Soomaalida Maraykanka (Somali) | |
|---|---|
 By county By state | |
| Total population | |
| 169,799 (2023) Total Somali ancestry[1] 92,401 (2023) Somalia-born[2] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Languages | |
| Religion | |
| PredominantlySunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Somali Canadians |
Somali Americans are Americans ofSomali ancestry. The first ethnic Somalis to arrive in the United States weresailors who came in the 1920s fromBritish Somaliland. They were followed by students pursuing higher studies in the 1960s and 1970s. From the late 1970s to the late 1980s and early 1990s, more Somalis arrived.
In the mid and late 1990s, the largest number of Somalis arrived, aftercivil war in Somalia. The Somali community in the US is now among the largest in theSomali diaspora.
The first Somalis in the United States were a small group of sailors who settled in New York City in the 1920s.[4] Eventually acquiring American citizenship, they actively participated in the Somali independence movement and served as key liaisons whenever Somali political figures visited the UN headquarters.[citation needed] For their substantial contributions to Somali society, these early Somali expatriates were rewarded with medals by the Somali government and some were also issued land back home.[citation needed]
Following Somali independence in 1960, Somali students began arriving in the US to pursue higher studies while living with relatives or on scholarships. Many of the young returned to Somalia after graduation and played an important role in the development of Somalia. In the 1980s, a small number of Somalis settled in the United States. They were later joined by many other ethnic Somalis from different backgrounds, who sought asylum in the US after the outbreak of the civil war in Somalia, or emigrated from other parts ofGreater Somalia.[5]
A large number of the Somali immigrants settled inMinnesota, which by 2002 harbored the largest population of Somalis in North America.[6] Many of the newer arrivals came through voluntary agencies (VOLAGS) contracted with theState Department, who helped them settle in.[7][8] In 2006, Somalis in the state accounted for $164–$394 million in purchasing power and owned 600 businesses.[9] The city ofMinneapolis in particular hosts hundreds of Somali-owned and operated commercial ventures. In 2015, there were 57,000 residents in Minnesota of Somali ancestry, among whom 31,400 were born in Somalia.[10]
Somalis in the United States often send resources to their extended families abroad,remittances that were facilitated by the signing of the 2014Money Remittances Improvement Act.[11] In 2012, following a greatly improved security situation in Somalia, many Somali US residents began returning toMogadishu and other parts of the country.[12] A few of the homeward-bound immigrants along with some American-born associates have been sought and/or prosecuted for allegedly providing material support to theAl-Shabaab andIslamic State political militant groups.[13][14] However, according to intelligence officials, fewer expatriates were joining the groups' ranks by late 2013.[15][16]
Most of the returnees have instead repatriated for investment opportunities and to take part in the ongoing post-conflict reconstruction process in Somalia. Participating in the renovation of schools, hospitals, roads and other infrastructure, they have played a leading role in Mogadishu's recovery and have helped propel the local real estate market.[12]
Somalis in the US have been the subject of rhetorical attacks fromDonald Trump. In a rally two days before the2016 US presidential election, Trump called Somalis "a disaster" for Minnesota.[17] During his second term aspresident of the United States, Trump engaged in whatThe Guardian has described as "extended racist tirade[s]" against Somalis in the US and in Minnesota specifically, stating in December 2025: "Those Somalians should be out of here. They've destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain". A week earlier, Trump had called Somalis "garbage" and "said he didn't want any of them to be in the US".[18] Trump's administration has ended the Temporary Protected Status program for Somalis in Minnesota and directedImmigration and Customs Enforcement to conduct raids in Minneapolis.[19] Trump has falsely claimed thatIlhan Omar, the US representative for Minnesota's 5th congressional district, who is Somali-American, is in the US "illegally".[20][21]
Estimates of the number of Somali immigrants living in the United States vary widely, ranging from 35,760 to 150,000 persons.[22] 2010 American Community Survey data indicates that there are approximately 85,700 people with Somali ancestry in the US. Of those, around 25,000 or one third live inMinnesota;[23] 21,000 of the latter were born in Somalia.[24] Nationwide, 76,205 were Somalia-born.[3] Somalis are the second largest ethnic group from theHorn of Africa, afterEthiopians.
In 2008–2012, the largest concentration of Somalia-born people in the United States were in theMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area (17,320) of Minnesota. Other metropolitan areas with significant numbers of Somali Americans includeColumbus, Ohio (10,280),Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue inWashington (7,850),San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos in California (2,845),Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria in theVirginia-D.C. area (2,715),Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta inGeorgia (2,305),Phoenix-Mesa-Glendale in Arizona (1,965),Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro in Oregon (1,480),Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin in Tennessee (1,420),Boston-Cambridge-Quincy in Massachusetts (1,380), and other areas (28,650).[3]
In 2014, theMinneapolis City Council passed a resolution marking July 1 as Somali American Day. The event commemorates theIndependence Day of Somalia, which is annually celebrated on the same day.[25] The council also approved a resolution making Minneapolis andBosaso in northeastern Somalia,sister cities.[26] In 2014, theFederal Government of Somalia announced that it would start officially keeping count of Somalis abroad.[27]
| State[28] | Number | Percent of state |
|---|---|---|
 Minnesota | 91,111 | 1.60% |
 Ohio | 26,160 | 0.22% |
 Washington | 16,931 | 0.22% |
 California | 7,750 | 0.02% |
 New York | 6,505 | 0.03% |
 Texas | 5,824 | 0.02% |
 Missouri | 4,350 | 0.07% |
 Virginia | 4,243 | 0.05% |
 Massachusetts | 4,184 | 0.06% |
 Arizona | 3,924 | 0.05% |
 Kentucky | 3,907 | 0.09% |
 Nebraska | 3,788 | 0.19% |
 Oregon | 3,777 | 0.09% |
 Georgia | 3,725 | 0.03% |
 Colorado | 3,663 | 0.06% |
 Wisconsin | 3,502 | 0.06% |
 Maine | 3,443 | 0.25% |
 Tennessee | 3,180 | 0.05% |
 Utah | 2,128 | 0.07% |
 North Dakota | 2,058 | 0.26% |
 Michigan | 1,979 | 0.02% |
 Illinois | 1,844 | 0.01% |
 Pennsylvania | 1,751 | 0.01% |
 Iowa | 1,670 | 0.05% |
 North Carolina | 1,399 | 0.01% |
 Maryland | 1,239 | 0.02% |
 Kansas | 993 | 0.03% |
 Indiana | 816 | 0.01% |
 Vermont | 740 | 0.12% |
 Florida | 615 | 0.003% |
 South Dakota | 556 | 0.06% |
 Idaho | 473 | 0.03% |
 Alaska | 376 | 0.05% |
 Nevada | 374 | 0.01% |
 Connecticut | 349 | 0.01% |
 New Hampshire | 314 | 0.02% |
 New Jersey | 303 | 0.003% |
 South Carolina | 194 | 0.004% |
 District of Columbia | 192 | 0.03% |
 Louisiana | 141 | 0.003% |
 Oklahoma | 127 | 0.003% |
 Alabama | 120 | 0.002% |
 New Mexico | 81 | 0.004% |
 Rhode Island | 64 | 0.006% |
 Mississippi | 63 | 0.002% |
 Arkansas | 46 | 0.002% |
 Hawaii | 45 | 0.003% |
 Delaware | 32 | 0.003% |
 Puerto Rico | 27 | 0.0008% |
 West Virginia | 26 | 0.001% |
 Wyoming | 18 | 0.003% |
 Montana | 17 | 0.002% |
Many Somali refugees in the US have experienced difficulties accessing the labor market at first, but have been experiencing a steady increase in employment rates in recent years. At the time of the 2010 census, 47% of Somalis in Minnesota were employed, 13% unemployed and 40% were economically inactive. By comparison, the unemployment amongst the state's overall foreign-born population was 6%.[29]
Earlier data from the 2000 US Census indicated a gender disparity in employment among Somali immigrants in Minneapolis: 65% of Somali men were employed compared to 35% of Somali women. This was cited by Helskog, who argued that finding unemployed Somalis in Minneapolis was difficult.[30]
Similarly, researcher Cindy Horst noted that Somali immigrants in Minneapolis were often perceived as economically active and highly engaged in the labor market, particularly among men.[31][page needed]
At the national level, survey data over the period 2011 to 2015 showed that 58% of working-age Somali Americans were employed, and 5.1% were self-employed.[32] In Minnesota, Somali Americans had slightly higher employment and self-employment rates, at 62% and 5.9% respectively, a difference attributed to the state's strong economy.[32]
Analysis by the Fiscal Studies Institute of 2014 American Community Survey five-year data showed that the labour force participation rate of Somali men aged 25 to 64 was 84%, with the rate for women being 64%, compared to 81% and 73% of US-born men and women respectively.[33]
The Somali community in the United States is represented by various Somali-run organizations. Somali Community Services inSan Jose and the Somali American Council of Oregon (SACOO) on the west coast offer guidance to new Somali families and works closely with the municipal authorities to strengthen civic relations.[34][35]
The Somali Community Access Network (SomaliCAN) is one of several groups serving Columbus' Somali community.[36] In Minnesota, the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM), Somali American Parent Association (SAPA), and Somali Action Alliance also offer various social services to the state's resident Somalis.[34][37][38]
Politically, a Somali American Caucus in theMinnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL) was formed to represent the Somali community.[39] A Somali American also chairs theRepublican Party's Immigrant Relations Committee in Minnesota.[40]
Throughout the 21st century, there have been incidents ofanti-Somali sentiment within the United States against people of Somali descent. Anti-Somali, i.e. Somaliphobic, incidents typically constitute an intersectionality of prejudices, including anti-Muslim, anti-black, anti-immigrant, anti-African and anti-allophone.[41] There has been an increase in anti-Somali rhetoric in the wake of U.S. President Trump referring to Somalis as "garbage".[42]
Somalis in the United States are represented by the embassy of Somalia in Washington, D.C.[43] The embassies ofDjibouti andEthiopia in the capital provide additional diplomatic representation for resident ethnic Somalis.[44] The breakaway region ofSomaliland maintains a representative office in Washington as well.
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| Africa | |
|---|---|
| Americas | |
| Middle East | |
| Asia | |
| Europe | |
| Oceania | |
