Essay Sample Including an Interview with the Somali Migrant Family

Did you ever migrate to another country?

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Yes, we migrated from Somalia to Wisconsin because of political factors in Somalia which resulted to terrorism.

Did migration affect you?

Yes, migrating to Wisconsin had a significant effect on us because of language barriers. It became challenging to communicate to the new people.

Did the migration have any effects on family ties/ relationships?

Yes, the family ties were adversely affected as a result of migration because of separation which resulted in weak family ties and disagreements.

What were the main changes you were not willing to do after migrating to Wisconsin?

We were not willing to change our lifestyle because of moving to a new place; we wanted to stick to our old practices, and also we decided to keep our religious beliefs.

Any prevalent family medical issues (cancer, diabetes)

Does the family have a history of chronic disease?

The families have a history of diabetes, and it has become hereditary such that at least each generation will be affected by the disease.

Have any of our family members died from any of the chronic diseases?

Yes, your grandmother from your father's side died of diabetes some few years ago.

Health and mental health history

Is there any record of mental illness in the family?

There is no record of any mental illness in the family recorded before from either side of the parents.

Have any of the family members were faced with health issues before?

Yes, your father inherited diabetes since it is a hereditary disease and over the time is becoming more and more severe.

Language skill and acculturation of family members

Was the family affected by acculturation?

Yes, the family has been dramatically affected by acculturation which resulted due to blending with the new cultures that we found in Wisconsin. This acculturation led to change in customs and beliefs of our family.

Did you obtain new language skills after migration?

Yes, we had to learn the new language in the place we settled because we needed to adapt to the new place to be able to communicate.

Was the effect of acculturation severe to the family?

Yes, they adopted a new culture because of the influence of the people around as well as breaking of the family ties which was caused by the intermarriage.

Socioeconomic information: family's history of education, occupation, income, work and financial stress

Which was the highest level of education did any of them attained?

Your father was able to attain higher education, as for me I did not achieve such level of education. Your grandfather was a farmer.

How much do you value education?

My parents valued education, and that's the reason they saw my education until I attained a high level of education. On the other hands, the parents to your mother did not think education was important.

What kind of work did most of them do?

Some were casual laborers, there also those who had good jobs especially the intermediate family. Your grandfather was peasant farmer and he did not gain much from farming.

What were their primary sources of income?

Some got employed with well-paying jobs others were self-employed while other had farms where they practiced agriculture and through this they gained income.

Did the family members value the issue of work?

Yes, we valued work, and we encouraged each member of the family to engage themselves in work to be able to provide basic needs such as food and shelter.

Have the family experienced financial stress at any point in their life?

Yes, the financial stress was caused by unemployment for both us who created harsh economic conditions which caused lack of basic resources.

Cultural Heritage: ethnic and racial background; the impact of racism; spiritual and religious beliefs (supported or minimized acknowledgment of their ethnic heritage)

Have the family faced racism in the process of immigration?

Yes, we moved to a country dominated by whites, were also denied some basic rights such as education and healthcare because of our skin color. We got discriminated against after the migration.

How active were my family's spiritual and religious beliefs?

The spiritual and religious remained strong amongst us as we resisted the western influence to convert and start following their beliefs.

Was my family concerned or were they serious about their ethnic background?

Yes, we maintained our cultures and did not allow ourselves to be influenced by the western culture or the new cultures. We also valued our heritage and kept them even after moving to the new place.

Belief systems, religion, and spiritual beliefs: what are the primary beliefs that organize the family?

Did my family have any primary beliefs that organized them?

Yes, they had beliefs that arose from our culture and despite migrating to a new place we managed to maintain some of them.

Were their religious and spiritual beliefs strong?

Yes, they maintained their beliefs even after migrating to a new place, they did not allow the new place or people change what they believe. They continued practicing their religious beliefs in new place

Family relationship history: what kinds of relationships do family members have?

Did the family have strong ties between them?

The family relationship was strong and it could be seen by the way each one showed concern for each other. They followed up with us when your father was ailing, and that is a clear indication.

What kind of relationships did the family have?

They were there for each other in times of need and were also very supportive of the family issues.

Immediate Family: What kinds of relationships are there within the immediate family? Any problems with generational boundaries, conflict, disengagement, lack of resources

Does the family have good relations with the immediate family?

Yes, they participated in family issues and problems that may arise; they also kept communication with the intermediate family going as well as following up on them. They contributed towards the things that would bring unity in their family

Have the family been in any conflict at any given time?

Yes, the family had experienced conflicts before which was caused by the issue of inheritance after our parents died. Some family members failed to show support for the family which resulted in conflict.

Have the family experienced lack of resources at any point?

Yes, the lack of resources got caused by lack of finances and unemployment, we, however, were able to solve that problem through your mother and I and searching for the job and also through working hard to obtain resources.

How did the family solve any family conflict that arose?

They called upon the family members to settle their differences; they were able to streamline the leading causes of conflicts and also encouraged family members to avoid conflicts as much as possible

Work and school: What are the educational expectations?

Does the family have any expectations about our education?

Yes, we expect the young generation to follow our footsteps of getting an education; your father is a good role model because he was able to attain higher education. We believe that education was the key to succeed in life.

What are your expectations about work?

We expect that everyone would work to be able to obtain important resources, life for us was not easy and we worked very hard, and up to now we don't have a good life, there work to us is very basic, and they wanted everyone to get employed to earn income.