| Something I Said African and African American: | | | | us, any more about Somalis or any other Africans |
| Clashes of culture Dwight Hobbes, Twin Cities | | | | than what we've seen in Tarzan movies." Another |
| Daily Planet December 20, 2009 Things have | | | | stumbling block, he added, is "the other side of |
| calmed down in the Twin Cities between Somali | | | | romanticism. Others of us look at Africa in the |
| immigrants and American born black people, but | | | | light that our ancestors were kings, an unreality |
| the tension generated when Somalis first landed | | | | that we have to straighten out." El-Kati summed |
| here has by no means been completely resolved. | | | | up, "It's complex. We are not amoeba." It would, |
| It's two worlds and the spirit of brotherhood and | | | | of course, be a very good thing were relations |
| sisterhood simply isn't shared just because both | | | | between the populaces not to explode all over |
| groups have the same skin color. Think Italian | | | | again. Somalis are here to stay and American |
| immigrants and American-born Irish conflicting, | | | | blacks who have a problem with that would do |
| ages ago. Same thing, only different. In 2001, | | | | well to work on solving it. Or simply get used to |
| news outlets reported that, at Roosevelt High | | | | being in a bad mood whenever the subject |
| School, Somali and African-American youngsters | | | | comes up. And Somalis who insist on looking |
| had taken to regularly brawling at school. The | | | | down their noses might consider reappraising |
| fighting subsided, there was peace in the valley | | | | those to whom they condescend. Toward that |
| and one can be reasonably confident there won't | | | | end, in the interest of at least sustaining a truce if |
| be a repeat of outright violence without some | | | | not hopefully establishing actual peace, Ali |
| extraordinary incident sparking things off. Make no | | | | Warsame and Mahmoud El-Kati come to the |
| mistake, though. Tensions remain. It's evident | | | | same conclusion. Information and communication |
| when Somali cab drivers refuse to pick up black | | | | are key. After all, the more you know about |
| American passengers. It's evident when black | | | | people and the more you interact with them, the |
| American shoppers at department stores refuse | | | | more capable you are of seeing them as human |
| to take their purchases to a Somali cashier and, | | | | beings and not just "the other". "A lot of Somali |
| instead, will gladly stand on a longer line. Ali | | | | leaders in the community, including me", Warsame |
| Warsame is executive director at East African | | | | reflected, "[came to] realize mistakes that were |
| Economic Development. His office is in the Brian | | | | made. That we should initiate some sort of |
| Coyle Community Center on Minneapolis' West | | | | [forums] that could reconcile the differences |
| Bank, across the street from Riverside Plaza. | | | | between these two communities." He noted that |
| Warsame noted his people aren't the only ones to | | | | though there have been panels and roundtables, |
| have a hard time arriving in America, saying | | | | including a series that once took place at Lucille's |
| "Every new immigrant goes through this." He | | | | Kitchen in North Minneapolis and was broadcast |
| acknowledged, however, that American blacks | | | | over KMOJ, he'd like to see more of them and, |
| broke ground on which Somali immigrants stand. | | | | importantly, have dialogues occur not just |
| "African American have gone through a lot of the | | | | between leaders. "I hope that can extend to the |
| struggles," he said, adding that Somalis were not | | | | families and the kids. And the elders." El-Kati |
| aware of black history in the United States. "We | | | | concurred, saying, "I'm glad to see people are |
| didn't know the African Americans basically paved | | | | interested in creating some engagement, 'cause |
| the way. And we [came] to this country without | | | | that's what's going to resolve things." A vital |
| having to go through all of the same trouble." | | | | factor is understanding culture, not so much for |
| Warsame singled out an unsurprising ingredient in | | | | Somalis as for African Americans. African |
| the alienation between Africans and African | | | | Americans, indeed, are lifelong Americans and, as |
| Americans. Mainstream media. "[It] showed us all | | | | such, a great deal of their culture is readily |
| the African Americans who were misbehaving," | | | | accessible. One example is how widely hip-hop has |
| he said. "The TV and the paper, most of times | | | | spread. It is commonplace to see, just like |
| you get negative information." The result? A | | | | suburban white kids, Somali youngsters dressing |
| sense of superiority. The attitude African | | | | hip-hop style, talking hip-hop slang. On the other |
| Americans most commonly hold in contempt | | | | hand, Somalis are, by their traditions, insular and |
| when dealing with Somalis. "If you only rely on | | | | not particularly welcoming of outsiders. "Somalis," |
| that information, people being jailed by the police," | | | | Warsame acknowledged, "came from a very |
| he pointed out, "you are going to end up very | | | | closed culture where they do not interact anyone |
| soon believing African Americans are bad people. | | | | but themselves." This, of course, makes it hard |
| That's what happened when we were new to | | | | for anyone outside their community to get to |
| [America]." Mahmoud El-Kati, African-American | | | | know them. This is more the case, however, for |
| historian and scholar, has spent a career studying | | | | elders than for the youth, who, rather than living |
| and conveying the realities of African American | | | | as strangers in a strange land, prefer to be part |
| and African life. He is of the opinion that whatever | | | | of the life they see going on around them. A |
| tensions remain are to be addressed but aren't | | | | sticking point, Warsame said, is dating and |
| necessarily worth losing sleep over. "There isn't a | | | | marriage. "Some Americans are surprised when a |
| huge conflict between African Americans and | | | | Somali person says our girls cannot be married to |
| continental Africans," El-Kati said. "It isn't | | | | an African American. That sometimes can ignite |
| life-threatening. Not a major fight. People are not | | | | tension. Maybe African Americans take that as |
| up in arms." Placing things in the perspective of | | | | looking down. 'How come your lady cannot marry |
| history, he stated, "This has been going on quite a | | | | me? I'm as good as a Somali man.'" He hastened |
| while. Black people are staple Americans [and] | | | | to add, "It's not because of anything to do with |
| have been here since the beginning and have lots | | | | discrimination." In fact, it's a matter of religion. |
| and lots of people come here. From Africa, Asia, | | | | Somalis are Muslim and Muslim women are not |
| Europe. We were here when Poles and Italians | | | | permitted to marry Christians or anyone else |
| came here and there was some accommodation. | | | | outside their religion unless that man first converts |
| [Friction] is going to go on. I've had bad | | | | and becomes a Muslim. You will, of course, find |
| experiences with African individuals, been insulted | | | | couples here and there who depart from |
| and so forth, but it doesn't make that person | | | | convention, but not many. Warsame sees even |
| representative." He doesn't see African-American | | | | this as subject to change. "Just ten years ago, |
| attitudes toward Somalis as being all that different | | | | you would not have seen any marriage at all |
| from what Ali Warsame said about media-induced | | | | between a Somali and an African American," he |
| perception. "A lot of it's based on preconceived | | | | said. "Time changes things. In another ten years it |
| notions or the absence of an intelligent encounter. | | | | will be still different. In times, a lot of things will |
| The first [thing] black people know is a generality. | | | | improve." It's undeniable. Familiarity, to turn the old |
| Not a thing about Somalians. Some of us couldn't | | | | saying around, breeds consent. Not just in |
| even spell it. Couldn't find it on a map. This is a | | | | romance, but in life at large. And change, as social |
| new reality that has emerged within the last 20 | | | | change often does, can be expected from the |
| years or so, if that long. We don't know, some of | | | | young. |