Meet Saeed Fahia, Community Leader, "Egal Shidad: Stories of Somali Health"

An immigrant is someone who willingly wants to change their situation in a new country.  You have to cope with a new language, culture, and community.  It is very exciting because compared to where they are coming from there is a lot of opportunity for education, work and advancement [in the U.S.] It is harder for some people to adapt than others.

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In the U.S. age is more of a liability then an asset. I like the way elders are respected in African cultures. Elders have the capacity to see things more in totality and put things in a larger perspective. They don’t dwell on small negatives because their lives have shown them that things they thought were significant in their youth did not have a large impact overall. They have a perspective that comes with time. 

Topics: New Routes Leaders