History of Somalis in Maine

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As of 2013, there were around 10,000 Somalis in Lewiston and Portland. [1] [2] In 2022 the number shrunk to around 6,000. [3]

Contents

History

A Somali woman in Lewiston. Somwmnlew.jpg
A Somali woman in Lewiston.

In the 1990s, thousands of Somali immigrants in the United States began a secondary migration to Maine from other states due to the area's low crime rate, good schools and cheap housing. [4]

In October 2002, Lewiston Mayor Laurier T. Raymond wrote an open letter addressed to leaders of the Somali community, predicting a negative impact on the city's social services and requesting that they discourage further relocation to Lewiston. The letter angered some people and prompted some community leaders and residents to speak out against the mayor, drawing national attention. Demonstrations were held in Lewiston, both by those who supported the immigrants' presence and those who opposed it. [5]

The Somali-owned Mogadishu Business Center in Lewiston. Mogbuscen1.jpg
The Somali-owned Mogadishu Business Center in Lewiston.

In January 2003, a small white supremacist group demonstrated in Lewiston in support of the mayor, prompting a simultaneous counter-demonstration of about 4,000 people at Bates College and the organization of the "Many and One Coalition". [5] Only 32 attended the rally by the white supremacist group. The mayor was out of state on the day of the rallies, while governor John Baldacci and other officials attended.

In 2006, a severed frozen pig's head was thrown into a Lewiston mosque while about 40 men were praying. This was considered very offensive by the Muslim community, as swine is proscribed in Islam. A man admitted to the act and claimed it to be a joke. [6]

In 2006, KPMG International released a study identifying the best places to do business around the world and ranked Lewiston as the best in New England. [7] In January 2009, Newsweek associated a drop in crime rate, soaring income per capita and increased business activity in Lewiston with recent immigration to the town by Somalis. [8]

In June 2011, the Lewiston Sun Journal also noted the growing number of Somali recent immigrants earning high school diplomas, with more enrolling in local community colleges. The college students consist of both adult undergraduate and continuing education pupils, as well as high school graduates. [9] [10] In 2015, immigrants from Somalia also led Lewiston High School's Blue Devils boys soccer team to win the state championships under coach Mike McGraw. [11]

In 2025, Maine's first professional soccer team, the Portland Hearts of Pine, signed Lewiston High School alumnus Khalid Hersi following an open tryout for Maine residents only. [12] Hersi is the first Mainer to play for the team. Hersi's older brother, Bilal, also played for Lewiston High School and currently plays for Siena College's men's soccer team, in addition to Somalia's national team. [13]

Demographics

A Somali shop on Lisbon Street. Sombuslstr.jpg
A Somali shop on Lisbon Street.

In 2011, there were an estimated 5,000 Somali immigrants in Lewiston. [1] Around 5,000 Somalis also resided in Portland. [2] According to the Immigrant Resource Center, there were approximately 7,500 immigrants from East Africa in Androscoggin County where Lewiston is located, including individuals from Somalia. [14]

Somalis have opened up community centers to cater to their community. In 2001, the non-profit organization United Somali Women of Maine (USWM) was founded in Lewiston, seeking to promote the empowerment of Somali women and girls across the state. [15] The Somali Community Resource Center also provides English and citizenship classes among other services to Portland's resident Somalis, as does the Somali Cultural & Development Association. [2]

As of 2014, the most common non-English language spoken by students of the Lewiston Public Schools is Somali. Speakers make up around 90% of the district's pupils who do not speak English as a native language. [16]

Commerce

In August 2010, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Somali entrepreneurs had helped reinvigorate downtown Lewiston by opening dozens of shops in previously closed storefronts. Amicable relations were also reported by local merchants of French-Canadian descent and Somali storekeepers. [17]

Politics

In 2010, several Somali immigrants, now citizens of the United States and residents of Portland, filed to run for the Maine Legislature. Mohammed Dini ran in District 119 in a Democratic Party primary, and Badr Sharif ran in the Republican Party primary for District 116; both candidates were defeated in primary challenges. [18] Additionally, Portland's Somali community led a campaign to permit non-citizens to vote in municipal elections. [2]

In August 2016, while campaigning in Portland, Maine, at a rally Donald Trump said, "We've just seen many, many crimes getting worse all the time, and as Maine knows—a major destination for Somali refugees—right, am I right?" [19] The Lewiston police chief responded saying Somalis had integrated into the city and had not caused an increase in crime and that crime was actually going down, not up. The Lewiston mayor said Lewiston was safe and they all get along. At a Somali support rally following Trump's comments, Portland mayor Ethan Strimling welcomed the city's Somali residents, saying, "We need you here." Maine Republican senator Susan Collins commented, "Mr. Trump's statements disparaging immigrants who have come to this country legally are particularly unhelpful. Maine has benefited from people from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and, increasingly, Africa—including our friends from Somalia." [19] [20]

Following the 2016 U.S. presidential election of Donald Trump, the federal government released Executive Order 13780, a three-month travel restriction against citizens of six Muslim-majority countries, including Somalia. [21] Somalis and other immigrants in Lewiston as well as local residents worried that the temporary decision had put a strain on communal living. [22]

In 2017, a record three Somalia-born candidates, all newcomers to politics, unsuccessfully ran for the school committee in Lewiston. [23]

In 2019, Somali refugee Safiya Khalid was elected to the Lewiston city council. [24]

Deqa Dhalac, a native of Mogadishu, was elected to the South Portland city council in 2018 and was re-elected unopposed in 2020. She became mayor of the city in 2021, and was elected to the Maine House of Representatives District 120 in 2022 and re-elected in 2024. The 2022 election also saw the election Mana Abdi to the 95th District; Abdi was also re-elected in 2024. Dhalac and Abdi are both Democrats. [25] In 2024, they were joined by a third Somali-American Democrat in the House of Representatives, with Yusuf Yusuf being elected from the 118th district. [26] Yusuf had previously served on the Portland School Board.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 Jakimides, Annaliese. "The Story of Us - The Maine Humanities Council Newsletter, Winter 10-11". Maine Humanities Council. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "A New Group Seeks to Be Voice of Somali Community in Portland". MPBN. 24 June 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Shoichet, Catherine. "A Maine city that's 90% White now has a Somali mayor". CNN. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  4. ↑ Perceived Barriers to Somali Immigrant Employment in Lewiston - A Supplement to Maine’s Department of Labor Report
  5. 1 2 Anderson, James (24 September 2004). "Diversity group brings The Letter' to Owatonna". Faribault Daily News. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  6. ↑ SunJournal.com - Man kills self outside Marden's
  7. ↑ "Global Study Touts Lewiston as a Business Opportunity Standout". City of Lewiston. Archived from the original on August 29, 2006. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  8. ↑ Ellison, Jesse (16 January 2009). "Lewiston, Maine, Revived by Somali Immigrants". Newsweek. Archived from the original on 9 September 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2014.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) ()
  9. ↑ For Somali grad, Lewiston feels like home - Lewiston Sun Journal
  10. ↑ More Somali students graduate, find success - Lewiston Sun Journal
  11. ↑ "One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game that Brought a Divided Town Together". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Portland Hearts of Pine: First Mainer signs to team ahead of inaugural season". newscentermaine.com. 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  13. ↑ "Bilal Hersi - Men's Soccer". Siena College Athletics. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  14. ↑ "Statistics - Maine". Immigrant Resource Center of Maine. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  15. ↑ United Somali Women of Maine Archived 2011-07-07 at the Wayback Machine website
  16. ↑ REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Review of English Language Development Program and Services Archived 2015-07-21 at the Wayback Machine " (Archive). Lewiston Public Schools. Retrieved on July 18, 2015.
  17. ↑ Somali stores bring people back to Lisbon Street Lewiston Sun-Journal, August 30, 2010
  18. ↑ Somali immigrants eye Portland legislative seats Portland Forecaster, April 20, 2010
  19. 1 2 MacQuarrie, Brian; Wang, Vivian (August 6, 2016). "Mainers defend Somali neighbors against Trump". Boston Globe . Retrieved January 22, 2018.
  20. ↑ Hinckley, Story (March 6, 2017). "In one town, how Mainers and new immigrants learned to coexist – until Trump". The Christian Science Monitor . Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  21. ↑ Zapotosky, Matt; Nakamura, David; Hauslohne, Abigail (6 March 2017). "Revised executive order bans travelers from six Muslim-majority countries from getting new visas". The Washington Post.
  22. ↑ Hinckley, Story. "In one town, how Mainers and new immigrants learned to coexist – until Trump". The Christian Science Monitor.
  23. ↑ "Somalis making presence felt on Lewiston's political scene". Sun Journal. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  24. ↑ Farzan, Antonia Noori (6 November 2019). "Racist trolls targeted a Somali refugee's campaign. She still managed to pull off a historic victory". Washington Post. Retrieved 2020-06-20.
  25. ↑ Popp, Evan (2022-11-16). "Mana Abdi on historic election: 'The want to make our community better is within reach for all of us' - Maine Beacon". mainebeacon.com. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  26. ↑ "Portland voters select Yusuf in Democratic primary to fill open House seat". Press Herald. 2024-06-12. Retrieved 2025-01-09.

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