Ep 9- Minnesota Somali Father Confronts Racism and Silence
The images sparked outrage far beyond Minnesota: a five-year-old boy in a blue bunny hat detained and sent to a Texas ICE facility along with his father. In Columbia Heights, just north of Minneapolis, that moment put an entire community on edge. I felt the strain when I arrived at a local elementary school during recess and met a Somali father waiting to pick up his own five-year-old daughter, a man whose nationality has too often been politicized, stereotyped, and dehumanized, and who offered a perspective on indifference I had yet to consider.
“You can’t see someone getting shot or get killed...and you can’t pretend like you haven’t taken position. ”
OUR INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
Living Situation and Tensions in Columbia Heights
A Somali father has lived in Columbia Heights for almost seven years.
Ted asks about the tense situation with ICE and picking up Sophia from school.
The father mentions that he hasn't had any run-ins with ICE but knows others who have.
He describes the fear and tension among people, including friends and family who haven't left their homes for over a month.
Impact on Daily Life and Personal Experiences
The father shares that he doesn't talk to his five-year-old daughter, Sophia, about the situation to keep her life as normal as possible.
Ted inquires about his ethnicity, and he confirms he is Somali.
He discusses the controversy surrounding Somalis and the long-standing rhetoric from Donald Trump.
He expresses surprise at the magnitude of the situation but not at the targeting of Somalis.
Racism and Political Changes
The father compares the current political climate to a movie, feeling that racism and prejudice are now more overt.
He notes that politicians used to hint at racism but now openly make racist comments.
He feels that America has changed significantly, with politicians needing to be increasingly extreme to get elected.
He mentions the positive support he sees in Minnesota, where people are protesting in various ways.
Personal Background and Citizenship
Ted asks about his birthplace, and he confirms he was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. in 2006.
He explains that his family came as refugees and were sponsored by his grandmother.
He mentions that most of his family has become U.S. citizens, and his daughter, Sophia, was born in Greenwood.
Ted asks about the future, and he expresses pessimism about the situation improving unless politicians take strong stands.
Indifference and Silence in Minnesota
Ted asks about the indifference of some people in Minnesota towards the situation.
The father argues that silence or indifference is still a position, implying that people who ignore the issue are tacitly supporting it.
He suggests that fear or other factors might be driving people's silence.