Update April 27th: At least some in the Kansas legislature are attempting to keep shariah law from creeping into Kansas, here.
In 2008 Emporia, Kansas put up a fight. So much of a fight that the Tyson Foods meat-packing operation closed down and moved the Somalis out. We created an entire category about the conflict in Emporia—it is here with 37 archived posts. Now we know from this article in the Garden City Telegram that they moved some of them (mostly young men) to Garden City, KS and put them to work at a processing plant there. [By the way, Tyson is working its magic in Tennessee as well, here].
By the tone of the article by reporter Shajia Ahmad (a Somali or Arab?) it seems that Garden City is going to experience the Somalification (my word!) of their city without even a whimper of protest.
Just read this article! There are clearly problems in Garden City—you can tell by the reporter’s choice of the word “challenge” instead of problem. It is typical verbiage and standard reporting from those too chicken to speak the truth for fear of being labeled racists!
Now we know where the Emporia Somalis went. From the Garden City Telegram:
In the last four or five years, Garden City has seen an influx of several hundred Burmese and Somali families that have moved from other areas of the country to live and work in southwest Kansas, like many other regions in the Midwest and High Plains, spurred primarily by jobs in the meat-packing industry.
Many in Kansas, especially, came to Finney County* to work at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant following the shuttering of Tyson’s Emporia-based beef-packing plant in early 2008, where many of the 1,500 laid-off workers were Somali refugees.
Social service agencies hired a Somali expert to tell the Kansans how to tip-toe around the Somalis cultural and religious practices so as best to “serve them.” The greatest challenge is language—heck they have only been here in America for 5-10 years how could anyone expect them to have learned English!
Weber, whose agency helped sponsor Farah’s visit to Garden City to educate and inform local social service representatives and other stakeholders on salient issues concerning the Somali residents, said the biggest challenge facing locals is the language barrier.
“To translate, and know medical terms and child development terms … we’re working on it, but it’s a huge challenge for us right now,” Weber said.
Ah, the “challenges:”
Farah said the dynamics of the community in the Minnesota metropolis differ greatly from Garden City. However, understanding many simple traditional and cultural practices and norms will help in bettering communication between the agencies trying to serve refugees and other Somali residents locally.
For example, many of those in attendance Tuesday from various community organizations said they are challenged with Somali clients not showing up or returning for health or medical-related appointments for either them or their children. [Readers, this means that, for example, they may not be returning for immunizations (measles!) or to continue treatment for TB–ed]
Farah said that in Somalia, where medical treatment is often free and appointments don’t exist, most only go to hospitals or clinics as a last resort, after home remedies, spiritual practices and all other options have been exhausted.
Does no one have the fortitude to tell them they are in America now! And, just imagine for a moment that you were dropped off in Somalia, do you think for one minute that you would be allowed to continue your “spiritual” practices expecting Somalis to bend over backwards to satisfy your American cultural and religious needs? LOL! Can you see it now, some Somali (or even Kenyan) city employees calling in experts on America to tell the locals how to treat you!
When they disappear we have to “understand where these things come from:”
Farah said while Somalis celebrate the arrival of newborns, many also practice keeping the baby and mother in the home for the first 40 days.
“So it’s a little hard when you tell them, ‘come to the WIC program and we’ll register you, or come to the hospital and there’s a two week check-up on the baby,'” Farah said in reference to the USDA program that offers low-income women, infant and young children nutrition and health education and assistance. “When we are visiting with Somali moms, and then they’re disappearing and we can’t find them until they come back some time, well, we have to understand where these things are coming from.”
Americans are here to “serve” the Somalis. It is called dhimmitude —get used to that word!
On top of navigating a new society and system, many rituals and cultural norms are important to members of the Somali community. Social workers, case managers and others in the health and service industries should be informed of such rituals and norms if they’re to serve their clients competently.
For example, Farah reminded the group that most Somalis are Sunni Muslims, who are prohibited from eating pork and other pig products. What’s more, many only shake hands with others of the same gender.
Yes, indeed we must learn to serve the Somalis. (Anne Richard would surely tell you so as she gets ready to admit many more to the US for her gang of globalist industries looking for laborers and Democratic Party voters.)
* Until I looked just now I hadn’t realized that I have written many posts on Finney County, KS where we are told whites of European descent are now in the minority.