Finding Comfort in Somali Malls Essay

For the podcast, I interviewed Lina Abdulnoor, with the intention of exploring the intricacies of refugeehood by analyzing Lina’s refugee experience. Lina lived in Iraq with her family until they began receiving death threats due to their religious beliefs. Convinced that they needed to flee the country to survive, they left Iraq as refugees. After leaving Iraq, they settled in Jordan, where they waited two years until the U.N. to approve their request to move to the U.S. in 2012. Lina and her family initially settled in Virginia, where she experienced culture shock as she adapted to American culture and the English language. However, Lina did not feel accepted in Virginia; her experiences in the state led her to think that Americans treated her according to negative stereotypes of Iraqis. After living in Virginia for several months, Lina and her family chose to resettle in San Diego, California, which harbored a larger Iraqi population than Virginia did. Supported by San Diego’s Iraqi community and various refugee organizations, Lina flourished, and she currently studies at UCSD while holding a stable job.

This article made me realize how naive I am about what life is like for many people outside of the United States. The thought of living in a community where my living space is not even completely separated from that of my neighbors is virtually unfathomable. At the very least, this way of life would take a long time to get used to, and Said does a fantastic job of giving readers a glimpse into what everyday life is like in Agordat, Eritrea.

America is a great place. It is filled with hope, dreams, love, and success. Immigrant families choose to come over to America because of those reasons. These families have the American Dream in mind. One particular group that comes to the United States is the Somali Refugees. The Somali Refugees see America as their second chance and lucky them, America is able to give it to them. There is one problem though. Many Americans are not willing to contribute or agree to help the Somali Refugee population. Somali Refugees go through a lot all because of their culture and Americans should help them feel welcomed and wanted here.

Shopping malls didn't just happen. They are not the result of wise planners deciding that suburban people, having no social life and stimulation, needed a place to go (Bombeck, 1985). The mall was originally conceived of as a community center where people would converge for shopping, cultural activity, and social interaction (Gruen & Smith, 2005). It is safe to say that the mall has achieved and surpassed those early expectations. Unfortunately,

Somalia is a country which has gone through an extreme time of hunger, violence and distraught. In the early 1990’s Mohammed Siad Barre leader of Somalia was removed forcibly from power by a union of opposing clans called the United Somalia Congress which, their temporary alliance and partnership soon came to an end dividing the United Somalia Congress into two groups. Mohammed Farah Aidid led one of the groups; Ali Mahdi led the other. The Somalia Civil War between clans consequently destroyed Somalia’s agriculture.

Today at her parent's residential hut in Dadaab, Ahmed Ardo is caught up in flurry of activities. She was among the very the first to arrive at the camp when her family fled their war torn country of Somalia in 1991. She was only five when she was caught up in the horrors of the civil war.

They will approach you and ask if you need any help picking clothes out but most of the time the staff let you see what you want and buy it, it is this what makes the stores so good you enter with a very relaxed atmosphere no one really pressures you to buy the clothes of coarse the one pressure you do have when entering is if you have enough money to buy there clothes! Although you may be able to find some of their clothes because people are reselling them.it was originally supposed to attract 14-18 year olds this line of clothes was going to be cheaper than the parent brand and it was ranked as the second most popular clothing brand in

Africa is a rich continent with an abundance of resources, diverse cultures, exotic people and exciting traditions, yet it seems as though it is perpetually facing armed conflict (Lukunka, 2012). Of the conflicts Africa is facing currently, Somalia is the center for some of the largest conflicts. The history of Somalia has been hit with conflict after conflict, not only between rival clans but also with other countries, most recently between not only regional powers but also the US and Al-Qaida. The current conflict in Somalia differs from the rest due to the number and type of players involved; the large numbers of foreign players involved in local affairs and the role radical Islam is playing in the conflict. With most of the

To my surprise, I left Somalia appreciating the little aspects of my trip. I’m thankful to have gotten to know family from both my mother and father’s side -we were able to bond pretty quickly, and I only wish that I could’ve gotten to know them earlier. I still remember every conversation I’ve had on the terrace with my family, whether it was silly or serious. The environment was calming and quiet, much different than the busy and crowded city I’ve grown up in. Everywhere I turned, there were goats and camels calmly walking alongside people. During my drives from one town to another, I saw such beautiful scenery postcards would do it no justice. Although I was surrounded by poverty, it was hard to tell by the people’s mindsets. There was always a strong sense of community visible through little traditions and rituals. Everyone was hardworking, optimistic, and prideful. This collective spirit made me let go of my pessimistic attitude towards visiting and helped me adopt their

Pointing and sprinting from store to store, bags in hand and wallet held tight. The sounds of screaming, laughing, and talking fill the space. Cash registers beaming and cards being swiped. There’s just no other place like this; a shopping mall. Today, buying clothes or items of interest is highly popular. All of one’s favorite stores feet away from each other, this ritual is composed of elements that might not seem very evident without looking close enough. At the International Plaza in beautiful Tampa Florida, I conducted observations and my own experiences as well to analysis this ritual as a cultural phenomenon. Through this research, we can understand the true meaning of a shopping mall.

The country of Somalia had a colorful past, in that plenty of conflicts went on throughout its history. The government of Somalia improved throughout the years. It has overcome corruption, but even though Somalia is ran different today, the issues of fraud still arise. Government fraud, Civil War, and American difference have been steady throughout Somalia’s peak of destruction. We look to the present day Somalia and see that terrorism and fraud still try to disrupt the clean appearance that Somalia is trying to live by. Though all of these variables are constant in Somalia today, the strength of the government trying to succeed is stronger than creating a setback.

Mental preparation and money. Rather you’re waiting in a line or maneuvering through the stores, it can be frustrating. Always stay calm; people can be rude and inconsiderate when trying to buy items that are limited. I found it convenient to use a specific purse for shopping and use a debit card. In most cases you may be

Somalia is a country situated in the ÒhornÓ of East Africa. It is bordered by the Gulf of Aden in the north, the Indian Ocean on the east and southeast, Kenya in the southwest, Ethiopia in the west, and Djibouti in the northwest. Somalia is about four times the size of the State of Minnesota, or slightly smaller than Texas. The capital is Mogadishu.

The advantage of shopping in a store is to choose the quality of the goods on the spot. People all went to shops to buy goods before online shopping is not in vogue, in store, people can see the real goods, the problem can be solved at that time, if there is the fake goods that can be immediately returned. In store, people also can try to use the goods, especially clothes and shoes, people can put them on and know whether the size fits well or not. For people who like shopping in a store, those people who shopping in stores give them keen enjoyment, they can communicate with their friends and relax on market, at that they could buy some suitable goods. They can see the goods in stores and compare with other ones so that they can decide which one to buy. This is a very effective way. (Marc L. Resnick)

This first time I remember walking through the mall in New Jersey I was a little girl holding my mother’s hand. This mall is a dismal place, with one level and one major department store on each end. The elongated brown brick walls made me feel like I am walking into a dungeon, into the land of the abyss. It was not a joyous place for a child to visit. On one occasion, my mother brought me an ice cream cone and with one lick it was on the floor. I never saw my mother so mad before; she picked up the ice cream and demanded I receive another one. Little did I know that this dark dreary space was going was my future place of employment. The mall was not a place I hung out at as a teenager, first, it was too far and second we had a downtown to shop. While I was away at school they remodeled the mall and expanded the space into a mega palace to include four levels of bright lights, white walls, shining floors, glass elevator and a skylight. The mall added a movie theater, bookstore, hair salons, restaurants, food court, computer stores, post office, and fitness center, just to name a few minor changes. I was speechless, walking around the same mall as I did as a child with amazing like Charlie in the Chocolate Factory.