Somali Bantu Overview
Who are they?
The Somali Bantus come from a rural farming region along the Juba River in Somalia. Their ancestors were from Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique, and were captured and sold as slaves into Somalia. Their slave origins, and ethnic and cultural differences from native Somalis, kept them a marginalized minority. Few found opportunities beyond subsistence farming. Discrimination and poverty prevented access to schools, land ownership, and everyday rights. The Bantus have had little formal education, low literacy and English levels, large families, almost no U.S. support system, and an almost total lack of exposure to technology and urban life. They practice traditional beliefs and primitive health care approaches. Many have been in refugee camps in Kenya for 10 years. The good news is that they are eager to work, as they have shown in the camps. They have skills in mechanics, small-scale farming, and construction. The Bantus have a strong sense of family and community, which will be helpful to them.
How will they get to the U.S.?
About 1,000 Bantus are currently in post-INS processing, with the hope that they will start arriving in the U.S. in June or July 2003. The total resettled in the U.S. will be 11,800 Bantus. Some cities will receive over 200 cases that are extended families, and members of the same clans. Metro Atlanta may receive about 300 cases. Cultural training is being completed more extensively for the Bantus, with 80 hours of training planned, including specific training for women and youth, and in literacy.
Resettlement Challenges
The Bantus have only limited exposure to transportation systems, rental property, and government services, with the exposure being mostly in the camps. Their cultural orientation includes information on work, housing, health, and education in the U.S. American resettlement agencies are preparing to use training and support that worked well with groups with similar characteristics, such as rural African refugees or the Hmong of Southeast Asia. Agencies will be focusing on high school equivalency (GED), English language training, crime awareness, rights and opportunities available to them as newcomers to America, and relations among the myriad ethnic groups in the U.S.
Housing
Bantus have had little exposure to Western housing, conveniences, food, electricity, flush toilets, telephones, and kitchen and laundry supplies. This is another area where the orientation used for other rural refugees will be helpful.
Work and Finance
The Bantu have had little experience with banks, automatic tellers, etc. But they are familiar with borrowing land and money, selling produce in markets, and earning wages. Women have worked in the farms and the homes. Their ability to accept almost any job in Somalia and Kenya will serve them well in the U.S. Atlanta area employers are used to hiring refugees who speak little or no English. The refugees are needed in hospitality jobs, cafeterias, food service, custodial jobs, cleaning, packing/shipping, dishwashing, construction, and grounds keeping jobs. 90% of refugees coming to Atlanta have jobs within 90 days. 85% of even the Sudanese “Lost Boys”, who came from a similar background, were employed within 90 days. Most of these jobs come with health insurance after the refugee is employed 90 days.
Health Care
The concept of family planning does not exist for the Bantus. Usually the women are either pregnant or breastfeeding. They practice traditional beliefs regarding healing. The use of herbs, prayers, and rituals are common in healing. Female circumcision is also common. Orientation will need to deal significantly with health care, sanitation, and social support issues relating to children and mothers. Many Bantus have low self-esteem because of their history of slavery and subjugation. They have had a prevalence of violence in their lives. Many, including children, are depressed and traumatized. Some of the refugee agencies in Atlanta have relationships with psychologists and mental health professionals who work on sliding scales. These relationships will be used to support the Bantus.
Education
Most of the Bantu children worked on the farms rather than attending schools. It may be difficult for parents to participate in their children’s education in the U.S. But the Bantus have a strong adaptive quality, and many are at least bilingual, which will help them understand what it takes to communicate in a different language. Some of our refugee agencies have special relationships with the schools, which will also be helpful. There are already some Bantu families here who will help mentor the new arrivals. New ESL classes will be specifically tailored to the Bantus’ needs. After-school youth programs are also provided.
Other support from refugee serving agencies and the state
The Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta (CCMA) will send Bantus they resettle to Jubilee Partners, which is in a rural community in Comer, GA. This program provides for 2 months transitional housing, health screening, life skills classes, ESL classes, and intensive cultural orientation. CCMA also provides gathering groups. These are groups of refugees with facilitators, who discuss their problems, and learn from each other. The facilitators also provide psychological counseling.
The Bantus also will have access to Cash Assistance, Food Stamps, Medicaid, the Georgia Energy Assistance Program, Match Grant Program, Planned Parenthood of GA., Medicaid from Peachcare for Kids, Individual Development Account Savings Programs, low-income mortgage and loans programs, subsidized housing, legal services, United Way Home Front funding for rental assistance, tutoring programs, summer and after-school activities for children, nutrition programs for women and children, driving lessons, dental care, family planning clinics, pre-employment training, domestic violence counselors and shelters, child care, mental and physical health services and educational services, including literacy, ESL, GED, and technical skills classes for non-traditional students, including teenage mothers.
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Tier One: Approved for Bantu resettlement beginning immediately
Phoenix AZ
Tucson AZ
San Diego CA
Denver CO
Hartford CT
Tampa FL
Atlanta GA
Boise ID
Chicago IL (smaller families only)
Aurora/DuPage IL
Ft. Wayne IN
Kansas City KS/MO
Louisville KY
Boston MA
Worcester MA
West Springfield MA
Baltimore MD
Lansing MI
Grand Rapids MI
Manchester NH
Buffalo NY
Rochester NY
Binghamton, Syracuse NY
Utica NY
Charlotte NC
Columbus OH
Akron/Cleveland OH
Portland OR
Erie PA
Pittsburgh PA
Providence RI
Columbia SC
Sioux Falls ND
Nashville TN
Dallas/Ft. Worth TX
Amarillo TX
Houston TX
San Antonio TX
Salt Lake City UT
Burlington/Colchester VT
Charlottesville VA
Richmond VA
Roanoke VA
Milwaukee WI
Seattle WA
Tier Two – approved to begin resettlement after a date TBD by PRM
Lincoln/Omaha NE
Las Vegas NV
Memphis TN
Tri Cities WA
Tier Three: Sites not approved but may be revisited at a later date after additional input
Los Angeles CA
Orange County CA
Washington DC
301 area code, MD
New York, NY
*PRM is visiting these cities Feb 10-14.
I wonder what they consider smaller fammilies? Under 30 or under 40. Their geneology trees look like shrubs!
Just damn.
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Real useful types. We don't need people who need this much Socialism.
and the jobs where they're needed will be food service, cafeterias, cleaning... hmm what an enticement for us eating out.
My suggestion is get the US out of the UN, vacate the bldg. designate it a Federal public housing project and move all 12,000 of these new arrivals into the bldg.
Instead of volunteering at the local ASPCA, the NY libs can do good deeds at the site.