Somalis in Minnesota
An enlightening introduction to Minnesota’s Somalis, who have adjusted to a new climate, new language, and new culture in a region wholly different from their homeland.
Media:
KARE11 Segment on Somali Minnesotans
Short Excerpt from book
The story of Somalis in Minnesota begins with three words: sahan, war, and martisoor. Driven from their homeland by civil war and famine, one group of Somali sahan, pioneers, discovered well-paying jobs in the city of Marshall, Minnesota. Soon the war, news, traveled that not only was employment available but the people in this northern state, so different in climate from their African homeland, were generous in martisoor, hospitality, just like the Somali people themselves.
The diaspora began in 1992, and today more than fifty thousand Somalis live in Minnesota, the most of any state. Many have made their lives in small towns and rural areas, and many more have settled in Minneapolis, earning this city the nickname “Little Somalia” or “Little Mogadishu.” Amiable guide Ahmed Yusuf introduces readers to these varied communities, exploring economic and political life, religious and cultural practices, and successes in education and health care. He also tackles the controversial topics that command newspaper headlines: alleged links to terrorist organizations and the recruitment of young Somali men to fight in the civil war back home. This newest addition to the people of Minnesota series captures the story of the state’s most recent immigrant group at a pivotal time in its history.
“Somalis in Minnesota provides a concise, poetic, and passionate portrayal of the newest group of Minnesotans. The author succeeds in educating us of the complex history that brought this African Muslim refugee community to snow-covered Minnesota and of the human warmth, from both within and without, that led to a chain migration that created the largest Somali settlement in the United States. Well-written, informative, and timely.” –Cawo Abdi, assistant professor of sociology, University of Minnesota
Ahmed Ismail Yusuf is a writer and an independent translator. As a case manager, he works at Community University Health Care Center (CUHCC), a clinic affiliated with the University of Minnesota that serves economically disadvantaged populations.
Available December 2012 from Minnesota Historical Society Press
$16.95 Paperback, 112 pages, 50 B&W photos, available at Amazon, Powells, or B&N
$9.99 E-book available via Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes
[...] Somalis In Minnesota “An enlightening introduction to Minnesota’s Somalis, who have adjusted to a new climate, new language, and new culture in a region wholly different from their homeland.” For more information, click here. [...]
by Click Here For Links From January 15, 2013 « CBS Minnesota on Jan 15, 2013 at 11:08 am
[...] To learn more about Somali Minnesotans, please check out the Minnesota Historical Society website, at: http://discussions.mnhs.org/10000books/somalis-in-minnesota/ [...]
by Somali Minnesotans, through the eyes of three generations | Report in for duty. on May 3, 2013 at 4:37 am
[...] To learn more about Somali Minnesotans, please check out the Minnesota Historical Society website, at: http://discussions.mnhs.org/10000books/somalis-in-minnesota/ [...]
by Somali Minnesotans, through the eyes of three generations | Somalidiasporanews.com on May 3, 2013 at 7:59 pm