Nomads in America: Somali migration transforms a New England town

Red Star Tribune ^ | 9/15/02 | Jonathan Tilove

[ozone1]

LEWISTON, MAINE -- Every week, another four or five Somali families arrive in this workaday city on the Androscoggin River.

They are refugees from the clan-wracked ruins of their homeland on the Horn of Africa, from years of waiting in camps in Kenya. And they are migrants from their place of first resettlement in America, more often than not trekking 1,000 miles from the heat and multihued humanity of metropolitan Atlanta to this sparse, wintry, whitest of all states.

[j271]

So, if you're an average American -- like most of the good people of Lewiston, Maine -- and you see outsiders who have no intention of assimilating pouring into the community your grew up in, what do you do?

[SheLion]

Your in Maine? I live in northern Maine. Maybe you can ping me as well....

[SLB]

The next step is having Somali declared the official language of Maine!

[janetgreen]

you see outsiders who have no intention of assimilating pouring into the community your grew up in, what do you do?

Anyone in California can answer that question - you get to pay more taxes to support them. More taxes are needed for their medical care, their housing, their schooling, their food stamps, etc. Great deal for them, pi** poor deal for taxpayers and homeowners.

[jd777]

A Somalian will walk all the way to freezing MAINE for some good welfare.

[j271]

Is it the final destiny of the American people to stand idly by while the last remnants of the legacy of Jefferson and Washington are replaced with third-world shanty towns?

[RodgerD]

So, if you're an average American -- like most of the good people of Lewiston, Maine -- and you see outsiders who have no intention of assimilating pouring into the community your grew up in, what do you do?

A: Stop electing open-border panderers like Bill Clinton and George Bush

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

...you see outsiders who have no intention of assimilating pouring into the community your grew up in, what do you do?

Well, since we're so civilized now, and barbaric violence is no longer in vogue, I'll be moving out of Texas within the next five years.

[Mulder]

I can understand these folks wanting a better way of life for themselves and their families.

But they should EARN it, like our American forefathers did. Let them take up arms and overthrow the tyrannical regimes in their home countries, instead of coming here and becoming a burden to the rest of us.

[hoosierskypilot]

Hey, send them to San Francisco. San Fran pays $400 a month to a homeless person, just for being homeless. For a typical Somali family of 7, that's about 3 grand a month. Then, they can shoot on down to Santa Monica for three free meals a day.

Another post on the same subject had the mayor of Lewiston asking Somali people to not invite any more of their people to Lewiston. It was starting to hurt their public assistance program. No kidding.

Those of us in California have known this for years. But, as Bruce Willis said in "Die Hard", "WELCOME TO THE PARTY, PAL!"

[junta]

One day the Atlas will shrug welfare will disappear for lack of interest and those in Maine not smart enough will freeze in the dark come January.

[Red Jones]

bump

[DBtoo]

I don't think they care so much about finding jobs, they are more interested in the generous welfare benefits paid for by the white folks of Maine.

And besides, it's wrong to leave any state with too many white people, they dont' want them harmed by lack of diversity! Sarcasm off.

[Reagan is King]

That flushing sound you hear is our culture going down the drain.

[DBtoo]

I will try to say this in a polite way. Most third world immigrants come from cultures where the people are not exactly known for their compassion and generosity towards others. It's part of who they are. Many of them think the kindness and generosity of Westerners is a sign of weakness and they feel it is therefore their duty to take advantage of such foolish people. Many people in this country and in Europe just do not understand that, and cannot comprehend it because it is not part of their mindset. This causes many problems as we have seen.

[Joe Hadenuf]

Is it the final destiny of the American people to stand idly by while the last remnants of the legacy of Jefferson and Washington are replaced with third-world shanty towns?

Yup, and it's all being brought to you by this government sponsored, immigration disaster.......

[Lion Den Dan]

I will try to ping you on Main events (Pun intended) but I am in Kentucky.

[pocat]

About 2 years ago, the Cincinnati Enquirer ran a story about a Somali refugee living in Covington (Northern KY). He had lost his leg in the fighting, and the paper was soliciting the public for donations for a prosthetic replacement. The story detailed his life, saying that he had a "drinking problem" and occasionally got into fights around town because he refused to learn English and got mad when people didn't understand him.

From time to time, I saw this guy on my way home from work. He would be hobbling down the street on crutches, apparently begging for money. About a month after the story ran, I saw him with his new leg, carrying on as before. I saw him about another month later, his leg was gone, and he was back on his crutches. I guess it wasn't good enough for him.

Mass immigration advocates really need to realize that there are some people in the world who cannot - or will not - assimilate into American culture, no matter how much they "care" for them.

[eleni121]

I am familiar with lots of Somalis in my neck of the woods the Left coast of NYS - the Buffalo NY area. Somalis are friendly, quiet, ambitious and quite honest (as compared with other muslims) about their own peculiarities. Last year, a female Somali spoke about female cirumcisions to her college class and was adamant about how these practices from her homeland were abominable, but could not be changed there.

Many of them have come back north from the Atlanta area as well because of the welfare benefits. And yes, they are clever enough to figure out the system and abuse it! I ahve never gotten a direct answer to this question: Why does Catholic Charities continue this insanity? What does Catholic Church gain from their insatiable desire to bring Muslims here to the US? I once tried to do a little research into this but so far have been unsuccessful.