Somalis in diaspora especially in the western nations have proven to be the most assimilited and integreted of all the recent immigrants. Therefore it is no surprise that somalis are the most sought after black immigrants in
the west and hence the large number of somalis in the west is no accident comparing to other war and poverty striken africans or blacks in general.
The current second generation somalis are so assimilated that most dont speak somali, let alone have an understanding of it's culture. Most somalis(in west) equate progress with mastery of the culture of the host
nation to the detriment of our culture which has endured thousands of years. This has brought forth a phenomena unique to somalis ie mothers who barelly speak english rearing a child who barelly speaks somali. How could there be a proper child rearing or discipline in light of such a barrier in communication. And coupled with the overwhelliming view thaugh by most mothers to their children that every thang of her past was backward and the child should feel blessed to be reared in such a affleunt society. So when a child barelly speaks his mother tounge and has no high opinion of his mother land, where is the shock when most kids adopt thier host nation culture blindly. Somali youth are disproportionally in jail compared to other second generation immigrants.
This disintegration of culture and morality prevelant among the somali youth in north america and europe is not present in somalis who immigrated to nations closer to thier culture ie kenya, the gulf, egypt and so on. The divorce rate among somalis in the west surpasses that of their hosts which is generally @ 50%. It i therefore no shock that our youth are drawn to the culture of african americans who are dominatelly reared by single mothers. You will find somali youth idolizing 50 cent (child of crack dealer) and the beyonce's; this is because they were brough up by T.V. Ask any somali child born in the west who Sayid Abdulle Hassan or Ahmed Gurey is you get a blind stare, ask them of their contempory pop idols ie 50cents or Jay Z , you will not only get acknowledgement but most will tell you of thier birth dates. "Emancipate your minds from mental slaverly; none but urself could free your mind" Bob Marley. It took as Somalis a mere decade to reach where the african americans are; which took 400 years. This point could be seen in how the mother language and culture have been abonded and how every one is bragging of their new found richness ablivious to lost heritage.
The disintegration of our nation was brough about by pride, our extinction as culture will be brough about by lack of it. Somalia was once a proud nation; the first black democratic country in Africa, had the third largest
army after Egypt and south Africa, free health care, free education (even in university), high litery rate. We got there by pride and we lost it cause of pride. Somalis like the English and Vietnamese among others are very proud people who believe no other culture is better. Since we felt other cultures as no threat to our existence we became our worst enemies for who will lead a nation of leaders? There was a time in somalia before the "unity" and conformity of nations when somalis roamed the horn of africa as proud people relying on themselves and in their Creator. They have weathered harsh elements ie lions, hyenas, heat, thrist, other clans in search of water.
Somalis then as the europeans discovered were untamable. In late 20th century Britian then world super power were forced to use thier most lethal weapon ie chemical to tame rebellion in somalia led by Sayidd Abdulle Hassan, we Somalis carry this as a patch of honour, knowing that while the sun didnt set on union jack then, we somalis put up the bravest fight. The
British army was never compelled before that to drop chemical weapons on adversy, it showed the seriousness o f the opponent. Our decend came about that same element that ascended us ie pride, as there is a japanees proverb which states " every nail that sticks up gets hammered down" it is natures why of keeping us humble. Today Somalia is disintergated entity golloped up
by it is neighbour,there is a somali proverb which says "an injured lion falls prey to a fox". Our absolute pride in ourselves have brough about our demise. We have to become as vigilant as the french quebicois who refused to give up their herigate to become mainstream and hence remain distinc and recognized as so.
Most other recent immigrants from india, pakistan, china have excelled economically and yet maintaned their culture. We have accomplished neither and i am laying the fault at lost heritage; without a past one cant have a
future. There is a new phenomena accouring among the second generation somali youth, our self hatered have reached a point when majority of somali women in west have very low opinion of their man whether justified or not this has translated that today most young somali women fantasies of other races and have very low opinion of somali men in general. Today the problem facing somali youth in west is one of heritage and orality, tommorow i predict there would be awhole new generation of somalis who of mix heritage like african americans who some have said comprimise of 50% mix heritage at one time or other.
Today we are somali canadians or americans but tomorow we will be simply afro americans or afro canadians. Heed the lesson of Oprah winfrey with all her wealth and prestige she was compled to do dna check to determine which part of africa she was from. Oh my brethen somalis and sister we have sold our heritage so cheaply. Somalia in the west are the worst victims of the somali civil war for they will be stuck in centuries of menail labour, discrimination, lost heritage and not to mention lost morality. The western nation have gained a valueble resource in somalis, people who voluntarily gave up thier ways in order to fit in and yet not demanding equality. Cheap labour at cheap cost, we are self maintaining slaves, where every mother brags how fluent her son or daughter speaks english not caring her child speaks no somali. We are worse then slaves for no one volunteers to become one.
Dini Jama
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