Somali Culture

Fast Facts• Population

1975--10,428,0432000 estimates—9-14 million

• 44 percent of population below age 14

• Heaviest populations of US Somalis are in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Washington, DC; Columbus, Ohio; NYC; Buffalo; Kansas City; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle

History & Colonization

• The French controlled the northernmost region (now Djibouti)

• British colonized northern Somalia creating a country called British Somaliland,

• Italians governed southern Somalia, creating Italian Somaliland,

• Ethiopia controlled the inland region of the Ogaden

• Kenya controlled land on its northern border inhabited by Somalis, called the Northern Frontier District (NFD).

Clan Structure

Clan identity is central to identity

Children memorize paternal ancestry from young age

Most of Somalia’s armed clashes since 1991 have been fought in the name of clan, often as a result of manipulation of clannism by political leaders

Remember: just because there are 2 Somali students in a class doesn’t mean they will get along!

Languages

Rich oral tradition

No written language until 1972

Somali= official language 16.6 speakers worldwide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu-S4MDvCoc

http://somaliaholland.free.fr/somali_language.htm

Arabic

Some older generations in northern Somalis speak French, Southern Somalis speak Italian

Music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThgWQPq-RPE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUMzqW0l0G8

Religion

Majority Sunni Muslim

Fasting during Ramadan—ninth month of Muslim calendar year

Teenage immigrants in US faced with many challenges that oppose faith Dating

alcohol

Helpful Links

• FAQs about Somali culture and conversation norms:http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=so#cn-2

• Immigration history and barriers in the classroom: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CC0QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macrothink.org%2Fjournal%2Findex.php%2Fije%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F334%2F325&ei=KwpIVJyrA-mIiwLk_4AQ&usg=AFQjCNHiYiEIM_nwbR7logYv4bB2HeUJ_g&bvm=bv.77880786,d.cGE