Bob CollinsIn the category of don’t-miss articles today we submit this one on The Atlantic. It’s a photo profile of the life of Somalis in Minnesota.
The Somalis who live in Minneapolis are much like regular Minnesotans —barbecuing, riding speedboats, going to the playground, and hosting dinner parties. According to Nazaryan, they are also avid Snapchatters, posting selfies of their every move. “I was kind of surprised, given how conservative the culture can be, to see the younger generation going out, dating, and using social media,” [Photographer Arthur]Nazaryan said. “In Somali culture, it’s really important to be connected and communicate with each other.”
“People only pay attention to them when there are these anomalous cases,” Nazaryan said.”I think it is worth looking at how this community lives, because they’ve also come as refugees from a country that continues to be torn apart by Islamic extremism — and have been both benefactors of our generosity and victims of our suspicion.”
If you have time, you’ll also went to look at Nazaryan’s breathtaking photos on his website.
