What I really wish my teachers could know is
"Education is incredibly important and valuable to the Somali community.
We understand that that is how you better yourself."
- a Somali student
(Grey, 2016)
Why did they have to leave home?Somalia has faced significant hardships for nearly five decades. Brutal civil wars and military regimes combined with repeated famines and the loss of border land have sent millions of people to refugee camps (Boyle & Ali, 2010). Our students may have spent a significant amount of time in camps prior to their relocation to Perry Township. Our youngest may never remember a time of stability.
Family StructureMany of our Somali students have faced significant changes in their family structure as they have relocated. Due to tradition and the role of Islam in Somalia, households are headed by the men; however, nearly 1/4 of Somali refugees in the United States are in female-led households (Boyle & Ali, 2010). Since polygamy is illegal in the U.S., some of our students have lost significant members of their household due to the new definition of "family" (Boyle & Ali, 2010). Additionally, the upheaval at home has made arrange marriages and extended family cohabitation much more rare in the United States, and divorce rates are on the rise (Boyle & Ali, 2010).
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SchoolSchooling is important and valued among Somalis. Many adult refugees have post-secondary degrees (Boyle & Ali, 2010). Placement in refugee camps prior to relocation may have caused some disruption in the students' formal education. These students have a strong sense of public vs. private discussion, so public exposure to topics like sexuality may be new to them...but that does not mean that they will be opposed to them (Collet, 2007).
ReligionSomalis identify very strongly through their Islamic faith. This has affected gender roles, dress, prayer practices, and other aspects of their daily lives. Some of those Islamic traditions, like polygamy, have been restricted because of their relocation. They are coming from a country in which wearing the hijab is expected of women, and many of our older female Somali students wear the khimar to school (Boyle & Ali, 2010). The role of Islam is more rooted in tradition than religious law, and our refugees will view their faith and their identity as Somali as intertwined (Collet, 2007).
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CommerceRural Somalis have long been nomadic herders or agriculturalists (Boyle & Ali, 2010). It is traditional for the men to work and, while the women may have been earning income in small shops or by completing tasks like making rugs, women's work was not considered work at home (Boyle & Ali, 2010). In the United States, Somali men are often un- or under-employed, and women may be working outside the home for the very first time (Boyle & Ali, 2010).
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Communication
Somalis are used to talking out problems with a large group of people (Boyle & Ali, 2010). They may, then, find United States police or disciplinary intervention very confusing and limiting. Gender equality may be viewed as favoritism benefiting the woman (Boyle & Ali, 2010). Due to the role of Islam in the refugees' lives, care should be taken concerning physical contact between genders. Lessons involving contact, swimming, or music may need to be adapted. Also, the United States romantic view of love is not something the Somali students will share, so some literature may need further explanation (Boyle & Ali, 2010). They are coming to us speaking Somali, Swahili, or English (Boyle & Ali, 2010). Ask genuine questions respectfully to better understand your Somali students needs.
Works Cited
Boyle, E. H., & Ali, A. (2010). Culture, structure, and the refugee experience in Somali immigrant family transformation. International
Migration, 48(1), 47-79. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2435.2009.00512.x
Collet, B. A. (2007). Islam, national identity and public secondary education: Perspectives from the Somali diaspora in Toronto,
Canada. Race Ethnicity and Education, 10(2), 131-153. doi:10.1080/13613320701330668
Grey, Samantha. (2016). Working with Somali students: A school counselors guide to building relationships with parents and
community members. Masters thesis. Adler Graduate School.
Boyle, E. H., & Ali, A. (2010). Culture, structure, and the refugee experience in Somali immigrant family transformation. International
Migration, 48(1), 47-79. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2435.2009.00512.x
Collet, B. A. (2007). Islam, national identity and public secondary education: Perspectives from the Somali diaspora in Toronto,
Canada. Race Ethnicity and Education, 10(2), 131-153. doi:10.1080/13613320701330668
Grey, Samantha. (2016). Working with Somali students: A school counselors guide to building relationships with parents and
community members. Masters thesis. Adler Graduate School.