2000

36,691

Foreign Born Share 2000

2.9%

Average Annual Change 2000-2006

1.8%

Population Projection 2010

1.36 million

Population Projection 2025

1.41 million

Population Projection 2050 (FAIR)

1.48 million

All numbers are from the U.S. Census Bureau unless otherwise noted.Additional Census Bureau, INS, and other immigration-related data are available for Maine.

Population Change

Maine’s population increased by 4 percent between 1990 and 2000, and by 3.5 percent between 2000 and 2006, bringing Maine’s total population to approximately 1.3 million.

Approximately 9.3 percent of the total population increase between 2000 and 2006 in Maine was directly attributable to immigrants.

FAIR estimates the illegal alien population in 2005 at 4,000. The INS estimated that there were less than 2,500 in 1990 and 2000.


FAIR’s projected annual fiscal costs to Maine taxpayers
for emergency medical care, education and incarceration resulting if an amnesty is adopted for illegal residents.

Current

2010

2020

$5,000,000

$8,000,000

$14,000,000


Population Profile

Maine’s small towns are concerned about losing their character to growth. Eliot, population 6,000, is feeling the pressure of spreading development from Portsmouth, N.H. to the south and Biddeford/Saco and Portland to the north. In response, Eliot was one of the first Maine towns to adopt a building cap limiting the number of new homes that can be built in a year. Towns throughout southern Maine are now following Eliot’s example.2/

55 percent of Maine’s foreign-born were naturalized U.S. citizens, versus 59 percent in 1990.


Foreign-Born Population

Maine’s foreign-born population increased by 11.2 percent between 2000 and 2006. During that period Maine gained over 4,000 immigrants, bringing the total number of foreign-born residents in the state to over 40,000.

Spotlight: Lewiston

In the fall of 2002, Lewiston Mayor Larry Raymond drafted an open letter to Somali leaders, pleading with them to help stop the influx of immigrants to the small town. “The large number of new arrivals cannot continue without negative results for all. The Somali community must exercise some discipline and reduce the stress on our limited finances and generosity,” he wrote. “Only with your help will we be successful in the future—please pass the word: We have been overwhelmed and have responded valiantly. Now we need breathing room. Our city is maxed out financially, physically, and emotionally.”

The letter came after more than 1,000 Somalis moved to the small city—population 36,000—in an 18-month period. (Most had been placed in Atlanta by the federal government as refugees, but then chose to move to Lewiston, drawn by its safety and smaller size.)

Lewiston quickly became overwhelmed by the needs of the newcomers: City officials said the influx strained social services such as welfare, job training, and language classes. Somalis make up a third of all tenants at the city’s largest public housing complex. More than a quarter of the families on the waiting list for public housing are Somali. Only about half the adults have found jobs. The city has doubled its general assistance budget (which provides food, housing, utilities, and medicine), has earmarked about one percent of its budget for services for the Somalis, and has cobbled together federal and state grants.

Lewiston’s assistant city administrator said that the property tax rate has now grown so high that every dollar spent must receive careful scrutiny. The city also worries what may happen if state and federal aid shrinks in upcoming years.

Governor Angus King Jr. has since announced the formation of a task force on immigration and refugee issues, noting that Lewiston faces a situation that “would be difficult for any community.”

Environmental and Quality of Life Profile

Traffic: As population growth put more traffic on the roads, the average commute for Maine residents increased 16 percent during the 1990s, to 23 minutes in 2000, 3/,4/ and to 23.3 in 2005. 5/ In some towns, it’s substantially higher; in Bradford, where the population has increased more than 33 percent since 1980, the average commute is 41 minutes, up from 31 minutes a decade ago.6/ 21 percent of commuters in Maine have a commute that is 45 minutes or longer, a figure that ranks 21st in the U.S. 7/

Disappearing open space: Each year, Maine loses 38,000 acres due to development.8/ Between 1982 and 1997, the amount of farm and forest land converted to urban uses in metropolitan Portland increased by 108 percent. Only eight other metropolitan areas in the nation saw a greater increase than Portland.9/

Sprawl: Local and state officials involved in regional planning say that Maine will be a very different state by 2050. Southern Maine, according to the State Planning Office, will become so urbanized that it will become an extension of Boston. 10/

Air pollution: As population increases, air pollution is on the rise in the state. In 2001, Maine recorded more bad air days, with ozone at dangerously high levels, than at any time in the past 13 years, according to the Department of Environmental Protection.11/

Cumberland, Penobscot, Knox, and Hancock, and York counties all received a grade of “F” from the American Lung Association in their “State of the Air 2005” report. Kennebec County received a grade of “D”. 12/

Water:

Between 2000 and 2006, Maine’s foreign-born population increased by 14.3 percent.13/That compares with a 3.3 percent increase in the native-born population and that includes the children born to immigrants. When the U.S-born children of immigrants are included, immigration accounts for 22.6 percent of the state’s overall growth during that time.14/By 2050 the state’s population is expected to rise from 1.3 million in 2006 to 1.5 million.15Maine has a daily, per-capita water demand of 80.0 gallons.16This means that by 2050 public water usage will have increased by 16 million gallons each day.

Poverty: In 2005 17.6 of immigrants living in Maine had incomes below the poverty level, an increase of 38.1 percent since 2000. Among non-citizens, the poverty rate is 26.9 percent.17/

Solid Waste: Maine generates 1.03 tons of solid waste per capita.18/

Schools: Between 1990 and 2000, Maine’s elementary and high school enrollment increased seven percent to 220,785. 19/,20/ If this trend continues, communities may find themselves struggling with the overcrowding plaguing many other states.

Immigration and Employment Issues

Maine businesses employ up to 8,000 migrant and foreign workers at any given time.21/ The state Department of Labor is supposed to certify that companies seeking to bring in foreign workers under the federal H2B program (for nonskilled, non-agricultural workers) have made a genuine effort to hire U.S. citizens. The number of H2Bs in Maine has grown in the last six years from 50 to 1,200. An application has never been denied.22/

Endnotes:

  1. “Sprawl Communities,” Maine Sunday Telegram, July 29, 2001.
  2. Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000,” Census 2000, U.S. Census Bureau.
  3. Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 1990,” 1990 Census, U.S. Census Bureau.
  4. Selected Economic Characteristics: 2005 Data Set - 2005 American Community Survey, American Fact Finder, U.S. Census Bureau.
  5. Susan Young, “More Maine Commuters Drive Farther, Dodge Car Pools to Satisfy Lifestyles, Jobs,” Bangor Daily News, May 25, 2002.
  6. U.S. Population 2007 Data Sheet,” Population Reference Bureau.
  7. “State Rankings by Acreage and Rate of Non-Federal Land Developed,” Natural Resources Conservation Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
  8. “Sprawl Rate Among Worst in U.S.,” Portland Press Herald, July 24, 2001.
  9. Shawn O’Leary, “State Foresees Major Sprawl by 2050,” Bangor Daily News, March 16, 2001.
  10. Susan Young, op. cit.
  11. U.S. Census Bureau 2006.
  12. Jack Martin. “Issue Brief: Estimation of Foreign Born Birthrate.” FAIR. 2008.
  13. Jack Martin and Stanley Fogel. “Projecting the U.S. Population to 2050.” FAIR. March 2006.
  14. U.S. Geological Survey 2000.
  15. Report Card for America's Infrastructure 2005," American Society of Civil Engineers
  16. Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000,” Census 2000, U.S. Census Bureau.
  17. “Table DP-1-4, Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 1990,” 1990 Census, U.S. Census Bureau.
  18. Edward D. Murphy, “Migrants Indispensable to State’s Economy,” Maine Sunday Telegram, September 22, 2002.
  19. Bruce Kyle, “Sometimes Even and Inverted Pyramid Misses the Point,” Bangor Daily News, October 5, 2002.


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Saturday, February 13, 2010

Somali Culture- The Basics

I thought I would begin our blog by describing a little about the traditional Somali culture. The following information (and more) can be found at:
http://www.somaliculture.net/customs/index.html
I really like this website (which was written by high school students) because it describes a lot of practices which would be useful for a social worker to know when working with a Somali client. The website provides further information including: dress, stories, poems, and music and I highly recommend checking these out.

Geography:
The country of Somalia is located on the African east coast and (along with Ethiopia and Djbouti) is often called the “Horn of Africa.” The northern portion of Somalia is hilly and most points are far above sea level. The other areas (central and southern) are relatively flat. The climate in Somalia is hot year-round due to its proximity to the equator. Monsoon winds, irregular rainfall, and droughts also occur throughout the year.

Somali people also live in northern Kenya, the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, and Djibouti. All Somalis identify themselves as one people despite their geographic location which makes them one of Africa’s largest ethnic groups.

Short History:
The nomadic rural herding culture is reflected in the term “Somali” which means “go and milk it.”

European explorers first encountered Somalia on a journey to India when they dubbed it Terra Incognite (the unknown land). British, French, and Italian imperialists attempted to divide Somalia into five parts in 1884 to split the power. Each country claimed portions of Somalia. The Somalis resisted and under the leadership of Sayed Mohammed Abdullah Hassan the “Dervishes” revolted and fought for their independence.

In 1949 Somalia became a U.S. trust territory and in 1960 they were granted independence. However, a civil war erupted in 1990 causing may Somali refugees to seek asylum in the U.S.. The war continues to this day.

Language:
The Somali langue was not established until 1974 and includes 21 consonants and 5 vowels:
The consonants: B T J X Kh D R S Sh Dh C G F Q K L M N W H Y
The vowels: A E I O U

There are many differing dialects in Somali but only one written language.
At the following web address you can play a game to match the Somali words with the correct objects: http://www.somaliculture.net/art/somalimatch/Sama%20Mix%201.htm

Traditions:
Handshakes are a common form of greeting in the Somali culture but are avoided between genders.
Common verbal greetings include:
· Assalam Alaikum (Peace be upon you)
· Nabad miyaa (is their peace)
· Subah wanaagsan (Good morning)
· Galab wanaagsan (Good afternoon)
· Habeeb wanaagsan (Good night)

The website also mentions some common hand gestures which are often used to convey ideas:
o A swift twist of the open hand means "nothing" or "no".
o Snapping fingers may mean "long ago" or and "so on"
o A thumb under the chin indicates "fullness".
o It is impolite to point the sole of one's foot or shoe at another person.
o It is impolite to use the index finger to call somebody; that gesture is used for calling dogs.
o The Western"thumbs up" is considered obscene.

A custom specific to the Somali culture (as opposed to other Islamic cultures) is the Dabshid which is a festival held in the Lower Shabelle region in which locals dance around a fire.

Headrests are commonly used in Somalia to elevate the head above the ground while sleeping and to prevent deep sleep in order to guard the herd at night.

The Somali naming system is also different from the Western system: The first name is individualized, the middle name is the father’s first name, and the last name is the grandfather’s first name. Furthermore, first and middle names are used as identification rather than the first and lat names as is common in America.

Most Somalis are Sunni Muslims which affects diet, dress, and daily routines.
The five pillars of Islam
1. The confession of faith: “There is no God but Allah, and
Mohammed is his Prophet.”
2. Prayer five times a day:
3. Giving alms
4. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
5. Making a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in a lifetime (The Hajj)

Cuisine:
Most Somali meals are based around meat (goat, beef, lamb, or chicken) prepared with various spices (turmeric, coriander, cumin, or curry) and usually fried. Pork and alcohol are prohibited in the Somali diet due to Islamic traditions. Sugared tea is the most common beverage in Somalia and is consumed often. Family meals are common in Somali cultures.

Other info and pictures were taken from:
http://www.diversitycouncil.org/toolkit_preview/Resources_TipSheet_SomaliCulture.pdf
http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Somalia.html
and Google Images