Recent Immigrants and Refugees

Over a million Somali people have been forced to leave Somalia due to war and near near famine conditions.  When large numbers of people settle far from their ancestral homeland, it is known as a diaspora. This page is dedicated to stories of resettlement, friendship and hope for Somali immigrants and refugees in the United States. Scroll down past the videos to see an infographic from the Obama White House Archives outlining the long, arduous screening process that refugees have had to undergo before they were permitted entry into the United States.
Ilhan Omar: The First Elected Somali American Woman

Elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives on Nov 8, 2016, Ilhan Omar is a policy analyst, community organizer, community educator and mother of three. The video Ilhan Omar and the New American Dream allows Ms. Omar a platform for her poignant, inspirational story.

Ilhan Omar was born in Somalia in 1982. Her family fled Somalia in 1991 when the civil war began, and spent four years in a Kenyan refugee camp. In 1995, the family emigrated to the U.S., living briefly in Arlington, VA before resettling in Minneapolis, MN.

Ilhan became fluent in English in about three months, serving as her grandfather's translator at age 14. She volunteered as a student organizer in high school and later graduated from North Dakota State University with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and International Studies.

Ilhan Omar began her historic term with the Minnesota House of Representatives on January 3, 2017, becoming the first Somali American legislator in the United States.

Learn more about the life and career of Ilhan Omar on Wikipedia and www.ilhanomar.com. Read about her March 2017 visit to Ohio Wesleyan University here.
More Stories of Friendship and Success
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Refugee Screening Process
This infographic from the Obama White House Archives illustrates the long, arduous screening process that refugees undergo before resettlement into the United States.
Picture
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2015/11/20/infographic-screening-process-refugee-entry-united-states
​Somali Community Association of Ohio
3422 Cleveland Avenue, Columbus OH 43224​

​PH:          614.262.4068
​FAX:       614.262.4068
EMAIL:  [email protected]
​DONATE NOW  and support SCAO's work with central Ohio's Somali community! The Somali Community Association of Ohio (SCAO) is a 501 (C) (3) non-profit organization with a mission to help Somali refugees and immigrants thrive in Columbus, OH. If you'd like to reach out or volunteer your time, please contact us.