Refugee Services: Part 2 - Sociological Insights on Refugee Services

This report provides an insightful analysis of the experiences of the Somali Bantu community, focusing on their resettlement in the USA. The author, through direct interaction, explores the cultural dynamics, societal challenges, and the impact of gender inequality within the community. The report highlights the prevalence of patriarchal structures, forced marriages, and limited educational opportunities for women in Somalia, contrasting them with the experiences of African American Muslim women in the USA. It emphasizes the importance of women's education as a catalyst for family and societal progress. Furthermore, the report addresses the challenges of cultural interaction, particularly the socially deviant behavior of some young male refugees, stemming from pre-conceived notions and toxic masculinity. The author reflects on the personal and professional growth gained from working with diverse ethnic groups, emphasizing the development of patience, empathy, and an unprejudiced mindset, crucial for a successful career in social work.

Running head: REFUGEE SERVICES: PART 2
REFUGEE SERVICES: PART 2
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author Note

Working with the Somali Bantu community refugee immigrants in the USA has provided me
with a rich experience of ethnic and cultural diversity. The Bantu community of Somalia has
taken refuge in the USA as the law and order and administration of Somalia has been paralyzed.
Somalia has been affected by terrorism, socio- cultural violence and troubling climate which has
compelled them to flee from their own land and take shelter in the USA. Somali society is
dynamic but there is certain lack in cultural development that is persistent to their society. Evils
of the society, such as forced marriage, child marriage are prevalent in Somali society that has
made the life of Somali kids and women hellish. The Somalis who are originally semi- nomadic
herders in a frequently arid environment and dependent upon meat and animal protein for
survival, famine, drought and poverty is common for them. Being socio- economically
challenged community, Bantu groups of Somalia have certain inherent toxic issues in society,
such as misogyny, patriarchy, gendered violence and toxic machismo. While interacting with the
young Somali Bantu women who have fled from their country to search for opportunities in
America, I came to know how oppressed they were socio- culturally and economically in Somali
society as they were forced into marriage and were not given appropriate education. Comparing
Somali Bantu young women with the African American, black, muslim young women, it can be
observed that the Somalis are already double marginalized and oppressed. While interacting with
the family of a couple and two daughters, the mother, who is a post graduate, said that she was
concerned about the future of her daughters as Somalia is not a woman friendly country at all.
She was concerned about the academic and professional achievement of her daughters so she
compelled her husband to take the whole family to a better, gender- neutral country like the USA
where they can provide a better environment for her daughters to develop themselves. As far as
my insight goes, by interacting with the family I realized that Somalia needs women education

more than any other strategy for building a healthy and safe nation. In the family, the woman
(the mother) who has well qualified has been concerned about her family and daughters and she,
through the insights she received through her education, guided the family to come to the USA
for opportunities, which is a progressive action in a Somali family. Hence, when a Somali
woman is educated, it is proved that she is determined the improve her whole family. While
comparing the family with the average African American muslim family in the USA with
daughters, I have observed that African Americans, even though late, are still privileged as
almost all African American muslim young girls go to school, college and get higher education
compared to African American muslim boys. It shows how a nation can be built and made robust
if the women of the nations are given premium education.
However, the most challenging situation I faced is the cultural interaction with the young single
male Bantu refugee immigrants. As it is a fact that Somalia is an underdeveloped nation which is
built on a highly patriarchal foundation with toxic masculinity and machismo that sometimes
goes against men and women alike, the young males have shown socially deviant behavior.
There have been instances where Somali young men and boys have shown sexually explicit
behavior with the white European American women and other women of different ethnicities in
the streets of the USA. As they belong to an ultra- conservative and underdeveloped society, they
have pre- conceived notions regarding women of diverse ethnicities. Such notions give rise to
racial misogyny that leads to violent gender crimes and sexual offenses. Moreover, most of the
Somali men are also not ready to change their behavior or attitude towards women, which is
highly disheartening.
In spite of all kinds of good and toxic experiences, I have realized that working with diverse
ethnic groups have provided me with a special edge in my career as a social worker. Being a

social worker, I am patient, unprejudiced and always empathetic. By mingling with different
culture, tradition and norms of different ethnicities, I have been able to make my mind freer and
more unprejudiced. Such freethinking and unprejudiced mind without any stereotypes and
generalizations would ensure me success in my career in my later life. I believe that the more
liberal the mind is, the more insightful and wise I would become as a person.