SRDP

Migration Experiences of Somali-Canadian Second Generation Youth in Canada

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:58:58 +0000

“Sagal Jibriil unveiled in her academic paper “the migration, settlement and integration of the Somali diaspora of
Canada throughout the 1990s to the present, with an emphasis on the difficult integration and
settlement experience of Somali-Canadian youth”. Sagal attempted to better understand “the experiences of
Somali families, specifically Somali families from the Greater Toronto Area, and the barriers
they have faced in their process of relocation from Somalia to Canada”. Further, The author “emphasizes the experiences of Somali-Canadian second generation male youth who are impacted
by the obstacles their immigrant families face upon arrival in Toronto, and how that has hindered
their integration into mainstream Canada such as in the labour market, the education system and
their experiences with discrimination and other systemic barriers”. Throughout the document Sagal argued that “these families face literacy
problems and therefore cannot provide necessary educational support to their children at home.
They face employment barriers and housing conditions in areas that are sometimes prone to
violence, and consequently do not possess the requisite political skills to assist their children in
navigating the various institutions that they must interact with such as the schools, security,
policing and judicial systems. All of these challenges have affected Somali youth leading to their
own difficult experiences in Canada”

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Experiences of Dhaqan Celis and Mentally Ill Returnees in Somaliland

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:57:38 +0000

“Somali migrants do not always succeed in meeting the high expectations of their families and
communities. This article focuses on this “failed diaspora”, i.e. the experiences of those
Somali migrants who have been deported or returned to Somaliland, either by authorities or
their families, because of criminal behaviour, mental illness, drug abuse or life styles that
Somali parents cannot accept. It is hoped that they will recover in Somaliland by being
“returned to culture” or by receiving religious and traditional treatments.
In the diaspora a Somali migrant continues to belong to an extended Somali family, its
values and networks, and the family may make strategic decisions on behalf of an individual.
Ultimately, the success of a transnational Somali family is dependent on the behaviour,
achievements and resources of its individual members. This article is based on a total of 6
months ethnographic fieldwork that was carried out in Somaliland in 2005–2011.”

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understanding Violence Among Somali Canadian Male Youth – A Population Health Perspective

admin — Sun, 18 Apr 2021 07:56:33 +0000

In the past decade, the Somali Canadian community has experienced a heightened
rate of youth violence. Since 2005 several dozen young Somali men have lost their lives.
Most of the incidents occurred in Edmonton and Toronto, with sporadic incidents in
Ottawa as well. The violence, mostly concentrated in northern Alberta, attracted
sustained media attention which, in turn, led to public and private discussions within the
Somali community. This study explores the determinants of youth involvement in violence
and related criminal activities, as well as the impact of that violence on the families of its
victims and perpetrators, and the larger Somali community.
The study’s design consisted of in-depth interviews with Somali Canadians and
non-Somali key informants, in the three cities where the majority of the Somali
population resides, to elicit their explanations of the violence, and their perceptions of its
impact.
Results indicate that the proximal determinant of the violence was the young
men’s participation in the drug trade in northern Alberta. Distally, determinants of the
violence link three intersecting themes: poverty, racialization and gender. Poverty and
racism marked the early lives of the male youth and their families in Ontario. The
resettlement barriers experienced by first generation Somali refugees, the racism that this
community and its youth encountered in public institutions such as schools, the criminal
justice system and the media, and the anti-poor posture of neoliberalism, combined to
create vulnerabilities to risky behaviour in male youth. My analysis suggests that young
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men entered the drug trade and/or participated in criminal activities in order to fill
material needs and enhance their self-esteem.
The inequities that underpin the determinants of violence require remedy at
multiple levels. I propose an evidence-based population health framework for the
prevention of youth violence, and identify interactive levels (individual, community,
institutional, societal) at which to target prevention and intervention efforts

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