The Deteriorating Safety Conditions Facing Somali Workers in Minnesota’s Meat Processing Plants

Written by Garat Ibrahim

The general level of safety of Somali workers has been eroding for some time inside the Jenneo plant in Melrose, Minnesota, but today I would like to share with you a story of one worker who has endured tremendous challenges—challenges that were and are completely preventable.

I’ll use the alias “Jimale” to protect this workers identity—a worker who has suffered life threatening injuries.

This particular employee started working at the plant through a temporary agency. After three months, one is either hired or transitions into another three month probationary period with Jenneo itself. This is to say, one could work for nearly 6 months without any solid word concerning their job status, but… Read more

Health

Refugee Struggles in Minnesota’s Meat-Packing Plants

Written by Garat Ibrahim

Over the last two decades the trend of Somali refugees moving from their war torn homeland to America, so often finding work in small meat packing plants, has had a profound impact in small towns across the Midwest and the Great Plains.

These refugees come to these places seeking shelter, yes, but also to join the fabric of these small towns—to become enmeshed in them. In early 1993, many came to the meat packing plant in Marshall, Minnesota, and then to central Minnesota, and to towns like Cold Spring, Melrose, and Pelican Rapids.

Lack of Education Spurring on Public Health Epidemic in Minnesota

Written by Garat Ibrahim

According to recent media reports, eleven confirmed cases of measles have appeared in the Twin Cities, with about half emerging from the Somali community.

Despite the dedicated efforts of health professionals within our community, many of us continue to neglect a primary parental responsibility – we fail to have our children immunized.

Though it is generally difficult to calibrate responses from within the Somali community regarding the topic of immunizations, it would seem the supposed link between autism and the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella vaccine (MMR) is chief among factors deterring parents. Such safety concerns probably explain the drop in MMR vaccinations over the last year within the Somali community.

Health

The hardships faced by refugees in rural meat-packing communities intensifies daily

Written by Garat Ibrahim

The impact the economic crisis has had on the refugee community in central Minnesota is significant. The major layoffs at the end of 2008 resulted in a number of refugees that are still out of work. After their employment benefits expired many looked for available jobs in small towns across the region and in neighboring states.

In this region, new Somali refugees initially worked in the meat-packing industry because those jobs did not require any experience.

The meat and poultry processing companies began hiring through temporary agencies which drastically eroded wages for workers, lowering the standard hourly rate by at least two dollars.

Politics

Who is to blame for the lack of progress in Haiti?

Written by Garat Ibrahim

It has been one year since the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. World attention vividly captured the impact of that tragedy through television and a lot of people around the world sent contribution to help the people of Haiti. Billions of dollars were pledged by Western countries to help Haitians rebuild and resettle.

But that has not been enough and Haiti is still suffering. In the last weeks the international media outlets are looking for who is accountable and they seem to have aid organizations in their sights.

There has been a lot of blame heaped on NGOS for not making enough progress, and it might be partially deserved, but there are many more factors.

Food Justice

Discerning between cheap and inexpensive food

Written by Garat Ibrahim

Over the past few years I have turned a critical eye on American agribusiness and the corporate food industry. Giant companies increasingly turn profits by cheapening the nutritional value of food and selling it inexpensively. High fructose corn syrup and sodium are major contributors to this process whether they appear in Big Macs or turkey sandwiches or vegetable broths.

It is one thing to eat these foods on occasion as a choice, but for folks using the SNAP CARD or as it was formerly known, EBT, this is the only option. Is it any wonder that diet related illnesses like obesity; hypertension and diabetes are epidemic, especially among poor people? What are the long… Read more

Terry Jones: An Attack On Our Freedom

Written by Garat Ibrahim

Over the last two years we have seen a tide of hate-mongering and Muslim-bashing wash across the United States.  Mosques have been attacked in California and Tennessee, and ever since the Islamic Cultural Center was planned for lower Manhattan, it seems that this wave is building daily.  Recently, the Islamic Cultural Center, which would be located two blocks from the site of the former World Trade Center, has gained a lot of attention in the US and across the world.  I have always felt that America owes its liberty, prosperity, basic human rights and democracy to a dependence upon, and submission to God.  Immigrants of all faiths who come to America’s shores should be… Read more

Politics

Hope in the Making, Somali Americans Run for School Board

Written by Garat Ibrahim

The most recent primary election was quite extraordinary for a new group of Americans who live in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. For the last 10 or so years, school issues have been a big topic of discussion for the Somali and minority communities in Saint Cloud. Students who are refugees or are the children of refugees face unique challenges. Somali parents have had a frustrating time trying to get school officials and board members to understand those challenges, and help their children flourish in the school system.

Unfortunately, the response by school officials made it clear that they were not ready to acknowledge the demographic changes in this small city of 68,000 with minorities making up… Read more

Immigration

Somali Community Concerned About Recent Vandalism

Written by Garat Ibrahim

The red spray paint on the front window of Somali-owned Hormud Market had not a so subtle message: “GO HOME.”

The bigot who painted the graffiti could have chosen any other grocery store in town, but painting those sentiments in front of a Somali-owned grocery store clearly represent the hateful attacks on Somali residents and all of the – largely peaceful – residents of Saint Cloud.

This is not the first time a Somali-owned grocery store has been vandalized in Saint Cloud or that the community has seen race-based issues flare up. From time to time over the last decade this has been a traumatic experience for the Somali refugees in Saint Cloud.

International

Somalis in Minnesota Celebrate 50 Years of Independence

Written by Garat Ibrahim

Somalis in Minnesota marked the 50th anniversary of the Somali Independence Day on Thursday at Saint Cloud’s State University Hall. Hundreds of Somalis and their friends gathered to celebrate the 50th anniversary. In 2007, Ghana became the first African country to celebrate fifty years of independence from European colonial rule .This year sees several African countries celebrating half centuries of independence – the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, Mali, Niger and a couple more.

Several parts of Somalia gained independence from different colonial powers on or around July 1, 1960: former Italian Somaliland gained independence from Italy and British Somaliland gained independence on the 26th of June from Great Britain. July 1… Read more