Walking from the U of M West Bank to the Cedar-Riverside Lightrail station, one is awed by the looming towers affectionately dubbed the “Crack Shacks” (I am told the name dates back to their former use as college dorms). Awe may not be the right word to describe what one feels looking up at these misshapen Eastern European towers distinguished only by their refusal to blend and their randomly-positioned multicolor panels. These Riverside Plaza towers, once highlighted as the residence of Mary Richards from the Mary Tyler Moore Show, are now home to almost 3500 people, predominantly immigrant families, and they give this portion of Minneapolis a distinct multicultural feel. Somali cafes, Thai restaurants, the Cedar Cultural Center, Halal groceries, Ethiopian eateries – all of these are a welcome change to the gentrified Seven Corners just down the street.
As I continue walking the 15 minutes to the LightRail stop, I pass the Brian Coyle Community Center (BCCC). Often crowds of teenagers are outside playing basketball or catching up on gossip. Some stand, heads together, listening to the latest tunes. Somali elders walk the sidewalk with canes, and an old woman in a hijab flosses her teeth with a twig. This Community Center is always alive, always full of laughter and shouting and life. It is sobering to think that just a few months ago a 22-year-old Somali man was shot to death right where I am standing.
By all accounts, this Augsburg College student had big dreams of achieving great things and contributing to his Somali community. He chose to work at BCCC because he hoped to have an impact on Somali youth. It is unfathomable to think that he was shot at 5 p.m., in broad daylight, after finishing his routine volunteer shift; it is similarly shocking to think that five young Somalis have been murdered in the past 12 months.
Prior to the Somali Civil War beginning in 1991, about 20-30 Somalis called Minnesota home. Local Somali historian Saeed Osman Fahia, executive director of the Somali Community in Minnesota, now estimates that number at nearly 60,000. While this past month saw the United States refuse to accept any more Somali refugees due to suspected fraudulent papers, the Somali community here in Minnesota is a well-established and vibrant ethnic community. (Carlyle, Erin CityPages)
Fahia says it all began as young Africans tried to fit in to American schools. Feeling ostractized, they formed ganges called the Rough Tough Somalis and the Hot Boyz to defend themselves and carve out a community niche for themselves. The No Child Left Behind Act, which placed significantly stricter laws on foreign language instruction, shook the very core of the Somali academic community. In reaction to what Somali youth saw as a disrespect and ignorance of their culture, some youth formed gangs called the Murda Squad, the Riverside Riders, the Somali Mafia, and Madhibaan With Attitude. These informal “gangs” never really achieved widespread popularity (Minneapolis police estimate 150 out of the 60,000 Somalis belong to a gang), but their sheer existence denotes a growing discontent in the Somali youth community following the turn of the millenium. ((Carlyle, Erin CityPages)
Police are still investigating Ahmednur Ali‘s murder. It is frustrating for everyone to see an ethnic group like the Somalis struggle with this inter-cultural conflict. Sadly, this is the expression of far too many disadvantaged or discriminated immigrant communities. Lacking a viable way to address the root of their problems, often the worst violence is directed within the community. The rise in gang violence and tribalism in the Somali community coincided with the downsizing of foreign language and international appreciation programs in American schools. As the economy tightens and Latino immigrants struggle over the same jobs as Somali refugees, both groups have tended to blame each other rather than the industries and employers who deliberately hire unauthorized workers and then keep then undocumented as long as possible. (Relerford, Patrice The Star Tribune)
People acculturate. People change. The only reason immigrant communities fail to integrate is because the community they join refuses to be responsible for their integration. While some Minnesota schools have risen to this challenge, other ESL departments and core curriculum courses have not given a good-faith effort to ensure these first-generation Somali youths have a decent chance in America. It is all too easy to write off these gang murders as echoes of the lawlessness and piracy of current Somalia. However, a true look at these tragic killings reveals our own failure to advocate for integration of ALL. America has always been a land of immigrants, and as international conflicts and nation-state boundaries create a growing number of refugees, America must live up to its responsibility to integrate these refugees and asylum-seekers into our nation. The Beloved Community Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke about so often at the end of his life has yet to be fully realized. Integration is the last civil rights issue – economic crisis or not, this must be one of the most pressing issues for us all.
Smart Borders 