America has been the nation of immigrants since it was discovered by Columbus (Moore, 2010). Immigrants from all over the world move to America in anticipation of getting a better life (Bekerman, 2012). America is often referred to as the land of opportunities, motivating many people to move there.
Immigrants from Somalia moved to America for the same reasons (Bekerman, 2012). The American citizens and their government have the responsibility of doing something to help the ever increasing number of immigrants. All the immigrants in America can not fulfill their dreams without the help of the American government (Moore, 2010).
There is no way immigrants can have better lives without education. This paper will highlight the importance of educating Somalian immigrants in Minnesota. Somalian immigrants can only become participatory members to the American society through education.
The first reason why the Somalian immigrants should be educated is for them to develop the necessary skills that are required in the American labor market (Atkins, 2008). The Somalian immigrants in Minnesota can not access employment opportunities in Minnesota and other areas if they are unskilled (Williams, 2010).
It is important to note that all immigrants need some training in order to meet the required qualifications in the American labor market (Mcilrath, 2007). The American government invests a lot of money in educating immigrants for them to make a significant contribution to the economy of the country (Williams, 2010).
The Somalian immigrants have a right to get an education similar to other minority groups in the United States. The available entrepreneurial opportunities can not be exploited if the immigrants do not have relevant entrepreneurial skills (Mcilrath, 2007). Among the major licensing requirements in the United States is a university degree which makes it difficult for Somalian immigrants to operate any business in Minnesota (Williams, 2010).
It is important for immigrants to be familiar with the language of the host country for them to get support (Mcilrath, 2007). Immigrants from Somalia do not know English which makes it necessary for them to learn some language skills (Darboe, 2003). The Somalian immigrants can not feel comfortable while interacting with the local people if they do not understand the native language (Darboe, 2003).
The Somalian immigrants can develop their vocabulary and language skills at local community centers through the help of interpreters (Mcilrath, 2007). The local people can assist them in learning the local language by organizing events for developing vocabulary and language skills (Darboe, 2003).
Schools and churches are some of the best places that Somalian immigrants in Minnesota can receive some language skills. The Somalian immigrants should be able to interpret and use the local language for them to communicate and work with the local people (Williams, 2010).
It is estimated that almost 70% of the Somalian immigrants in Minnesota are illiterate who were helped by educated family members in their migration arrangements (Moore, 2010). The majority of Somalian immigrants of the working age do not even have a high school diploma (Mcilrath, 2007). There is a very wide gap between the Somalian immigrants and the natives in Minnesota when it comes to educational attainment (Moore, 2010).
The economic performance of the Somalian immigrants entirely depends on their level of education (Williams, 2010). The American government should come up with policies that promote the education of immigrants in order to improve their economic performance. The improvement of the economic performance of Somalian immigrants is beneficial to them and other Minnesota residents (Mcilrath, 2007).
The poverty levels of Somalian immigrants in Minnesota are very high and the only way to solve that problem is by improving their literacy levels through education (Kruizenga, 2010). Illiterate immigrants find it difficult to cope economically because they can neither get jobs nor do business.
Economic empowerment can only be attained through education and training (Kruizenga, 2010). Recent research has shown that education plays a very significant role in improving the economic situation of immigrants (Grossman, 1982). The Somalian immigrants in Minnesota are the poorest compared to natives and other immigrants.
Educating immigrants leads to employment growth in Minnesota through the retention of local industries (Grossman, 1982). The social status of Somalian immigrants can also be improved by educating them (Darboe, 2003). Education is a very important factor in determining the social status of a person within the society (Moore, 2010).
The Somalian immigrants will continue to feel inferior to the natives because of their academic qualifications. Educating Somalian immigrants in Minnesota can help a great deal in improving their socioeconomic status (Butcher, 1991). The Somalian immigrants can not be aware of their civil rights and liberties without education. Education enables immigrants to be aware of their entitlements in the host country (Borjas, 1987).
Minnesota has benefited a lot from the fact that Somalian immigrants living within the region make a significant contribution towards economic growth (Bekerman, 2012). Educating Somalian immigrants helps in reducing the crime levels in Minnesota. Unemployment is one of the major causes of crime and this can only be solved through education (Bekerman, 2012).
Educating Somalian immigrants promotes economic and political stability in Minnesota because every person feels valued when he or she is educated. Minnesota has the highest number of immigrants, meaning that failure to create new opportunities through education leads to an economic instability (Bekerman, 2012).
An educated Somalian immigrant can create more employment opportunities that can benefit all the residents of Minnesota (Bekerman, 2012). The resources that are normally used on welfare programs can be used to fund other development projects because education reduces one’s reliance on the American government for help (Darboe, 2003).
The Somali people are good in doing business, which can only be enhanced through education (Darboe, 2003). Equipping Somalian immigrants with entrepreneurial skills can improve the business environment in Minnesota. An increase in the number of businesses means that there will be more jobs for the local people in Minnesota (Atkins, 2008).
Education brings economic empowerment that enables people to have the spending power (Darboe, 2010). The spending power of people is what makes the local businesses thrive. Education enables people to be more creative and innovative (Atkins, 2008). Minnesota State needs people who can enhance socioeconomic growth in the region through their creativity (Williams, 2010).
Innovation helps in the creation of new systems and improvement of the existing ones. The creative capacity of a person can only be enhanced by education. The Somalian immigrants and those from other parts of the world have the potential to make a significant contribution to the socioeconomic growth of Minnesota if they are given the proper education (Williams, 2010).
In conclusion, it is important to educate the Somalian immigrants in Minnesota in order to improve their socioeconomic status. Many of the immigrants from Somalia are illiterate and therefore can not make any contribution to the local economy (Bekerman, 2012).
The poverty levels of Somalian immigrants are very high because the majority of them do not have the required skills to exploit the available economic opportunities in Minnesota (Atkins, 2008).
The American government should come up with educational programs that can enhance the socioeconomic empowerment of Somalian immigrants living in Minnesota (Moore, 2010). It is clearly evident from the discussion in this paper that educating Somalian Immigrants in Minnesota is very beneficial to the region (Moore, 2010).
References
Atkins, A. (2008). Creating Minnesota: A history from the inside out. New York, NY: Minnesota Historical Society.
Bekerman, Z. (2012). International handbook of migration, minorities and education: Undertanding. New York, NY: Springer.
Borjas, J. (1987). Immigrants, Minorities, and labor market competition. Industrial and Labor Relations, 40(3), 382-392.
Butcher, F. (1991). Immigration and Wages: Evidence from the 1980s. Economic Impact of Immigration, 81(2), 292-296.
Darboe, K. (2003). New Immigrants in Minnesota: The Somali immigration and assimilation. Journal of developing societies, 19(4), 65-79.
Grossman, B. (1982). The substitutability of natives and immigrants in production. The Review of Economics and Statistics, 64(4), 596-603.
Kruizenga, T. (2010). Teaching Somali children: What perceived challenges do Somali students face in the public school system. International Journal of Education, 2(1), 78-154.
Mcilrath, L. (2007). Higher education and civic engagement: International Perspectives. London. Ashgate Publishing Ltd.
Moore, M. (2010). What makes Somalis so different?. Web.
Williams, P. (2010). Exclusive: Small town America transformed by Somali Migrants. Web.