Somalis

Settlement in Canada
The 2001 census identified 33,725 Somalis living in Canada. About half, 17,380, reside in Toronto. Their patterns of immigration date back to the 1970s when many came to Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Most came as refugees and settled in Toronto because of the huge Somali community there.

Somalia had achieved independence from Italy in 1960, and had merged with the British protectorate of Somaliland to form the modern Somali Republic. But certain clans within the country gained power, culminating in 1969 in a coup led by Mohammed Siad Barre.

In 1977, Somalia and Ethiopia went to war over the disputed land of Ogden, spurring the first refugee settlement in Canada. But the Somali community in Canada really started to grow in the late 1980s as insurgent clans in Somalia began to try to force the regime of Siad Barre out of power, resulting in a hugely destructive civil war beginning in 1990. Eighty percent of Somali immigrants to Canada are refugees from the civil war; before 1990, the number of Somali refugees in Canada had been 25,000.

In 1991, the United Somali Congress and the Somali Patriotic Movement succeeded in ousting Siad Barre from Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. The war left 8,000 dead and hundreds of thousands more as refugees, and left Somalia riven by continuing clan warfare. In 1991, Somaliland declared independence from the rest of Somalia, although its independence has never been recognized by the international community.

Somalis continue to be one of the top ten countries in numbers of refugees coming to Canada.

In January of 1986, the Somali Immigration Aid Organization (http://webhome.idirect.com/~siao) was developed to meet the growing needs of the Somali community in Toronto. Its main aim was to help Somalis to effectively organize themselves and to help new immigrants adjust to North American life. Somalis faced language barriers and systemic racism as soon as they came to Canada.

Also, there was a high illiteracy rate among women immigrants because in the Somalian lifestyle there was little need for women to be able to read. Somaliland Women's Organization (http://www.somalilandwomen.com) was founded in 1990 as a way to help immigrant women meet other needs, such as educating them in wife assault awareness, housing education, and tenant's rights.

Changes to the Immigration Act in 1993 counteracted these organizations' efforts, requiring Convention Refugees to produce "satisfactory identity documents." In 1997, the government introduced the Undocumented Convention Refugee in Canada Class which allowed Convention Refugees from Afghanistan and Somalia, if they meet certain conditions, to be granted permanent residence in Canada five years after their refugee determination.

Somalis lacking identity documents (which were virtually impossible to obtain because of the lack of a government in Somalia) could not receive "landed immigrant status" until five years after recognition as convention refugees. Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan cut the waiting period to three years in 2000, but continued to insist that the wait was necessary to prevent "warlords and criminals" from entering the country.
But in January of 2001, a lawsuit filed by a group of Somali refugees resulted in a federal court-brokered agreement with Citizenship and Immigration Canada. The agreement will permit undocumented refugees to qualify for landed-immigrant status if they can provide sworn affidavits from people or organizations who can confirm their identity. Immigration officers must also be convinced that explanations for the missing papers can be verified, and that sworn statements made to support an applicant's identity show sufficient and credible knowledge of that person.

Additional safeguards include criminal background and security checks. The agreement lasts until June 3, 2002. It will become permanent after that date if both sides in the suit agree.
The fact that Somalis (and Afghan refugees) were singled out in the original legislation proves that systemic racism is the biggest barrier that the group has to overcome. The CBC's documentary on the Somali community in Etobicoke, "A Place Called Dixon," revealed the xenophobic fears of non-Somali tenants against the immigrant group as well as the panic syndrome that the media promulgate in reporting on "swarms" and "waves" of refugees to Canada. What these reports fail to recognize are the cultural and economic contributions that the Somali and other immigrant groups bring to Canada.

Culture
The Canadian Somali community has brought with it to Canada a distinct culture. A rich tradition of poetry and Islam are the two cornerstones of Somali culture. Somalis introduced to Canada the trendy henna designs that decorate Somali women's hands and legs at weddings. Somalis also have different culinary traditions from European cultures, especially. For example, if you eat over a Somali's house, it is considered more polite to not finish all the food on your plate than to sop up whatever juices and sauces got away with a piece of bread. Otherwise, your host will take it that she didn't feed you enough. Also, in Somalia, certain foods are considered suitable for men only, and others suitable only for women and children. And, as Muslims, Somalis are forbidden to drink alcohol or eat pork.

The two most important holidays for the Somali community are religious. Eid al Adha commemorates the sacrifice of Abraham, and Eid al Fitr marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. Somalis follow the five edicts of the Muslim faith -- profession of faith, daily prayers, alms-giving, going on pilgrimage to Mecca if possible, and fasting during Ramadan. But, unlike other Muslim communities, Somalis are not required to belong to a specific mosque unless they are studying with a specific scholar. They can pray at any mosque they want to. The third and fourth most important days coincide with Canada Day celebrations. On June 26th, the Canadian Somali community celebrates the North's independence and on July 1st, it celebrates the unification of the North and South.

Somali is a Cushitic language, and is similar to that spoken by the Galla and Afar in Ethiopia. Some words and their English translations are as follows:

Abaayo--sister
Keenid--bring
Hooyo--mother
Jacayl--love
Nolol--life
Run--truth

Links Somaliland Women's Organization
http://www.somalilandwomen.com

Somali Immigrant Aid Organization
http://webhome.idirect/~siao

Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
http://www.ocasi.org

Researched by Elizabeth Pagliacolo