'None of my children have cried of hunger here'

Members of the Bantu tribe in Somalia find their transition to America more difficult than that of many immigrants because they've never had electricity, running water or TVs.

Suleiman Ader's journey began on the farm where he was born when he, as a young man, was struck in the face by men who then forced him to watch the rape of his sister.

It was during the civil war in Somalia. To escape, Ader, his wife and child walked for days to reach the Kenyan refugee camps where two more children were born and another conceived.

Last month, the family became among the first of his tribe — called the Somali Bantu — to arrive in Nashville.

The Bantu are among the least acclimated to modern life of any immigrants to the United States, and by the end of next year Nashville will be home to 400, according to the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Before the civil war in the 1990s, most Bantu, as did Ader, eked out an existence as farmers living in huts without running water, electricity, flush toilets or televisions. Few ever attended school. The Aders are among many who have arrived malnourished.

Ader's wife, Fatuma Abdi, has had to learn how to use a stove instead of firewood and a dishwasher for plates, frying pans and forks the family never owned before. Her children have overcome their suspicions of packaged pretzels. Abdi, 24, who keeps her father's name in Bantu tradition, says she felt like crying with joy when she first understood disposable diapers never had to be washed.

''None of my children have cried of hunger here,'' said Ader, 36, through a translator as he watched his boisterous 2-year-old son wrestle an older brother to the carpeted floor of their two-bedroom apartment near Murfreesboro Pike.

By 2005, the United States plans to resettle about 12,000 Bantu across the country, according to the U.S. State Department.

The Bantu are vastly different from most other refugees who have landed in Nashville in recent years, and refugee agencies have had to take a new approach, said Jennifer Schamel, resettlement director for World Relief.

World Relief, along with Catholic Charities, is charged with assisting all new Bantu arrivals to Nashville.

''With the Bantu, we never take anything for granted,'' she said. ''There's so much they're not familiar with. Any small thing could become a big thing.''

Usually, Schamel said, World Relief staff members greet refugees at the airport and take them to their own apartment, where they are given a brief orientation.

''Our very first family had a lot of difficulty,'' Schamel said. ''We showed the woman what we normally do as far as showing the hot and cold water.'' And then she left the woman alone.

Schamel ran back into the bathroom when she heard the woman's 1-year-old baby scream after being plunged into too-hot bath water.

''For the Bantus, there is regular water, and there is hot water boiled on the fire,'' Schamel said. ''She just didn't know that water could come out of the tap so hot.''

There have been other missteps: one Bantu woman poured dish soap over the surface of her stove, including the burners, in an effort to follow cleaning instructions. Another man rolled deodorant on from wrist to shoulder; two young children spit out their first taste of vanilla ice cream, shocked at the cold in their mouths.

Now, instead of leaving families alone in their first days, World Relief takes them to a brick house at Dalewood United Methodist Church in east Nashville where they live with a Somali ''house parent'' for a few days.

Ahmed Jama, who is Somali but not Bantu, teaches families how to use the stove, the thermostat and the knob to turn on the shower. Jama has tacked up labels all over the house that say ''curtains'' and ''picture'' to introduce the arrivals to written English.

Beyond the gadgets, Jama says there is one question all of the refugees ask: ''They want to know about racial discrimination'' on the part of Americans and Somalis in Nashville.

The Bantu have suffered a long history of discrimination, according to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. They are a minority brought to Somalia in the 19th century as slaves and have since been denied education and job opportunities by the Somali majority.

They speak a different dialect and are ethnically distinct from an estimated 3,000 other Somali who have arrived in Nashville over the past decade.

''The tribe issue is sometimes a big issue to the new arrivals, but we visit them and talk to them and tell them this is a different world and what tribe you are in doesn't matter,'' said Abdirizak Hassan, director of the Somali Community Center.

A south Nashville Somali mosque has raised money and gathered clothing for the new arrivals.

It's more difficult, however, to learn how Bantu refugees such as Ader feel about being expatriates with other Somalis because the only translators available are non-Bantu.

Ader said through his Somali interpreter that he isn't interested in racial or ethnic divisions. His priority is first to get a job and then learn English. World Relief has already helped him get driving lessons. The roads, he says, are extremely confusing.

He's not sure what kind of work his life has prepared him for. For the past several years, his job has consisted of waiting in long lines in a Kenyan refugee camp for basic food supplies and seeing his family through periods of ''donor fatigue'' when rations were so low they went hungry for days.

At an orientation at the Kakuma refugee camp, Ader remembers only this lesson: ''You cannot hit your children, and when you go, you have to smell good and be happy.''

World Relief helps refugees get jobs. Many of the Somalis who have arrived earlier work now in manual labor jobs at Dell Computer Corp. in Nashville, the Tyson Fresh Meats factory in Goodlettsville, Walden Books distribution center in La Vergne, Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and in area hotels as janitors and maids, Schamel said.

Jama, the house parent, says the early months are difficult for refugees such as Ader.

''They have expectations,'' he said. ''They want to work. But it takes time, and many get frustrated and bored. And there is no job training for us.''

But Ader has just been here a month. He anticipates learning English and getting a job before his next child is born in May. This one will be Bantu-American. The child can be president, Ader said.

His children will go to Glencliff Elementary School just down the street and get an education.

Right now his wife is in the kitchen frying potatoes and brewing tea with cardamom. His daughter is eating a sugar cookie, and the cupboards are full. So there is much more reason to hope than ever before, Ader says.

But Ader has just been here a month. He anticipates learning English and getting a job before his next child is born in May. This one will be Bantu-American. The child can be president, Ader said.

A pure expression of new found freedom.

If only more of our long term citizens could once again feel the depth of opportunity and freedom that the United States of America has to offer.

she felt like crying with joy when she first understood disposable diapers never had to be washed.

That is priceless.

Alot of people cannot even conceive of the hardship these people lived under. I'm not just talking about modern conveniences, but not being able to just work and live and raise your children and simply carry on ones life.
It's nice to see these people want to work and learn English. I work with a Mexican who's been here for over a decade and still hardly speaks any English.

Ader will take any job. He's willing to work hard.

Is there any job Ader can do? I doubt it. Is there a chance in hell that he can work well? Nope. Bringing people like this into this country does nither them nor the average American any good whatsoever. These Bantus are just another imported blunt instrament for the politcal, finanacial, and cultural elites to use in their endeavor of destroying this country as we know it.

Oh please...he's a man willing to work. I'm sure there is something for him to do. This is the kind of immagrants I welcome, those who wish to become Americans, to work hard make a better life for their children, who actually will bother to learn the language unlike those who sneak over here to live on welfare and won't even bother to learn to ask for food stamps and medicaid in english!

Is there any job Ader can do? I doubt it. Is there a chance in hell that he can work well?

Will he be a doctor or engineer? Probably not, but I bet he can clean paper plates off of the tables in a mall food court, learn how to clean bathrooms, or clean hotel rooms. I'm not knocking these jobs, simply pointing out that there are a number of low skill jobs that many people take when they need to start out or start over.

. They are a minority brought to Somalia in the 19th century as slaves and
have since been denied education and job opportunities by the Somali majority.

I don't know who "brought" the Bantus to Somalia or the nature of "the Somali majority".

But I wouldn't be shocked if both are: "Muslims".

Especially because the article doesn't comment.

Let's see what his attitude is after a year or two here. 10-1 he never gets off welfare. Not saying they are bad folks, because they aren't, but they have entirely too many historical periods to jump when they come here from where they were. They will be totally alienated in no time, and there will be a huge outcry from the usual suspects for our culture to show deference to theirs. Bank on it.

Will he be a doctor or engineer? Probably not, but I bet he can clean paper plates off
of the tables in a mall food court, learn how to clean bathrooms, or clean hotel rooms.

radiohead,
I know you're coming from the right place.
But I think the "president" comment is born simply of amazement that they've
"won the lottery"...they've landed in a prosperous land where their child
is not automatically prohibited from becoming President, no matter how
astronomical the odds.

I don't know if you saw it, but NBC and CBS news both ran some episodes on
some of "The Lost Boys" who've come to America from refugee camps
(most all Christians who's families were wiped out during warfare when they
were boys).

One of the channels even did a follow-up. They are struggling, but many
already had jobs, one as a minister at a church. Another was working two
jobs in order to afford more education -- as rough a diamond as he was, you could
just say "that guy is gonna' make it!".

Pardon my "Frank Capra -- Love Letter to America", but the stories about The Lost
Boys were right up there with "It's A Wonderful Life".

There are all kinds of jobs out there for people who don't know English. If he's willing to work hard, he's got a leg up on a lot of Americans I know. Add into the mix a guy who realizes the amazing opportunities America holds -- that because of the greatness of this country, his kids will almost certainly not starve, for starters -- and he has the makings of a great American.

My great-grandfather came to America not knowing a word of English. His family did pretty well....

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free" doesn't apply to Europeans.

This is the kind of immigrant I was taught to respect as a child.
A person who might make mistakes, but who was new to our country, and meant no intentional offense.
An adult, who did not know how to act correctly, but who was special because they came here from a foreign country to join our society, and because they wanted to be one of us so badly, that they were willing to start all over agin, as if they were children.
As a child, it was a special treat, if you could help such an immigrant, and respectfully help him/her on their way.
Give me 1000 legal Bantu refugees over one single illegal alien.
Chances are, the adults will always make minor blunders, but their children will not, because they were born here, or came here young enough to learn the same lessons we who were born here of citizens did as children.
There is a huge difference between legal and illegal immigrants.It begins with their first step on our land.
Do they join the corrupt criminal underclass as self-sentenced illegal slaves, or do they become full citizens, as is their right IAW our laws?
We have room for many new immigrants.
We have no place for those who make their first act on our soil a criminal offense by illegally crossing into our country and intentionally breaking our immigration laws.

"It's nice to see these people want to work and learn English. I work with a Mexican who's been here for over a decade and still hardly speaks any English."

I've been working on learning Spanish since I was 10. I can ask for a beer, which is a waste of effort, since I don't drink beer. I can say hello and goodbye. I cannot actually carry on a conversation.

I grew up in Southern California, mostly in Santa Fe Springs, in an area where my brother and I were the only Anglos on the block. It is difficult for older people to learn a new language. The best window of opportunity to begin a language is under age 3.

Some people (maybe even many) can do a lot better than I've done, even starting later, but I've been a stranger in a foreign land 4 times now, so I have some sympathy for those who don't learn languages easily.

"I don't know who "brought" the Bantus to Somalia or the nature of "the Somali majority".

But I wouldn't be shocked if both are: 'Muslims'."

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they are some sort of animist, either, as many Bantu are. This is America. They can belong to any religion they want. Even Islam. If we want to keep our Buddhist and Christian and Jewish and Hindu and Muslim and Rastafarian and whatever religious practices and symbols, we should welcome anyone else who seems capable of understanding that ALL people of faith should support one another, despite differences in doctrine and disagreement over the true name of God. These folks seem to be capable of that kind of reach. As far as I'm concerned, they're welcome here. It's only been a little over a hundred years ago that some of my relatives arrived here, after all.

I want to thank you for posting this story. With the terror alert warnings and the proposed blanket amnesty, I have been grousing about immigrants for days.

This story reminded me that most immigrants are good, and are here for the best of reasons. I am proud and happy to have these folks join us here in America. I wish them success and prosperity.

Thanks again. You really made me feel better.

Maybe I was not clear.
"both" referred to those who enslaved the Bantus
and to the Somali majority that has persecuted them.

Please also see post 11.

And I've got no beef with just about any religion.
But I like to keep my distance from folks like OBL and his fellow travelers who
obediently follow the direct commands of the Koran and Hadith.

On immigrants wanting to learn English -- Yes, can you imagine? When my grandparents, in their 40s, immigrated here due to the Nazis, they would play Scrabble a few times a week with other immigrant couples, dictionary by the table, to improve their They never lost their thick accents, but they became very fluent in both spoken and written English.

VERY much clearer, this time, thanks! You are probably quite right, actually, even the way I first understood it. The Arabs and many of the peoples they dealt with for slaves were, in fact, Muslim. They considered it their duty to enslave the non-muslims who were also not "People of the Book" to bring them to Islam. Of course, people who became Muslims weren't supposed to be KEPT as slaves.

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