Somali Americans are Americans of
Somali ancestry. The first ethnic Somalis to arrive in the U.S. were
sailors
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
who came in the 1920s from
British Somaliland
British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Somalia, French So ...
. They were followed by students pursuing higher studies in the 1960s and 1970s, by the late 1970s through the late 1980s and early 1990s more Somalis arrived. However, it was not until the mid and late 1990s when the
civil war
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policie ...
in
Somalia broke out that the majority of Somalis arrived in the United States. The Somali community in the U.S is now among the largest in the
Somali diaspora.
History
The earliest ethnic Somali immigrants to the United States were sailors who arrived in the 1920s, mainly from
British Somaliland
British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate ( so, Dhulka Maxmiyada Soomaalida ee Biritishka), was a British protectorate in present-day Somaliland. During its existence, the territory was bordered by Italian Somalia, French So ...
. Eventually acquiring American citizenship, they actively participated in the Somali independence movement and served as key liaisons whenever Somali political figures visited the UN headquarters. For their substantial contributions to Somali society, these early Somali expatriates were rewarded with medals by the Somali government and some were also issued land back home. Following independence in 1960, Somali students began arriving in the US to pursue higher studies while living with relatives or on scholarships. Many of the youngsters returned to Somalia after graduation and went on to play an important role in the development of their nation. During the 1980s, a small number of Somalis settled in the United States. They were later joined by many other ethnic Somalis from different backgrounds, who sought asylum in the US after the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia or emigrated from other parts of
Greater Somalia
Greater Somalia ( so, Soomaaliweyn, ar, الصومال الكبرى ''As-Sūmal al-Kubra'') is a concept to unite all ethnic Somalis comprising the regions in or near the Horn of Africa in which Somalis, ethnic Somalis live and have historically i ...
.
A large number of the Somali immigrants settled in
Minnesota, which by 2002 harbored the largest population of Somalis in North America.
Many of the newer arrivals came through voluntary agencies (
VOLAGS
VOLAG, sometimes spelled Volag or VolAg, is an abbreviation for "Voluntary Agency". This term refers to any of the nine U.S. private agencies and one state agency that have cooperative agreements with the State Department to provide reception and p ...
) contracted with the
State Department, who helped them settle in. By 2006, Somalis in the state accounted for $164–$394 million in purchasing power and owned 600 businesses.
The city of
Minneapolis in particular hosts hundreds of Somali-owned and operated commercial ventures. As of the 2015 American Community Survey, there are 57,000 residents in the state who are of Somali ancestry, among whom 31,400 were born in Somalia.
Somalis in the United States often send resources to their extended families abroad, remittances that were facilitated by the signing of the
Money Remittances Improvement Act.
Following a greatly improved security situation in Somalia in 2012, many Somali U.S. residents have also begun returning to
Mogadishu and other parts of the country.
A few of the homeward-bound immigrants along with some American-born associates have been sought and/or prosecuted for allegedly providing material support to the
Al-Shabaab and
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ' ...
political militant groups. However, according to intelligence officials, fewer expatriates were joining the groups' ranks by late 2013.
Most of the returnees have instead repatriated for investment opportunities and to take part in the ongoing post-conflict reconstruction process in Somalia. Participating in the renovation of schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure, they have played a leading role in the capital's recovery and have also helped propel the local real estate market.
Demographics
Current estimates of the number of Somali immigrants living in the United States vary widely, ranging from 35,760 to 150,000 persons.
2010 American Community Survey data indicates that there are approximately 85,700 people with Somali ancestry in the US. Of those, around 25,000 or one third live in
Minnesota;
21,000 of the latter were born in Somalia. Nationwide, 76,205 were Somalia-born.
Somalis are the second largest ethnic group from the
Horn of Africa, after
Ethiopians
Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts o ...
.
According to US Census Bureau estimates for 2008-2012, the largest concentration of Somalia-born people in the United States is in the
Minneapolis-
St. Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
-
Bloomington area (17,320) of Minnesota. Other metropolitan areas with significant numbers of Somali Americans include
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and ...
(8,280),
Seattle-
Tacoma-
Bellevue in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
(7,850),
San Diego-
Carlsbad-
San Marcos in California (2,845),
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
-
Arlington-
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandri ...
in the
Virginia-D.C. area (2,715),
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
-
Sandy Springs
Sandy Springs is a city in northern Fulton County, Georgia and an inner ring suburb of Atlanta. The city's population was 108,080 at the 2020 census, making it Georgia's seventh-largest city. It is the site of several corporate headquarters, i ...
-
Marietta in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
(2,305),
Phoenix-
Mesa-
Glendale Glendale is the anglicised version of the Gaelic Gleann Dail, which means ''valley of fertile, low-lying arable land''.
It may refer to:
Places Australia
*Glendale, New South Wales
** Stockland Glendale, a shopping centre
* Glendale, Queensland, ...
in Arizona (1,965),
Portland-
Vancouver-
Hillsboro in Oregon (1,480),
Nashville-Davidson
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
-
Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...
-
Franklin
Franklin may refer to:
People
* Franklin (given name)
* Franklin (surname)
* Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class
Places Australia
* Franklin, Tasmania, a township
* Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
in Tennessee (1,420),
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
-
Cambridge
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge becam ...
-
Quincy in Massachusetts (1,380), and other areas (28,650).
In 2014, the
Minneapolis City Council
The Minneapolis City Council is the lawmaking body of Minneapolis. It consists of 13 members, elected from separate wards to four-year terms, via a ranked-choice method. The council structure has been in place since the 1950s. In recent elections ...
passed a resolution marking July 1 as Somali American Day. The event commemorates the
Independence Day of Somalia, which is annually celebrated on the same day.
The council also approved a resolution making Minneapolis and
Bosaso
Bosaso ( so, Boosaaso, ar, بوصاصو), historically known as Bender Cassim is a city in the northeastern Bari province ('' gobol'') of Somalia. It is the seat of the Bosaso District. Located on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden, the mun ...
in northeastern Somalia
sister cities.
Additionally, the
Federal Government of Somalia
The Government of Somalia (GS) ( so, Dowladda Soomaaliya, ar, حكومة الصومال الاتحادية) is the internationally recognised government of Somalia, and the first attempt to create a central government in Somalia since the coll ...
announced that it would start officially keeping count of Somalis abroad.
Employment
Many Somali refugees in the US have experienced difficulties accessing the labour market. According to the 2010 census, 47% of Somalis in Minnesota were employed, 13% unemployed and 40% were economically inactive. By comparison, the unemployment amongst the state's overall foreign-born population was 6%. The unemployment rate of Somalis in Minnesota is, however, significantly lower than amongst Somali populations in places including London and Toronto. At the national level, survey data over the period 2011 to 2015 shows that 58% of working Somali Americans were employed and 5.1% self-employed, compared to 26% and 0.7% of working-age
Somalis in Sweden
Somalis in Sweden are citizens and residents of Sweden who are of Somali ancestry or are Somali citizens. A large proportion of these emigrated after the civil war in Somalia, with most arriving in Sweden after the year 2006.
Demographics
Acco ...
.
Community organizations
The Somali community in the United States is represented by various Somali-run organizations. Somali Community Services in
San Jose and the Somali American Council of Oregon (SACOO) on the west coast offer guidance to new Somali families and works closely with the municipal authorities to strengthen civic relations.
The Somali Community Access Network (SomaliCAN) is one of several groups serving Columbus' Somali community. In Minnesota, the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM), Somali American Parent Association (SAPA), and Somali Action Alliance also offer various social services to the state's resident Somalis.
Politically, a Somali American Caucus in the
Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) was formed to represent the Somali community. A Somali American also chairs the
Republican Party
Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party.
Republican Party may also refer to:
Africa
* Republican Party (Liberia)
*Republican Party ...
's Immigrant Relations Committee in Minnesota.
Diplomatic missions
Somalis in the United States are represented by the embassy of Somalia in Washington, D.C.
The embassies of
Djibouti
Djibouti, ar, جيبوتي ', french: link=no, Djibouti, so, Jabuuti officially the Republic of Djibouti, is a country in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Somalia to the south, Ethiopia to the southwest, Eritrea in the north, and the Red S ...
and
Ethiopia in the capital provide additional diplomatic representation for resident ethnic Somalis.
The self-declared republic of
Somaliland maintains a representative office in Washington as well.
Notable people
*
Barkhad Abdi
Barkhad Abdi ( so, Barkhad Cabdi; born April 10, 1985) is a Somali-American actor. He made his acting debut as Somali pirate Abduwali Muse in the biographical drama film '' Captain Phillips'' (2013), which earned him a British Academy Film Awar ...
, actor,
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nominee
*
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed
Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed ( so, Maxaamed Cabdullaahii Maxaamed, ar, محمد عبدالله محمد; born 11 March 1962), also known as Farmaajo, is a Somali politician who served as president of Somalia from 2017 to 2022. He was prime minist ...
, diplomat, professor and politician; President of Somalia
*
Ilhan Omar
Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota ...
, congresswoman, first Somali American elected to US House of Representatives
*
Dahir Adan Elmi
Major General Dahir Adan Elmi ( so, Daahir Aadan Cilmi, ar, ضاهر عدن علمي), also known as Dahir Aden Indha Qarshe, is a Somali military general. He is the former chief of the Somali Army.
General Dahir Adan Elmi hails from Sheekhaal ...
Chief Commander of Somali National Army 2000s
*
Mohammad Ali Samatar
Mohamed Ali Samatar ( so, Maxamed Cali Samatar; 1 January 193119 August 2016), also known as Ali Samatar was a Somali politician and lieutenant general. A senior member of the Supreme Revolutionary Council, he also served as the Prime Minister ...
Former Somali Prime Minister 1987–1990
*
Ali Khalif Galaydh
Ali Khalif Galaydh ( so, Cali Khalif Galaydh, ar, علي خليف غلير) (15 October 1941 – 8 October 2020) was a Somali politician. He was the Prime Minister of the transitional Somalia administration from 8 October 2000 to 28 October 2001. ...
Somali Politician and Former Minister 1980s
*
, An Economist, Former Somali Prime Minister
See also
*
Somali diaspora
*
Dalmar TV
WCSN-LD, virtual channel 32 (UHF digital channel 26), is a low-powered Movies!- affiliated television station licensed to Columbus, Ohio, United States. The station is owned by Louisville, Kentucky-based Word Broadcasting Network.
History
WC ...
, a Somali-language television network
*
History of the Somalis in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
*
Somalia–United States relations
References
External links
Somali American media
{{African immigration to the United States
Horn Africans in the United States
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
Political refugees in the United States
African-American society