| Total population |
|---|
| 85,700[1] |
| Regions with significant populations |
| Twin Cities, Seattle, Columbus, District of Columbia |
| Languages |
| Religion |
Somali Americans are American citizens and residents born in, or with ancestors from Somalia.
The first Somalis to arrive in the United States were sailors who came in the 1920s and settled in New York.[2] In the late 1970s, more Somali immigrants followed suit. However, it was not until the 1990s when the Somali Civil War broke out that the majority of Somalis first arrived in the US.
The Somali community in the United States is the seventh largest in the world behind those of Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya, Djibouti, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and Canada, respectively.
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Current estimates of the number of Somali immigrants living in the United States vary widely, ranging from 35,760 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000) to 150,000 persons.[3] According to 2010 American Community Survey data, there are approximately 85,700 people with Somali ancestry in the US. Of those, about 25,000 or one third live in Minnesota. Ohio, Washington and California have the next largest Somali communities, albeit much smaller in overall size.[1]
Arizona has seen notable Somali migration in recent years, mostly to Phoenix and Tucson. Other states with significant Somali communities include Georgia, Texas, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Colorado and Florida.
In terms of cities, the heaviest concentrations of Somalis in the US are found in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul), followed by Washington, D.C., Columbus, Ohio, New York City, Syracuse, New York, Buffalo, New York, Kansas City, San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Maine and Seattle metro areas.
The Twin Cities now harbor the largest population of Somalis in North America,[4] with the city of Minneapolis hosting hundreds of Somali-owned and operated businesses. Colorful stalls inside several shopping malls offer everything from halal meat, to stylish leather shoes, to the latest fashion for men and women, as well as gold jewelry, money transfer or hawala offices, banners advertising the latest Somali films, video stores fully stocked with nostalgic love songs not found in the mainstream supermarkets, groceries and boutiques.[5]
Because of their Islamic faith, Somalis have suffered various forms of discrimination, including employment discrimination,[6][7] housing discrimination,[8] and harassment at school.[9] In Minnesota, controversy arose after six Somali women filed a religious discrimination complaint with the EEOC over Mission Foods' uniform policy. The women, who asserted that the uniform were immodest by religious standards, were, according to a statement, "relieved of their responsibilities for the time being, and may ultimately lose their jobs if they don’t wear uniforms."[10]
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