Code,345009,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Subject,Mohamadnur Hassan,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Date,1/11/17,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Interviewer,Abedel Tayyara,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Abstract,"[Mohamadnur Hassan was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. As a result of the civil war, he moved to live in Kenya before coming to the United States in 2007. He lived for 6 years in California before moving to Cleveland due to high cost of living. Through this journey he learned number of languages. Currently He is living with his wife and two kids. As to preserve his culture, he tries to speak always Somali with his kids. He is a student at Cleveland State University. He likes living in Cleveland because it is affordable and offers a lot of opportunities. The story of Arabs in general and Somalis in particular is a story of success. ]",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Tags,"[keywords, separated by comma, e.g. ""Arab Americans, immigration, Cleveland, etc ""]",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Minutes,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 0,Mohamadnur lives in Cleveland and is a senior at CSU majored in Public Safety Management. Has a wife and 2 kids.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 1,"Mohamadnur is originally from Mogadishu, Somalia. He left and lived in Kenya, then to Orange County, CA, USA for 6 years, then to Cleveland.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 2,"Life in Somalia: at 4-5 years, no one is required to watch over a child. But there was societal trust in which kids could be with neighbors and in town and be ok",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 3,As long as you came home for lunch or dinner or to sleep. Mohamadnur did not enjoy the civil war while he was growing up. But socially the country is very interesting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 4,"Mogadishu is the capital city, population 2-3 million. 2nd largest growing city in the world. Due to improvement of cities and the country over the last years.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 5,Left Mogadishu for Kenya to flee the civil war and stayed there for many years. Kenya is an east African country and had different religions and languages.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 6,"In Kenya there were many different kinds of people, speaks Swahili, but Mohamadnur never became fluent in Swahili",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 7,"English speakers are growing in Somalia, Somalis now speak Somali, Arabic, and English. He did not speak English while in Somalia or Kenya",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 8,"He started learning English in the US, due to the demand to speak the language from the American lifestyle",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 9,"Felt he had no privacy without knowing English. Even had to take a translator to see the doctor. His first job required him to do physical labor only, but lack of English made it difficult to communicate and socialize with coworkers and performing his job.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 10,The constant training/new rules in his job forced him to learn the language,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 11,"Decided to come to USA because his family moved in 2002, he received a visa and came to live with his father as well as look for opportunities that were not available in Somalia or Kenya (education, work)",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 12,Came to USA with his siblings. 3 years later went back to Kenya to get married (October 2010). Has 2 boys. Had to leave wife in Kenya because she was not a citizen.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 13,It is not an easy process to live in the US if you are not granted a visa. Applied for spouse visa after becoming a citizen in 2012. Wife moved to USA in 2013.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 14,Other difficulties – financial stability. Southern CA is very expensive. Had to leave because of cost of living.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 15,"Enrolled in adult education center, cousin advised him to enroll in college, do ESL and advance his education.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 16,Dedicated a lot of time in class and outside of class to learning English. One thing to help very much was having a good relationship with the ESL professors.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 17,His ESL professors gave him extra coursework to help him learn faster. Became proficient in English in 3 years.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 18,Arrived in US 2007. Received support from his family,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 19,There is a small Somali community in San Diego. About 400-500 in LA. LA & OC about 800 families.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 20,"In the US, Somali immigrants have been established here since the 1980s.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 21,"Somalis who came to the US are considered first generation. First wave = 1980s (students, numbers few). Second wave = 1991 (central government of Somalia taken by rebels, much higher numbers).",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 22,"After the collapse of the central government in Somalia, Somalis started fleeing Somalia and came to the US in larger numbers.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 23,Decided to move from CA to Cleveland due to the high cost of living. Also one of his best friends lives in Cleveland.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 24,"Came to Cleveland in 2011 for a visit, found that he favored the lifestyle in Cleveland and the developing city. Went back to CA and moved to Cleveland in 2013.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 25,"In CA, was struggling to pay bills and meeting deadlines while working two jobs and taking classes. In Cleveland, it is more manageable to work and go to school.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 26,"Moving to Cleveland enabled him to be a full time student, work, and pay bills. In CA, worked in manufacturing. In Cleveland, works driving taxis, owned his own taxi.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 27,"After becoming fluent in English, became a freelance interpreter at Cleveland Clinic, Family & Job Service Centers, etc. Has little free time working full time and being a full time student.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 28,Manages his time to still have some hours to socialize with friends and family. Is connected with the Somali community and Arab community in Cleveland.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 29,"Was introduced to some people in school, graduated from tri-C and had some Arab professors there and at CSU. In Cleveland, a lot of businesses (grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants) owned by Arabs and he knows some of them personally.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 30,"350-400 Somali families in Cleveland, number was smaller before 2007/8. Recently the number is increasing because of Somalis seeking refuge (from Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Cairo, China, etc) mainly from Yemen.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 31,"The Somali community is larger in Columbus. The largest Somali community in the US is in Minneapolis Minnesota, the second largest in Columbus.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 32,"A lot of Somalis in Cleveland are working here, but have their families in Columbus. Some people are moving from Columbus to Cleveland, the community talks and helps each other acquire jobs and such (the reason some are coming to Cleveland).",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 33,"Most Somalis are newcomers/first generation, so they must rely on each other. The borrow and loan to each other. He praises the community for this.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 34,"Somalis are involved in different circles of jobs. Drive taxi, one is a police officer, some own businesses (restaurants, grocers, halaal places)",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 35,One Somali owns a home care center. They are doing well. The Somali community in Cleveland is a story of success.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 36,"In Cleveland, they do not have a large number in the justice system. Only a handful. There is room for improvement. ",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 37,"Mohamadnur believes the success is collective. He has been to different cities, the people in Cleveland are succeeding more than other cities.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 38,"He has not conducted research on the effect of community, but believes the people of Cleveland are friendly and it does contribute to the success of the Arab communities in Cleveland.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 39,"When trying to own or establish a business, sometimes they will be co-owners, give opportunities and share the stakes in the business so everyone can profit from it. Somalis in Cleveland all know each other and mentor each other.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 40,"Those who arrived first help those who arrived later. There are no Somali cultural centers, but they rent venues for meeting and socializing on the weekends or during the holidays. It may be organized just by 5 or 6 people, but everyone is invited to socialize and see each other.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 41,"These events are how you find out who needs support, who is sick, etc. They provide food, sweets to enjoy time together. This is completely voluntary. No one is burdened by this.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 42,"Somalis are very conservative. Families are trying their best to preserve the culture, through language is maybe the most important way.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 43,"If someone does something to contradict the Somali culture, they are kind of isolated because they are leaving the culture – this helps maintain it because no one wants to be left out.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 44,He tries to speak Somali with his children always – he is not worried about English because they will learn that in school. Some people take their children to Somalia for vacation to spend time immersed in the culture and solidify the language.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 45,"In some ways, being multicultural is advantageous but sometimes it is detrimental. He studied Asian cultures and their integration into the US",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 46,"To integrate does not mean to assimilate and lose one’s identity or culture. The more you preserve your language and your culture, the more you will be successful.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 47,"Believes we must respect all different identities in the US, at the same time live with your own identity. Believes Cleveland is a good place to do this and is also very affordable. CA is overpopulated, but Cleveland makes it easier to divide time between job, family, education",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 48,Arabs in cleveland are in a good standing right now. 5 years from now…,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 49,"It depends on if Cleveland can create jobs/opportunities, but he believes the Arab communities will be successful and advance. Right now they own houses and businesses, so the future is bright.",,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 50,END OF INTERVIEW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,