Thread: CO:Somali Refugees Take Up New Roots in Greeley

Somali refugees take up new roots in Greeley

By Bruce Finley
The Denver Post
Posted: 06/29/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Updated: 06/29/2009 06:10:44 AM MDT


Stacy Heikes, left, who has lived in Greeley for 26 years, shops at the new East African Store Halal Market in downtown Greeley. Store owner Ahmed Abdi, right, recently opened the store in hope to get customers from the many somalians flocking to meat factory towns like Greeley for jobs. (RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post)


GREELEY — Somali refugees who flocked to jobs in U.S. slaughterhouses — including plants in Greeley and Fort Morgan — are moving beyond cutting floors to Main Street.

"We want to become Americans," said Mohamed Egal, director of the Somali Aid self-help group in Greeley, where more than 700 Somalis live.

They've established shops offering imported items. An unmarked mosque in central Greeley offers a place for Muslim worship.

Informal "hawala" money-transfer services help reach relatives stranded in war-torn Somalia and refugee camps in neighboring Kenya. A former burrito restaurant now sells plates of rice, lamb and goat.

And community leaders say dozens more hopeful Somalis arrive each week in Greeley


Abdirizak Dahir prays at a mosque in Greeley during a lunch break from his job as a banker at Wells Fargo. His first job in Greeley was at JBS Swift Beef Co. (RJ Sangosti / The Denver Post)


from larger cities such as Minneapolis and Seattle, where federal contractors initially resettle refugees.

The lure: steady $12-an-hour jobs at Brazilian-owned JBS Swift Beef Co. The plant employs more than 300 Somalis, taking advantage of the legally authorized status of refugees accepted from war zones.

This avoids problems associated with unauthorized migrants from Mexico and Central America.

Somalis also are sinking roots in Emporia and Dodge City in Kansas; Grand Island and Norfolk in Nebraska; and Sioux City, Iowa — all towns with slaughterhouses that depend on assembly-line labor.

Mothers "tell our children to follow the rules of Greeley as well as the rules of our religion," said Salado Abdille, 60, who takes an English class in the computer-filled East Africa Community Center along with newcomers from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Rwanda and Sudan.

"We want them to graduate from high school, then university," Abdille said. "We want them to work at nice jobs, not the meat plant. Like computer engineering. We want them to be successful."

Somali men find "Greeley is a good place to fit in," said Abdirizak Dahir, 21, a Wells Fargo banker who moved from San Diego. "You do have a lot of setbacks, but a lot of people here have a good heart."

Bridging the gaps

Dahir said he was "going nowhere" in the Somali enclaves of east San Diego. His mother urged him to leave.

He found work at JBS in 2007. Adept in English, he began translating for other refugees.

One day in a Wells Fargo branch, Dahir joked that the bank should hire a Somali because more Somalis were arriving, needing to deposit paychecks.

To his surprise, manager Amanda Dunbar asked him to apply. He worked for a year as a teller, then was promoted.

Wells Fargo hires to match a broadening customer base, said Dunbar, who allows Muslim prayer breaks for Dahir and another Somali employee.

Rising from midday prayers last week at the mosque, Dahir said he deeply appreciated the ability to pray on the job.

"This is our foundation," he said. "We feel empty without it."

And Wells Fargo managers have gained insight into another cultural challenge: Religious beliefs prevent many Somalis from transactions involving interest. "They take debit cards," Dunbar said.

Now, a few use credit cards after bankers explained that no interest would be involved if debts were paid each month.

The shrinking U.S. economy drives the trend of Somalis and other refugees seeking work in slaughterhouses.

"If you earn just $8 an hour, that's sufficient to support yourself only. You can't support your relatives in Africa. That's selfish. You have to support yourself and your family," explained Abdiqadir.


Asha Abdi reviews English words in a class at the East African Community Center in Greeley. Many Somalis are working to assimilate and have high hopes for their children's education and success. (RJ Sangosti, The Denver Post )Jama, 28.


Jama, a former meat-plant trainer, recently opened the Doof Market and said he aspires to become a pharmacist. He and other members of a Somali soccer team are trying to enter a local league.

Yet Maryann Adow, 20, yearns to visit her biological mother, whom she hasn't seen for 17 years. "It's really, real ly hard to be alone," Adow said.

When the bus dropped her off two years ago, she dreaded meat-cutting work. So she was glad to become a Wal-Mart cashier — and attend Greeley West High School.

After graduating in May, she plans to apply to a college in Denver, with the goal of being a teacher or family physician.

"I feel like an American. I have freedom," she said. "You can choose your future."

A few bumps along the way

Assimilation issues do exist. Greeley police have held meetings to try to smooth local mixing, although they report no major problems. Spanish- speaking JBS foremen use hand signals to try to bridge language gaps.

And a Somali entrepreneur's takeover of the Burrito restaurant, a longtime favorite of University of Northern Colorado students, confused customers expecting burritos who found only rice, lamb and goat.

The overall business trend points upward, said Ahmed Abdi, 25, who recently doubled the size of his Eighth Avenue East Africa Halal Market, which he runs with two sisters.

They are especially eager to serve non-Somali customers.

When dental-office manager Stacy Heikes, 58, wheeled her mountain bike in last week to check out clothing, sandals and spices, Abdi handed her a free cup of tea.

Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com

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Related news
Civil-rights complaints investigated

GREELEY — State and federal civil-rights officials are investigating claims that Somali workers at the JBS Swift Beef Co. meatpacking plant were mistreated.

Complaints have been filed with state officials and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, said Steve Chavez, director of the Colorado Civil Rights Division.

Chavez met with Somalis in Greeley last week. He said federal officials are taking the lead on the investigation.

EEOC officials declined to comment.

Concerns surfaced last year after JBS managers refused to let late-shift Somalis pray at sunset during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Workers walked off the job, and more than 100 were fired. Somali workers have since claimed ongoing issues with their Latino supervisors, Chavez said.

"They believe they were treated differently because they were Somalis," he said.

JBS spokesman Chandler Keys said the company has attempted to accommodate religious practices by installing foot washes in locker rooms for foot-cleansing prior to prayer and bidet-type spray devices on toilets to assist with cleansing after using the rest room.

Keys would not discuss the complaints or the investigation. He said company officials "are in discussions" with Somalis regarding Ramadan this year.

"It's an ongoing, flowing information dialogue that's going to keep us on our toes in working with these people," he said.

Bruce Finley: 303-954-1700 or bfinley@denverpost.com

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_12710442#

This avoids problems associated with unauthorized migrants from Mexico and Central America.

Somalis also are sinking roots in Emporia and Dodge City in Kansas; Grand Island and Norfolk in Nebraska; and Sioux City, Iowa — all towns with slaughterhouses that depend on assembly-line labor.

The locations listed include my state, NE. Great.

Wish I could be happy for these refugees, or at least not be upset about it, but frankly I am so sick of the whole out-of-control illegal immigration problem, that I personally am for a moratorium on even legal immigration for a while.

I know they're refugees, and if there is any group I would be for allowing into the US, it would be true refugees. I think we bring some of the need to take refugees on to ourselves with all our frequent international involvements. Other countries such as Britain take a lot of refugees, also. And at least these refugees ARE legal, and it sounds like these meat-packing plants are at least trying to hire them since they are legal.

Wish I felt more positive about it, but I'm way past positive feelings about any immigration at this point. What about US citizens? For Pete's sake, what about US citizens? I wish I knew if these meat-packing plants had made any effort to hire US citizens.

I wonder if the economy would drastically improve if there was some kind of limit on how much money could be sent out of this country and into other countries.
Sure it's great that Mexico is reliant on the money sent into their country, and now many in Somalia are getting regular checks (the meat plant pays $12/hr, they claim they need $8 to support themself and also need to support relatives in Somalia, with the remaining $4/hr?) but how much money is being sent out of the U.S. on a yearly basis, instead of remaining here to improve our own failing economy? Not to mention the money sent to China and India.
The U.S. will never be able to recover if every working illegal alien, refugee, and legal resident is allowed to continue sending so much of their paychecks out of the country.
Here in AZ, social service places are often placing ads asking for donations of used furniture, clothes, cars, toys, etc. for working (and not working) refugees. If these people would keep the money they earn instead of giving it to others, they could buy they stuff they need. Increasing the money spent in stores helps the economy. Buying just the bare necessities and begging for the rest does not help the economy.
I for one am getting tired of reading the stories about X and Y from this or that country have this horrible sob story, then come here and are doing great, going to school, working, but they still need help. Their 20 year old son would really like a computer for college, and their 11 year old daughter would be thrilled with an X-Box, and Mom really could use a cell phone to keep in touch while she's working, and speaking of work, mom and dad could both use some very nice clothes and shoes, to fit in better, and they have so many kids, they would really be appreciative if someone could just give them a big SUV or even just a mini van... So bleeding hearts give them what they want, and feel good, instead of explaining that they really need to save up for those things, they are luxuries after all.
This country keeps accepting more and more refugees, green card holders, and illegals, who do take jobs, and have a much higher rate of sending money overseas than Americans do, and our economy is just collapsing now. Why not just limit the amount, and for two years have a major crackdown on illegals in the workplace, and only accept very few people for greencards, and only for jobs that require highly skilled, highly educated employees that truly aren't available here. Forget green cards for low/no skilled jobs. If an employer can't find an employee to work for the pay offered, raise the pay. If they can't find someone who is experienced enough for a low/no skilled job, train someone. Stop placing help wanted ads saying someone with 2-5 years experience is needed to clean hotel rooms or pull weeds for minimum wage and they won't need foreign workers.