New Minnesotan's blog

Lincoln International High School • I remember my first day of school in America in 2005. I didn’t even know how to introduce myself to my new classmates in English. When I walked in the 9th grade class at Augsburg Fairview Academy for Health Careers in Minneapolis, there was a group of students who were introducing themselves. When it was my turn, they looked at me and waited for me to talk.MORE »

Mardia Hahmed only went to school until fifth grade in Ethiopia. In order to help her family, she had to quit school and work as a maid for people she says treated her like an animal. She was expected to do every thing in the house: housekeeping, cooking, taking care of the children, taking care of their livestock — like goats, cows, horses and sheep. She also washed clothes by hand, using water which she carried on her back a long distance from a river.MORE »

January 2008 • For nearly two decades now, due to the civil war and the displacement of many Somalis, emigration has been increasing. From 2002 to 2004, 10,000 Somalis came to Minnesota. According to the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, by 2004, an estimated 25,000 Somalis lived in Minnesota. More than half of all displaced Somalis have chosen to settle and live in Minnesota. MORE »

by Nuha Ali • Fears, tears
 Cheers and mirrors Walking on every block, with fears
 Hearing people call you names, and holding back your tears
 Going back home and seeing yourself in all different mirrors

 Asking yourself one thing, "How am I different?"

This blog features new Minnesotans. Many of them participate as part of an English Language Learning class. Nuha Ali is a high school student in the Twin Cities.

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by Makia Jama • Tall buildings tower over school children who get off buses from 3-4:00 in the afternoon. Parents hurrying to the buses to get their children home so they can get on with the rest of their day. Meanwhile, lots of kids run around playing and not giving a care in the world about the beeping cars that are trying to get through.

This blog features new Minnesotans. Many of them participate as part of an English Language Learning class. Makia Jama is a high school student in the Twin Cities.

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by Farrah Yusuf • How do you and your family celebrate Christmas? Do you and your family have the traditional family supper on Christmas Eve? Do you go to the Midnight Mass or do you and your family spend Christmas Eve visiting in the living room and go to church on Christmas Day? Do your children wake up in the morning and reach underneath the glossy, gleaming and glistening Christmas tree and start unwrapping gifts? MORE »

by Farrah Yusuf and Sacdi Mohamed • Why would a rich person in Ethiopia migrate to America to become poor? Because if you are like Agitu Wadajo, you have a drive to empower women in becoming increasingly self-relaint. The mother of five children gave up her comfortable life in Ethiopia to come to America. In Ethiopia, Agito lived in a mansion with many servants and had owned property. Agitu was wealthy in her homeland in Ethiopia. She also used to live in the capital city of Addis Ababa. MORE »

by Nasra Omar • Imagine this: a young black man driving a black SUV with tinted windows and spinning rims blasting Tupac’s greatest hits with a chick on the passenger side. Would you ever think his name is Mohamed?

This blog features new Minnesotans. Many of them participate as part of an English Language Learning class. Nasra Omar is a female Somali teen from north Minneapolis. She came to the United States in 1994, when she was three or four years old.

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I am from Mexico. The land of the most beautiful brown skin. The beautiful Mexican flag that has three colors, Green is "HOPE", for the independence movement. White is "PURITY" for the purity of the Catholic faith. Red is "UNION" for the Spaniards joined in the quest for Independence is red the blood of national heroes. I am from Chichen Itza Pyramids of Yucatan that now became one of the New Wonders of the World. MORE »

I am from Ethiopia, one of the most beautiful countries in the east part of Africa. The country with the flag of three colors of green, yellow and red. Gifted with comfortable climates with thirteen months of sunshine. The country which is well known for its long, amazing Blue Nile river. With the high volcanic mountains, and the large Rift Valley giving unique geographical identity. With the people of diverse cultures, languages, clothing and interesting life styles. MORE »