The Somali DiasporaThe Somali civil war began with the fall of Siad Barre's regime in 1991. Since then, nearly half of the population has been displaced both internally and internationally, fleeing to twenty-four different countries including the United States (Putman & Noor, 1993; SCAO, 2005). Within the United States, many Somalis were initially resettled into warmer climates such as Anaheim, California; Atlanta, Georgia; and Tucson, Arizona. However refugees quickly migrated to northern cities such as Minneapolis, Columbus, and Lewiston, Maine for a variety of reasons including more affordable cost of living, better education, and availability of employment.
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Somalis in Columbus, OhioSomalis have been coming to Columbus since the early 2000s. Today, there are an estimated 50,000 Somalis currently living in Columbus, though numbers range from 30,000 to 75,000, second only to Minneapolis. Roble and Rutledge (2008) describe the Columbus Somali community as in the preparation stages of development, despite community advancements such as the development of nonprofit service providers, the establishment of over 350 Somali-owned businesses, and the hundreds of Somali students enrolled in higher education. This means that Somali people in Columbus are still working to learn the language and adjust to the culture of central Ohio, while mainstream Americans are still trying to decide how to respond to their new Somali neighbors.
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