How Did Somalis Change the Twin Cities? (Eden Prairie: apartment, unemployment)

[Ahmed Said]

The title says it all--how did Somalis change the twin cities? What can you learn from them? Is it good for American Diversity? Have you ever eaten Somali Food? How does it taste? Anyway, what have Somalis brought to the twin cities that you like or you abhor?

[kuan]

Those kids who hang out behind the Bedlam Theater area and ambush cyclists. They need to go to jail.

Other than that, I love it!

[Oildog]

Unfortunately I have not heard a lot of good things, maybe its the same stuff said about any new immigrant group moving to an area. But many 'tolerant' people I know have complaints about high unemployment, rudeness and entitlement mentalities.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Ahmed Said

The title says it all--how did Somalis change the twin cities? What can you learn from them? Is it good for American Diversity? Have you ever eaten Somali Food? How does it taste? Anyway, what have Somalis brought to the twin cities that you like or you abhor?

I've been gone now for 4.5 years, but the only change I saw (as a resident of Eden Prairie) were a few additional people in colorful outfits walking on the sidewalks or in Eden Prairie center from time to time, which I thought was a nice change.

I saw no other real impact, but they're a small group in a fairly sizable metro area, and I don't know how many actually lived where I normally traveled.

[BarbaraMN]

I find the Somali women that I've encountered in stores (both shopping and working) are beautiful, regal women who are very courteous. I have had very little interaction with any Somali men--with the exception of my son's school bus drivers, and they are very kind.

[BORGUSX]

In my experience in Eden Prairie,when I was young I always thought Somalian people were bad and this is like when I was 12 years old. The incident was that I trusted this guy who was a Somalian when it came to letting him borrow my Gameboy Color,but later he told me that he had it on him. I said that you can borrow it for a little bit more,but when I asked he told me that he was pressured into letting someone's else borrow it. I never did got my Gameboy Color and a game that went with it.

Later on,I realized that the Somalian that didn't act immature were nice. I had Somali food before with a guy I knew at his parents' apartment,since his mom was nice enough to make it for me to eat.

[MRNorthSide]

Originally Posted by rcsteiner

but they're a small group in a fairly sizable metro area.

[chilaili]

The ones I encountered when I lived in Highland usually kept to themselves. They were courteous but distant. That may have been due to language or cultural differences - I'll never know - but I never had any problems with them.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by MRNorthSide

I don't understand your response...?

It takes a lot of effort for any small group to have an impact on an entire metro area, and that is what the original poster was asking about.

Original question: "How did Somalis change the twin cities?"

My answer: I don't think have in any significant way except to add another level of diversity to those specific areas of the Twin Cities in which they actually interact. Otherwise, the Twin Cities in general hasn't changed much because of their presence.

[fishingprof]

I think the older Somalians are OK and work hard. But the somalians in their teens and early twenties I have had some troubles with. I work for the city of Eden Prairie during the summer doing park Maintenance and I have had a few residents come up to me and complain that they are afraid to bring their kids to one of the parks because the somalians always fight and cuss.